Laser Sensors. Operation Principle

Laser Sensors. Operation Principle. A laser sensor operates based upon the triangulation distance measurement principle. Triangulation or geodesy is a method used to measure distances with the help of triangles. The laser ray, that is different from the regular light in its high ray alignment, is emitted by a radiator to the surface of a measured object. Any measured surface, even that consisting of microscopic irregularities, would then reflect the laser ray, and send it back to the sensor's receiver irrespective of the object's disposition in space. The exception here would be the mirror surfaces of objects, where according to the law of light reflection, the ray would return at the identical angle, which would mean that the reflected signal would then not be received by the sensor's receiver. The incidence angle of the laser ray changes depending on the distance to the object, which in turn alters the position of the ray dot on the receiver made of a line of photodiodes. The data from the receiver are read using a special microcontroller, whereas the controller calculates the angle of light distribution on the photodiode line, and determines the distance to the object based on these data. The use of controllers ensures high linearity and accuracy of measurements. The sensor automatically adjusts to different colors that are also identified by the microcontroller. Laser sensors are considered one of the most popular solutions that are highly demanded for in today's market. Unlike many other proximity sensors, these devices perform highly accurate measurements that are irrespective of the range and are characterized by constant value.

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