How to use RPLidar with QT C++?

[Geeva]

I have installed QT creator on Raspberry Pi, I want to use RPLidar with QT on Raspberry Pi. I was unable to find any source of how to use RPLidar on QT. Is there any ready-made library available on QT? or how can I utilize?

Can anyone help to fix this problem?

[KroMignon]

@Geeva I think you have to build the SDK from source for your device ==> https://github.com/Slamtec/rplidar_sdk

[Geeva]

I think it looks like a long process and I don't have any reference. Can you elaborate little more?

[SGaist]

Hi,

From a quick look:

• Go to the rplidar_sdk/sdk/ folder
• Call make
• Possibly make install

[Geeva]

@SGaist I connected the LIDAR 2D with the USB Adapter and the system recognize the device. Later I started reading /dev/ttyUSB0.

I compiled the driver without any problem and I run the example included with the SDK:

./ultra_simple & ./simple_grabber /dev/ttyUSB0 115200

samples I have tried. It is working fine. How can I take/read the data using QT? What is the procedure I have to follow?

I have included driver files and other arch support files with the project, but I was unable to find any sample for reading data using QT or any C++ with Linux. Can you help to fix the issue?

[SGaist]

So it looks like it's seen like a serial device, correct ?

In that case, QSerialPort should do the job.

[Geeva]

@SGaist I connected the LIDAR 2D with the USB Adapter and the system recognize the device. I have used QSerialPort for getting serial communication.

#include <QtSerialPort/QSerialPort>
#include <QtSerialPort/QSerialPortInfo>
#include <QString>

         QList<QSerialPortInfo> port_list = QSerialPortInfo::availablePorts();
         QSerialPort serialPort;
         serialPort.setPort(port_list[0]);
         serialPort.setBaudRate(QSerialPort::Baud115200);

              QSerialPort serial;
              serial.setPortName("ttyUSB0");

              serial.open(QIODevice::ReadWrite);
              serial.setBaudRate(QSerialPort::Baud115200);

              serial.setDataBits(QSerialPort::Data8);
              serial.setParity(QSerialPort::NoParity);

              serial.setStopBits(QSerialPort::OneStop);
              serial.setFlowControl(QSerialPort::NoFlowControl);

              serial.open(QSerialPort::ReadWrite);
              cout<<" "<< endl;
              cout<<"Readable    :"<<serial.isReadable()<<endl;
              cout<<"Writable    :"<<serial.isWritable()<<endl<<endl;

 if (serial.isOpen() && serial.isWritable())
   {
      qDebug() << "Is open : " << serial.isOpen() << endl;
      qDebug() << "Is writable : " << serial.isWritable() << endl;
   }
 else
   {
       qDebug() << "An error occured" << endl;
   }

I have tried to connect the lidar with the raspberry, serial port is connected and I think I can read and write. Here, I have attached output

Name        :  "ttyUSB0"
System Location: "/dev/ttyUSB0"
Busy: false
Null: false
Identifier: 4292
 
Readable    :1
Writable    :1

Is open :  true 
Is writable :  true

What will be the next step? How can I read the Lidar data? I am clueless if you can support me it will be very useful for me.

[SGaist]

As silly as it may sound: read your device manual and developer guide.

[mrjj]

@Geeva said in How to use RPLidar with QT C++?:

./ultra_simple & ./simple_grabber

Those samples shows how to read data.
Its contains its own serial class.
So if you want to use Qt's serial object for the same, then
you should study
https://github.com/Slamtec/rplidar_sdk/blob/master/sdk/sdk/src/rplidar_driver.cpp
and most important _sendCommand which seems to be used to talk to the device.
However, why do you want to read using Qt ? when it comes fully with serial and TCP
classes to do communication and more importantly check and validate any return/answers.

[Geeva]

@mrjj Exactly, it contains its own serial class. I have included sdk with my project, I can see the data similar to how I can see in windows application. But I am facing one issue from here (given below)

if (IS_OK(op_result)) 
{
     drv->ascendScanData(nodes, count);
       for (int pos = 0; pos < (int)count ; ++pos)
        {
         printf("%s theta: %03.2f Dist: %08.2f Q: %d \n", 
         (nodes[pos].sync_quality & RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_SYNCBIT) ?"S ":"  ", 
         (nodes[pos].angle_q6_checkbit >> RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_ANGLE_SHIFT)/64.0f,
         nodes[pos].distance_q2/4.0f,
         nodes[pos].sync_quality >> RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_QUALITY_SHIFT);
            }
        }

From here I am getting theta, Dist, Q. Output format given below

theta: 229.11 Dist: 00549.00 Q: 47 
theta: 229.67 Dist: 00544.00 Q: 47 
theta: 230.34 Dist: 00539.00 Q: 47 
theta: 231.16 Dist: 00511.00 Q: 47 
theta: 231.70 Dist: 00511.00 Q: 47 
theta: 233.27 Dist: 00358.00 Q: 47 
theta: 233.94 Dist: 00355.00 Q: 47 
theta: 234.50 Dist: 00352.00 Q: 47 
theta: 235.05 Dist: 00350.00 Q: 47 
theta: 235.86 Dist: 00350.00 Q: 47 
theta: 236.66 Dist: 00350.00 Q: 47 
theta: 236.70 Dist: 00350.00 Q: 47 
theta: 237.66 Dist: 00351.00 Q: 47 
theta: 238.19 Dist: 00352.00 Q: 47 
theta: 238.50 Dist: 00354.00 Q: 47 
theta: 239.30 Dist: 00355.00 Q: 47 
theta: 239.36 Dist: 00357.00 Q: 47 
theta: 239.91 Dist: 00359.00 Q: 47 
theta: 240.72 Dist: 00362.00 Q: 47

I don't know exactly what is the format. If I want to store the data (theta, Dist) to an individual global variable, then how can I store.

[mrjj]

Hi

• If I want to store the data (theta, Dist) to an individual global variable, then how can I store. If I want to store the data (theta, Dist) to an individual global variable, then how can I store.

Is there any reason, you cant use the nodes[pos] list ?
in any case, you could do something like

(in a .h file) 
struct rplidarData {
 double theta;
 double dist;
};

std::vector<rplidarData> dataList;  // inside a class .h 

--
( and then in your reader code )
rplidarData data; // to store in locally
drv->ascendScanData(nodes, count);
for (int pos = 0; pos < (int)count ; ++pos)      {
  ....
  data.theta = nodes[pos].angle_q6_checkbit >> RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_ANGLE_SHIFT)/64.0f;
  data.dist =  nodes[pos].distance_q2/4.0f;
  dataList.append(data); // store in list
}

[Geeva]

@mrjj I don't know exactly whether it is correct or not !!! Here, I have added whatever I have tried and what kind of output I am getting. I don't have prior experience in this, because of that my question might be silly.

(in a .h file)

public:
    
    static _u16 angle_q6_checkbit;
    static _u16 distance_q2;
    static _u8 sync_quality;
    static _u8 sync_qualitylevel;

--
( and then in my reader code )

if (IS_OK(op_result)) 
	{
		drv->ascendScanData(nodes, count);
		for (int pos = 0; pos < (int)count ; ++pos) 
		{
UltrasonicThread::sync_quality=nodes[pos].sync_quality & RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_SYNCBIT;
UltrasonicThread::angle_q6_checkbit=(nodes[pos].angle_q6_checkbit >> RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_ANGLE_SHIFT)/64.0f;
UltrasonicThread::distance_q2=nodes[pos].distance_q2/4.0f;
UltrasonicThread::sync_qualitylevel=nodes[pos].sync_quality >> RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_QUALITY_SHIFT;

	printf("%s theta: %03.2f Dist: %08.2f Q: %d \n",

(nodes[pos].sync_quality & RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_SYNCBIT) ?"S ":"  ",
(nodes[pos].angle_q6_checkbit >> RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_ANGLE_SHIFT)/64.0f,
nodes[pos].distance_q2/4.0f,
nodes[pos].sync_quality >> RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_QUALITY_SHIFT);

	        cout << "quality  "<<sync_quality<< endl;
	        cout << "distance "<<distance_q2<< endl;
	        cout << "angle "<<angle_q6_checkbit<< endl;
	        cout << "quality level "<<sync_qualitylevel<< endl;
		}
	}

but I am not getting the expected output (getting only distance and angle not getting the quality details). My output looks like

I am not getting proper sync_quality data. How can I get, what modification I have to do?

[jsulm]

@Geeva said in How to use RPLidar with QT C++?:

cout << "quality "<<sync_quality<< endl;

try

cout << "quality  "<<std::to_string(sync_quality)<< endl;

[KroMignon]

@Geeva said in How to use RPLidar with QT C++?:

I am not getting proper sync_quality data. How can I get, what modification I have to do?

I think this is just a cast problem, sync_quality and sync_qualitylevel are defined as unsigned char, cout will output corresponding ASCII char. Try this:

	         cout << "quality  "<< int(sync_quality) << endl;
	        cout << "distance "<< distance_q2 << endl;
	        cout << "angle "<< angle_q6_checkbit << endl;
	        cout << "quality level "<< int(sync_qualitylevel) << endl;

[Geeva]

@KroMignon Ya, It is working. Now in laser data thread, I am getting the proper data. While trying to take the data from laser data thread to motion thread, I am not getting any data.

cout data in Laser data Thread output:

Taking data from Laser data thread to motion thread (cout data in motion thread):

        cout << "distance "<< LaserdataThread::distance_q2 << endl;
        cout << "angle "<< UltrasonicThread::angle_q6_checkbit << endl;
        cout << "quality level "<< int(UltrasonicThread::sync_qualitylevel) << endl;

why it is happening? what is causing a problem?

[KroMignon]

@Geeva said in How to use RPLidar with QT C++?:

why it is happening? what is causing a problem?

You can't do that!!! This is not a proper way to share value between different threads!

distance_q2, angle_q6_checkbit, etc. are NOT atomic variable, so reading and writing them from different thread is not consistant!!
Read/write are not atomic, that means, read/writing those variable could be interrupted by thread context switch, so you are not sure you will read good/real values!

Try to declare then as atomic:

#include <QAtomicInteger>
...
public:
    
    static QAtomicInteger<_u16> angle_q6_checkbit;
    static QAtomicInteger<_u16> distance_q2;
    static QAtomicInteger<_u8> sync_quality;
    static QAtomicInteger<_u8> sync_qualitylevel;

[Geeva]

@KroMignon I have tried to share values similar way but I am getting an error.

Modification in Header:

public:

    static QAtomicInteger<_u16> angle_q6_checkbit;
    static QAtomicInteger<_u16> distance_q2;
    static QAtomicInteger<_u8> sync_quality;
    static QAtomicInteger<_u8> sync_qualitylevel;
    
//public:
    
//    static _u16 angle_q6_checkbit;
//    static _u16 distance_q2;
//    static _u8 sync_quality;
//    static _u8 sync_qualitylevel;

Error:

/usr/include/arm-linux-gnueabihf/qt5/QtCore/qbasicatomic.h:116: error: invalid application of 'sizeof' to incomplete type 'QStaticAssertFailure<false>'

[KroMignon]

@Geeva strange, can't figure out what the problem is :(

One alternative could be to declare variables as QAtomicInt , I think variable size is not important in you application:

#include <QAtomicInteger>
...
public:
    static QAtomicInt angle_q6_checkbit;
    static QAtomicInt distance_q2;
    static QAtomicInt sync_quality;
    static QAtomicInt sync_qualitylevel;

If I have correctly read your code, this should also work, and you don't have to cast value when passing it to cout.

[Geeva]

@KroMignon No, still same problem. I think better I can post the program, it will help you to understand, and get a proper solution because still, I am not getting data, the same output I am getting.

Thread.h

public:
    static QAtomicInt angle_q6_checkbit;
    static QAtomicInt distance_q2;
    static QAtomicInt sync_quality;
    static QAtomicInt sync_qualitylevel;

struct RPLidarMeasurement
{
   float distance;
   float angle;
   uint8_t quality;
   bool  startBit;
};

struct rplidarData {
 double theta;
 double dist;
};

const RPLidarMeasurement & getCurrentPoint()
{
    return _currentMeasurement;
}

    void run();
    void run2();

     bool Stop_Ultra;
     static int Mode;
     bool Close_Thread;

     SensorDistance *sd1;

     static float centerDist;

signals:

     void NumberChangedCenter(float);

public slots:

protected:
    u_result _sendCommand(_u8 cmd, const void * payload, size_t payloadsize);
    u_result _waitResponseHeader(rplidar_ans_header_t * header, _u32 timeout);

protected:
//    HardwareSerial * _bined_serialdev;
    RPLidarMeasurement _currentMeasurement;

};

Lidar data Thread (Thread.cpp):

#include "thread.h"
#include <QApplication>
#include <QAtomicInteger>

#include "rplidar.h" //RPLIDAR standard sdk
#ifndef _countof
#define _countof(_Array) (int)(sizeof(_Array) / sizeof(_Array[0]))
#endif

#ifdef _WIN32
#include <Windows.h>
#define delay(x)   ::Sleep(x)
#else
#include <unistd.h>

static inline void delay(_word_size_t ms){
    while (ms>=1000){
        usleep(1000*1000);
        ms-=1000;
    };
    if (ms!=0)
        usleep(ms*1000);
}
#endif

using namespace std;

 QAtomicInt Thread::angle_q6_checkbit;
 QAtomicInt Thread::distance_q2;
 QAtomicInt Thread::sync_quality;
 QAtomicInt Thread::sync_qualitylevel;

Thread::Thread(QObject *parent) :
    QThread(parent)
{
    cout<< "Thread Started"<<endl;
}

Thread::~Thread()
{
    cout<<"Thread Stopped"<<endl;
}

using namespace rp::standalone::rplidar;

bool checkRPLIDARHealth(RPlidarDriver * drv)
{
    u_result     op_result;
    rplidar_response_device_health_t healthinfo;

    op_result = drv->getHealth(healthinfo);
    if (IS_OK(op_result)) { 
        printf("RPLidar health status : %d\n", healthinfo.status);
        if (healthinfo.status == RPLIDAR_STATUS_ERROR) {
            fprintf(stderr, "Error, rplidar internal error detected. Please reboot the device to retry.\n");
            return false;
        } else {
            return true;
        }

    } else {
        fprintf(stderr, "Error, cannot retrieve the lidar health code: %x\n", op_result);
        return false;
    }
}

#include <signal.h>

bool ctrl_c_pressed;
void ctrlc(int)
{
    ctrl_c_pressed = true;
}

using namespace std;

void UltrasonicThread::run()
{
    RPlidarDriver * drv = RPlidarDriver::CreateDriver(DRIVER_TYPE_SERIALPORT);

    sd1 = new SensorDistance();

    if(sd1->Interrupt_error())
    {
        while(true)
        {
           if(Thread::Mode == 1)
           {
               if(!this->Stop_Ultra)
                {
                    run2();
                }

               else if(this->Stop_Ultra)
               {
                   drv->stop();
                   drv->stopMotor();
                   // done!
                   RPlidarDriver::DisposeDriver(drv);
                   drv = NULL;
                   break;
               }
           }

            if(this->Close_Thread)
            {
                 break;
            }
        }
   }
  delete sd1;
}

void Thread::run2()
{
    const char * opt_com_path = NULL;
    _u32         baudrateArray[2] = {115200, 256000};
    _u32         opt_com_baudrate = 0;
    u_result     op_result;

    bool useArgcBaudrate = false;

    printf("Ultra simple LIDAR data grabber for RPLIDAR.\n"
           "Version: "RPLIDAR_SDK_VERSION"\n");

    // read serial port from the command line...
    if (!opt_com_path) {
#ifdef _WIN32
        // use default com port
        opt_com_path = "\\\\.\\com3";
#else
        opt_com_path = "/dev/ttyUSB0";
#endif
    }

    // create the driver instance
    RPlidarDriver * drv = RPlidarDriver::CreateDriver(DRIVER_TYPE_SERIALPORT);
    if (!drv) {
        fprintf(stderr, "insufficent memory, exit\n");
        exit(-2);
    }

    rplidar_response_device_info_t devinfo;
    bool connectSuccess = false;

    if(useArgcBaudrate)
    {
        if(!drv)
            drv = RPlidarDriver::CreateDriver(DRIVER_TYPE_SERIALPORT);
        if (IS_OK(drv->connect(opt_com_path, opt_com_baudrate)))
        {
            op_result = drv->getDeviceInfo(devinfo);

            if (IS_OK(op_result))
            {
                connectSuccess = true;
            }
            else
            {
                delete drv;
                drv = NULL;
            }
        }
    }

    else
    {
        size_t baudRateArraySize = (sizeof(baudrateArray))/ (sizeof(baudrateArray[0]));
        for(size_t i = 0; i < baudRateArraySize; ++i)
        {
            if(!drv)
                drv = RPlidarDriver::CreateDriver(DRIVER_TYPE_SERIALPORT);
            if(IS_OK(drv->connect(opt_com_path, baudrateArray[i])))
            {
                op_result = drv->getDeviceInfo(devinfo);

                if (IS_OK(op_result))
                {
                    connectSuccess = true;
                    break;
                }
                else
                {
                    delete drv;
                    drv = NULL;
                }
            }
        }
    }

    if (!connectSuccess) {

        fprintf(stderr, "Error, cannot bind to the specified serial port %s.\n"
            , opt_com_path);
    }

        printf("RPLIDAR S/N: ");

        for (int pos = 0; pos < 16 ;++pos) {
            printf("%02X", devinfo.serialnum[pos]);
        }

        printf("\n"
                "Firmware Ver: %d.%02d\n"
                "Hardware Rev: %d\n"
                , devinfo.firmware_version>>8
                , devinfo.firmware_version & 0xFF
                , (int)devinfo.hardware_version);

        if (!checkRPLIDARHealth(drv)) {
        }

        signal(SIGINT, ctrlc);

        drv->startMotor();

drv->startScan(0,1);

    while (1) {
rplidar_response_measurement_node_t nodes[8192];
size_t   count = _countof(nodes);

op_result = drv->grabScanData(nodes, count);

if (IS_OK(op_result)) {
    drv->ascendScanData(nodes, count);

    for (int pos = 0; pos < (int)count ; ++pos) {
        UltrasonicThread::sync_quality=nodes[pos].sync_quality & RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_SYNCBIT;
        UltrasonicThread::angle_q6_checkbit=(nodes[pos].angle_q6_checkbit >> RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_ANGLE_SHIFT)/64.0f;
        UltrasonicThread::distance_q2=nodes[pos].distance_q2/4.0f;
        UltrasonicThread::sync_qualitylevel=nodes[pos].sync_quality >> RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_QUALITY_SHIFT;

        printf("%s theta: %03.2f Dist: %08.2f Q: %d \n",

               (nodes[pos].sync_quality & RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_SYNCBIT) ?"S ":"  ",
               (nodes[pos].angle_q6_checkbit >> RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_ANGLE_SHIFT)/64.0f,
                nodes[pos].distance_q2/4.0f,
                nodes[pos].sync_quality >> RPLIDAR_RESP_MEASUREMENT_QUALITY_SHIFT);

       cout << "distance "<< distance_q2 << endl;
       cout << "angle "<< angle_q6_checkbit << endl;
       cout << "quality level "<< int(sync_qualitylevel) << endl;

    }
}

if(this->Stop_Ultra)
{
    qDebug ()<< "stop lidar";

    drv->stop();
    drv->stopMotor();
    // done!
    RPlidarDriver::DisposeDriver(drv);
    drv = NULL;
    break;
}
    }
return ;
}

Motion Thread.cpp

void Motion::Synchronization(QString motiontype)
{
      if(motiontype == START)
       {
            cout << "angle "<<Thread::angle_q6_checkbit<< endl;
            cout << "distance "<<Thread::distance_q2<< endl;
            cout << "quality "<<Thread::sync_quality<< endl;

   if(269<Thread::angle_q6_checkbit && Thread::angle_q6_checkbit <271)
    {
        if(Thread::distance_q2>1200)
        {
            dist_left=1200;
        }
     else
      {
           dist_left=Thread::distance_q2;
      }
                cout<<"Motion +Stuff+="<< endl;
    }
  }
}

So, I want to take the lidar data into motion thread then I can apply with my logic stuff. This is what I want to do. So, here what wrong or how can I approach? Is there any other way?

[KroMignon]

@Geeva reply what do you mean with "same problem"? Does NOT compile?