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ISSN 2415-3400 (Online)
ISSN 1028-821X (Print)

Laser rangefinder of relatively eye-safe wavelength range

Dzyubenko, MI, Kolenov, IV, Pelipenko, VP, Dakhov, NF, Degtyarev, AV
Organization: 

O.Ya. Usikov Institute for Radiophysics and Electronics of NASU
12, Acad. Proskura St., Kharkiv, 61085, Ukraine

V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
4, Svoboda Sq., Kharkiv, 61022, Ukraine

Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics
14, Nauka Av., Kharkiv 61166, Ukraine

E-mail: mid41@ukr.net

https://doi.org/10.15407/rej2021.01.041
Language: ukranian
Abstract: 

Subject and Purpose. The development and prototype making of a laser rangefinder operating in the 1.50…1.70 μm spectral region is reported. This wavelength region is attractive to both laser producers and laser users for, first of all, relative eye-safety of radiation.

Methods and Methodology. The paraxial scheme of rangefinder construction is used, involving a software-controlled power supply of laser radiation with technical arrangements providing its adaptation to varying operating conditions. The alignment of the transceiver channels is provided with laser beam visualization methods.

Results. A pulsed laser rangefinder operating at a 1.54 μm wavelength has been developed, a prototype has been made. The rangefinder essentially consists of the transmitting and receiving channels and the visual channel for targeting. The radiation source is a pulsed laser on ytterbium-erbium glass with semiconductor diode pumping and modulated Q-factor. The laser provides a 6 mJ power pulse of 25 ns duration and 5 mrad radiation divergence. A laser light spot of a required aperture is formed using a Galilean telescope system. For the photodetector of the reflected radiation, a pin-photodiode with a photosensitive area diagonal of 0.3 mm and a 2.5 ns time resolution is used. The echo signal processing module has been developed and performed, providing a high-precision registration of a time delay between the starting and reflected pulses. An effective method with the use of a charge-coupled device and an LCD monitor has been proposed and implemented for the alignment of all the three rangefinder channels. The rangefinder can operate in a single-pulse or repetitive-pulse mode with a probing pulse repetition rate of 1 Hz.

Conclusion. A pulsed laser rangefinder operating in a relatively eye-safe spectrum region has been developed, a prototype has been made. The field tests have shown that the created rangefinder measures an object distance within 140…7 000 m with a measurement error no worse than 3 m.

Keywords: channel alignment, diode pumping, imaging channel, transceiver channels, ytterbium-erbium laser

Manuscript submitted 11.06.2020
Radiofiz. elektron. 2021, 26(1): 41-48
Full text (PDF)

 

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