Low-cost 2D laser scanner with RS485 or Ethernet interface

The new Riftek RF620 series, only available in the UK from Ixthus, includes four models with working measurement ranges of 10-250mm, and provides a measurement linearity of +/-0.1 per cent of the overall range - a performance previously only available from laser scanners offered at twice the price, according to Ixthus.

Profile measurement is based on the light from a semiconductor laser that is projected onto the object to be measured, in a line that defines the X-axis. Optical triangulation, using a sensor displaced sideways from this X-axis, is used to monitor the reflected light from the surface profile height, defined as the distance from the laser source, along the Z-axis. The reflected light is received on a two-dimensional CMOS array, to create the profile of height (Z-axis) against displacement (X-axis). The resolution required for each X-axis scan is selectable from between 128 to 2048 data points, and the maximum profile scanning speed is 3000 profiles per second.

Various other operational parameters are adjustable via the serial port: these include automatic laser power adjustment, which can compensate for different target surface finishes; rotation of the X-axis to suit the sample being measured; adjustment of the Z co-ordinate working window; and the use of TTL synchronisation trigger inputs and outputs. Full programming information and serial interface descriptions are provided in the comprehensive manual. The RF620 is DC powered, sealed to IP67 and operates in ambient temperatures from from -10 to +50degC.