LVX Specifications

LVXSpecifications
v1.0.0.0© 2019 Livox Tech. All Rights Reserved

1

LVX Specifications

Document Release HistoryDate
2019/2/25

Release
V1.0.0.0

Change Description
First release© 2019 Livox Tech. All Rights Reserved

2

LVX Specifications

CONTENTS
1LVX Format v1.0 .........................................................................................................................42

LVX Format Definition..............................................................................................................43

Data Types....................................................................................................................................44

Public Header Block..................................................................................................................55

Device Info Block .......................................................................................................................5

6

Point Cloud Data Block............................................................................................................6© 2019 Livox Tech. All Rights Reserved

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LVX Specifications

1 LVX Format v1.0
This document describes the specifications of LVX format v1.0. The LVX file is a point
cloud file format developed by Livox, based on the company's LiDAR sensors. This fileformat allows users to play the point cloud file at a base frequency of 20 Hz. At thesame time, users can also acquire point cloud data from a single device from this filefor more complex algorithm development.

2 LVX Format Definition
The format contains binary data consisting of public header block, device info block,and point cloud data block.
PUBLIC HEADER BLOCK
DEVICE INFO BLOCK
POINT DATA BLOCK
All data are in little-endian format. The header block consists of file signature, version
information, and a magic code. The length of the devices info block is variable, capableof accommodating any number of devices. The point cloud data block has point clouddata organized by package, and these packages are organized by frames in each file.

3 Data Types
The following data types are used in the LVX format.
· char (1 byte)· unsigned char (1 byte)· short (2 bytes)· unsigned short (2 bytes)· int (4 bytes)· unsigned int (4 bytes)· long long (8 bytes)· unsigned long long (8 bytes)· float (4 bytes IEEE floating point format)· double (8 bytes IEEE floating point format)© 2019 Livox Tech. All Rights Reserved

4LVX Specifications

4 Public Header Block
Item
File Signature (“livox_tech”)
Version-A
Version-B
Version-C
Version-D
Magic CodeFormat
char[16]
char
char
char
char
unsigned int

Size
16 bytes
1 byte1 byte1 byte1 byte4 bytes

File Signature: The file signature must contain “livox_tech” as it is required by the LVX
specification. These characters can be checked by Livox Viewer as an initialdetermination of file type. Note that the first 10 bytes should be “livox_tech”, and thelast 6 bytes should be zero filled.
Version: Version a is 1, version b is 2, version c is 0, version d is 0.
Magic Code: This field should be a value of 0xac0ea767. Livox Viewer will not identify
a LVX file with an incorrect Magic Code.

5 Device Info Block
Item
Device Count
Device Info 0……
Device Info N

Formatunsigned charstructSize
1 byte58 bytesstruct58 bytes

Device Count: The length of device info block is variable to suit several devices. Thisfield should be a value of the count of devices;
Device Info: This is a field that provides information of each device. This field is defined
as:Item
LiDAR SN Code
Hub SN CodeFormat
char[16]
char[16]Size
16 bytes
16 bytes

Description
LiDAR broadcast code
Hub broadcast code
Note that an empty Hub SNmeans there is no Hubconnecting this LiDAR© 2019 Livox Tech. All Rights Reserved

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LVX Specifications

Device Index

unsignedchar
unsignedchar

1 byteIndex in device info list

1 byteRollfloat

4 bytes

Pitchfloat

4 bytes

Yawfloat

4 bytes

Xfloat

4 bytes

Yfloat

4 bytes

Zfloat

4 bytes

Device type:
0: Livox Hub
1: Mid-40/Mid-100
2: Tele-15
3: Horizon
Extrinsic parameters:
Roll angle, Unit: degree
Extrinsic parameters:
Pitch angle, Unit: degree
Extrinsic parameters:
Yaw angle, Unit: degree
Extrinsic parameters:
X translation, Unit: mExtrinsic parameters:
Y translation, Unit: mExtrinsic parameters:
Z translation, Unit: mDevice Type

Note that users can use Device Index to extract point cloud data of each device from aLVX file.

6 Point Cloud Data Block
Data from the Point Cloud Data Block are composed of frames, and each frame iscomposed of packages.
Item
Frame 0
Frame 1……
Frame N
Frame is defined as:
Item
Frame Header
Package 0
Package 1……
Package N

FormatstructstructSize
N bytes
N bytesstructN bytes

FormatstructstructstructSize
16 bytes
1319 bytes
1319 bytes

struct1319 bytes© 2019 Livox Tech. All Rights Reserved6LVX Specifications

Frame Header is defined as:
Item
FormatCurrent Offset
long longSize
8 bytes

Next Offset

long long8 bytes

Frame Index
Package Countlong long
long long

8 bytes
8 bytes

Package is defined as:
ItemFormat
Device Index
unsigned char
Versionunsigned charSize
1 byte1 byteSlot ID

unsigned char

1 byteLiDAR ID

unsigned char

1 byteReserved
Status Codeunsigned char
unsigned int

1 byte4 bytes

Timestamp Typeunsigned char

1 byteData Typeunsigned char

1 byteTimestamp

unsiged char[8]8 bytes

Point 0
Point 1……
Point 99

structstruct13 bytes
13 bytes

LiDAR status indicator
information, please refer toLivox SDK Communication
Protocol for more details
Timestamp Type, please refer
to Livox SDK Communication
Protocol for more details
PointCloudCoordinate
Format:0: Cartesian Coordinate
1: Spherical Coordinate
Nanosecond or UTC Format
Timestamp, please refer toLivox SDK Communication
Protocol for more details
Point information
Point information

struct13 bytes

Point information

Description
Absolute offset of the current
frame in this file
Absolute offset of next frame inthis file
Current frame index
Count of packages in this frame

Description
Refer to Device Info
Package protocol version, 5 forthe current version
ID of the slot connecting LiDAR
Device:For more details, please refer
to Livox SDK Communication
Protocol
1: Mid-100 Left / Mid-40 / Tele15 / Horizon
2: Mid-100 Middle
3: Mid-100 Right© 2019 Livox Tech. All Rights Reserved

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LVX Specifications

Point is defined as:
ItemxFormatfloat

Size
4 bytesyfloat

4 bytesz

float

4 bytes

Reflectivity

unsigned char

1 byteDescription
X axis, Unit: mCalculated
byextrinsic
parameters.
Y axis, Unit: mCalculated
byextrinsic
parameters.
Z axis, Unit: mCalculated
byextrinsic
parameters.
Reflectivity between 0-255© 2019 Livox Tech. All Rights Reserved8