This article is aimed at engineers who use Livox MID-360/Mid-360S in product integration or with ROS/ROS2, and explains how to automate IP configuration using Python to eliminate the need for manual configuration and reconfiguration.
Because each MID-360/Mid-360S unit has a different IP address at the time of shipment, if it doesn't match the network design at the site, the PC won't be found, and you'll run into problems right from the start of the connection.
On-site, it's necessary to change and fix IP addresses to suit the environment. However, manual configuration via GUI or reconfiguring ROS drivers is labor-intensive and prone to errors.
This article demonstrates how to automate the "detection → configuration → reconnection" process using Python, completing the initial setup in just a few seconds.
Because it does not use a GUI, it eliminates the need for manual IP address rewriting during assembly and when starting up multiple units, reducing both configuration time and errors.
This applies to Windows 11. On Linux, simply replace the equivalent of netsh with ip addr/nmcli, and the process will be the same.
How the factory IP works and the initial address specifications
The default IP address for the Livox MID-360/Mid-360S is determined by adding the last two digits of the serial number to the end of the IP address. For example, if the last two digits are 44, the IP address would be 192.168.1.144.
For example, if the serial number is 47MDMCB00304 44, the IP address will be 192.168.1.144.
For the initial connection, the PC's IP address must also be on the same segment. If they are not matched, the LiDAR will not be detected, and you won't even be able to reach the IP change screen.
Generally, GUI changes are made using Livox Viewer 2, but this process is time-consuming and becomes resource-intensive as the number of machines increases.
With ROS/ROS2 drivers, the LiDAR IP in the configuration file also needs to be rewritten, and doing this manually makes it easy to miss something.
As the number of machines increases, the number of errors and rework increases in both GUI rewriting and configuration file modification.
The script in this article automates the process of "detection → configuration → reboot → PC IP switch → reconnection."
Traditional vs. Automated Flow
- GUI: Graphical User Interface
- Config file: A file used to define and specify software and system operations, environments, parameters, etc.
Overall flow for automatically changing IP address using Python
The following flowchart shows the overall picture of communication and configuration between the PC and the MID-360/Mid-360S.
Broadcast automatically detects the device, sends IP configuration commands and confirms ACK, reboots, changes the PC's IP address, and reconnects—all in one go.
The contents of the flowchart are organized in the order of processing as follows:
1. Broadcast transmission (PC → LiDAR)
The PC sends a Broadcast command to host_ip via UDP port 56000 (br_send()).
2. Broadcast reception (LiDAR → PC)
The PC receives a response from the LiDAR via UDP 56000 and obtains the device type, serial number, and LiDAR IP address (using br_recv()).
After receiving the data, the script checks for a match in command ID/type and verifies the CRC16/CRC32. If the device type is anything other than MID-360 (h'09)/Mid-360S (h'23) or if the CRC does not match, this script will interrupt processing as an error.
3. Send IP setting command (PC → LiDAR)
The new IP address, subnet mask, and gateway of the LiDAR are converted into a byte sequence (hexadecimal representation), and combined with the header, a CRC16/CRC32 is generated and sent to UDP port 56100 (cf_send()).
4. ACK reception (confirmation of setting results)
The PC receives the ACK via UDP 56100 and re-verifies the command ID (h'0100), type (h'01), and CRC.
If there is a 1 second timeout or mismatch, an error occurs (cf_recv())
5. Send reboot command → receive ACK
To reflect the changes, send a reboot (command ID h'0200) to the LiDAR and check for an ACK (rb_send() / rb_recv()).
6. Automatic change of PC's IP address
To align the routing, change the PC's network adapter (pc_adopter) to host_new_ip / new_subnet_mask / new_gate_way using the netsh command (set_pc_ip_address()).
7. Wait 15 seconds → Re-broadcast → Check reconnection
Restart the LiDAR and wait 15 seconds for the link to stabilize, then send and receive a broadcast again from the new PC IP, display the changed LiDAR IP and serial number, and exit (final processing in mid_360())
- Broadcast: A communication method in computer networks that simultaneously transmits specific information or data to all devices (nodes) in the network.
- UDP (User Datagram Protocol): A "connectionless" communication protocol that prioritizes high-speed data transfer and does not establish connections or confirm data arrival.
- CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check): A technology used to check whether data sent and received over a network is correct. It detects whether the data is corrupted. CRC16 generates a 16-bit checksum, and CRC32 generates a 32-bit checksum.
Script configuration and prerequisite parameters
This script automates the entire process from setup to reconnection, based on the UDP communication specifications of the Livox MID-360/Mid-360S.
You can specify the Ethernet adapter name on the PC side, the IP address before and after the change, and the IP address on the LiDAR side before and after the change, etc.
The following is the Python source code.
Please download the actual file from the "Documents" section at the bottom of the page.
If you are using Mid-360S, please make the following changes.
Line 108
if (dev_type != "09"): print ("=== Error : Broadcast device type is not MID-360 ! ==="); exit()
if (dev_type != "23"): print ("=== Error : Broadcast device type is not Mid-360s ! ==="); exit()
How to run a Python script
First, set the following in your Python script:
- pc_adopter: Name of the Ethernet adapter on the PC (check the name of the adapter you are connecting to in Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections)
- host_ip: Current PC IP address (192.168.1.100)
- host_new_ip: The new IP address of the PC (192.168.2.100)
- lidar_new_ip: The new IP address of the LiDAR (192.168.2.244)
- new_subnet_mask: Subnet mask of the LiDAR after the change (255.255.255.0)
- new_gate_way: The new LiDAR gateway (192.168.2.1)
After setting the above, go to the directory containing the python program on the command prompt and run it.
How to check the results of changing your IP address
Below is the execution result screen.
Verification environment
- LiDAR: Livox MID-360/Mid-360S
- OS: Windows 11
- Python: 3.11.9
C:\XXXX>python mid_360.py
# Broadcast #
***** LiDAR IP address = 192.168.1.144 : Serial number = 47MDMCB0030444 *****
# Config #
# Reboot #
# PC ip address change #
..... Sleep 15s .....
# Broadcast #
***** LiDAR IP address = 192.168.2.144 : Serial number = 47MDMCB0030444 *****
C:XXXX>You can see that the LiDAR IP address has changed from 192.168.1.144 to 192.168.2.144. (Log output)
The PC's IP address has also been changed from 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.2.100, enabling communication with the LiDAR.
Just to be sure, check it with LivoxViewer2 as well.
-
Before change
-
After the change
Indeed, we can confirm that the LiDAR's IP address has changed to 192.168.2.144.
It can also be run on a Linux PC by modifying the IP address change on the PC side.
- The PC and LiDAR can only work in a one-to-one relationship.
- Administrative privileges are required to run this.
- Please allow Python firewall communication.
- This script is not officially supported by Livox.
Summary
By adapting this article to Python, we were able to automate the "detection → configuration → reconnection" process without GUI operations, even with individual IPs at the time of shipment. This eliminates manual work when setting up multiple units or when initializing before mass production, and minimizes reconfiguration on the ROS/ROS2 side. Since it is Windows-based and can easily be ported to Linux, it is effective in both development and maintenance.
Related Info
Disclaimer
This script has been tested for testing purposes, so we cannot be held responsible for any issues that may arise.
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Materials
- mid_360.py
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