How to test a rangefinder module and get a number you can defend
A range figure is a claim. These are the four parameters that make a claim checkable, the measurement sequence that produces a comparable result, and the report format we will accept as evidence — including when the test is done by someone other than us.
Four parameters, all four required
| Parameter | What to record | Why it decides the answer |
|---|---|---|
| Target size | width × height in metres | A 2.3 × 2.3 m NATO panel and a 6 × 6 m diffuse target differ by kilometres on the same module. |
| Reflectance | percent, or the material (vehicle, building, diffuse panel 30%) | 10% and 90% targets can differ by a factor of two to three in range. |
| Visibility | kilometres of meteorological visibility | 1535 nm is attenuated by aerosol and water vapour more than an eye would suggest. |
| Environment | temperature, humidity | High temperature and humidity reduce 1535 nm performance measurably. |
Drop any one of the four and the result cannot be compared with another module. That is why every range figure on this site carries its condition on the same line.
Sequence
- Aim on the centre. Use the visible indicator or a red dot; edge aim reads low.
- Take ten single shots and keep every reading, not the best one.
- Report minimum, median and hit rate — ten shots with eight returns is a different part from ten with ten.
- Repeat at three distances: about 50%, 75% and near 100% of the claimed maximum.
- Record the failure mode. No return at all is one thing; a confident wrong number is worse.
Report format
DUT: LRF____ (serial ____)
Date / place: ____
Target: __ m × __ m, material ____, reflectance __ %
Visibility: __ km (basis: ____)
Environment: __ °C, __ % RH, __ m altitude
Interface: UART-TTL / RS-422, __ V
Distance 1 (~50%): readings ____ ; min __ / median __ / hit __/10
Distance 2 (~75%): ...
Distance 3 (~100%): ...
Notes, failures: ____What we supply, and what we will not claim
- We supply the manufacturer's verbatim condition for the model under test, and the interface timing.
- We accept a test performed to this method by a third party as the basis for a conversation.
- We do not claim the maximum figure is achievable against an arbitrary target.
- We do not claim comparability between numbers measured under different protocols.
- Export-control wording is stated in writing with the quotation; it is not part of this method.
Need a quote on this?
or get the 905/1535 selection table