On The Use Of An Optomechanical Sensing Head In Time-Of-Flight Laser Rangefinding

M. Koskinen; R. Ahola; J. Kostamovaara; R. Myllyla

doi:10.1117/12.968863

16 January 1988 On The Use Of An Optomechanical Sensing Head In Time-Of-Flight Laser Rangefinding

M. Koskinen, R. Ahola, J. Kostamovaara, R. Myllyla

Proceedings Volume 0952, Laser Technologies in Industry; (1988) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.968863
Event: Laser Technologies in Industry, 1988, Porto, Portugal

Abstract

The time-of-flight (TOF) laser rangefinding technique has recently found many applications for industrial measurement purposes. The electronics of a rangefinder can be separated from the sensing head using optical fibres. In spite of many advantages such as non-sensitivity to demanding environments, optical fibres also introduce some potential measurement errors. To analyze the effects on performance of using long optical fibres in pulsed TOF rangefinding, an experimental laser rangefinder intended especially for the measurement of to-and-fro motion was developed. The rangefinder has a separate optomechanical sensing head, which is connected to the electronic unit by a shielded cable containing the transmitter and receiver fibres. The transmitter has a pulse repetition rate of 1.3 MHz and the receiver includes a high speed transimpedance preamplifier and automatic gain control electronics. An analogue time-to-amplitude converter is employed to obtain high speed, high resolution measurement. The performance of the rangefinder with different fibre lengths is analysed here, concen-trating mainly on the resolution and differential non-linearity, the integral non-linearity being of less significance due to the AC nature of the measurement.

Citation Download Citation

M. Koskinen, R. Ahola, J. Kostamovaara, and R. Myllyla "On The Use Of An Optomechanical Sensing Head In Time-Of-Flight Laser Rangefinding", Proc. SPIE 0952, Laser Technologies in Industry, (16 January 1988); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.968863

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available