KaitaiStructDescriptions

Kaitai Struct format descriptions for the SICK LiDAR Compact Format. Generate ready-to-use parsers in Python, C#, Java, C++, Go, and more without writing parsing code by hand.

Quickstart with Python • Web IDE

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Format Overview

All compact telegrams share the same outer frame (compact_frame.ksy). The telegram_type field selects the payload type:

Type	Name	.ksy file	Sensors
1	Primary Data	type_1_primary_data_spherical_coordinates.ksy	picoScan100, multiScan100, LRS4000
2	IMU	type_2_imu.ksy	picoScan100, multiScan100
4	Encoder	type_4_encoder.ksy	picoScan150

All .ksy files are located in the formats/ directory.

Note: More details on the individual formats can be found in the respective operating instructions of each sensor.

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Architecture

compact_frame.ksy is the entry point. It dispatches to the matching payload type based on telegram_type. Type 4 uses the common header sub-type in compact_header.ksy. (This header will be used in all future compact telegram types.) Types 1 and 2 use their own header layouts.

graph TD
    CF[compact_frame.ksy]
    T1[type_1_primary_data_spherical_coordinates.ksy]
    T2[type_2_imu.ksy]
    T4[type_4_encoder.ksy]
    CH[compact_header.ksy]

    CF --> T1
    CF --> T2
    CF --> T4

    T4 --> CH

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Quickstart with Python

1. Install the Kaitai Struct Compiler

Download ksc from https://kaitai.io/#download and add it to your PATH. Java 8 or later is required.

2. Generate the Python parser

kaitai-struct-compiler -t python --outdir . formats/compact_frame.ksy

This writes compact_frame.py and all imported payload modules into the current directory.

3. Install the runtime and parse

pip install kaitaistruct

import socket
from kaitaistruct import KaitaiStream, BytesIO
from compact_frame import CompactFrame

sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
sock.bind(("", 2115))
raw, _ = sock.recvfrom(65535)

frame = CompactFrame(KaitaiStream(BytesIO(raw)))
print(f"telegram_type : {frame.telegram_type}")
print(f"checksum      : 0x{frame.checksum:08x}")

if frame.telegram_type == 1:
    header = frame.payload.header
    print(f"telegram version : {header.telegram_version}")
    print(f"modules          : {len(frame.payload.module)}")

elif frame.telegram_type == 2:
    imu = frame.payload
    print(f"accel  : x={imu.acceleration.x:.4f}  y={imu.acceleration.y:.4f}  z={imu.acceleration.z:.4f}")
    print(f"gyro   : x={imu.angular_velocity.x:.4f}  y={imu.angular_velocity.y:.4f}  z={imu.angular_velocity.z:.4f}")

elif frame.telegram_type == 4:
    enc = frame.payload
    print(f"telegram counter : {enc.header.telegram_counter}")
    print(f"tick count       : {enc.tick_count}")
    print(f"speed            : {enc.speed:.3f}")

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Web IDE (no installation required)

Open the Kaitai Web IDE in your browser and drag any .ksy file from the formats/ directory onto the page. To generate a parser:

1. Right-click the imported file in the file tree on the left.
2. Select Generate Parser and choose your target language.
3. The generated code appears on the right.

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Known Issues

num_* style warnings during compilation

When compiling, kaitai-struct-compiler may emit style-guide warnings such as use 'num_elevation_angles' instead of 'number_of_layers' for count fields in type_1_primary_data_spherical_coordinates.ksy.

These warnings are expected and safe to ignore.

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Support

Please open a GitHub issue for bugs or questions.