Care And Handling; Safety - Parallax 28044 User Manual

Care and Handling

Alignment of the laser diode and camera are critical to the proper operation of the LRF Module. Both
components are aligned during production and reinforced to the printed circuit board with cyanoacrylate
adhesive. Care should be taken to protect the LRF Module from sudden shock, excessive vibration, or
blunt force.
To verify proper alignment of the LRF Module, use the LRF Image Viewer tool. Place the LRF Module 20
to 30 inches (50 to 70 mm) away from a target object (preferably a grey or other non-white surface).
Ensure the ROI radio button is selected and press the Grab Image button. A grayscale image with a laser
spot (light gray or white) should be displayed in the image box. The laser spot should be centered
vertically within the frame:
If the laser spot is out of position, the laser diode will need to be manually adjusted and the LRF Module
will need to be re-calibrated using the "X" command.

Safety

The LRF Module uses an Arima APCD-635-02-C3-A Laser Diode that contains integrated automatic power
control (APC) circuitry and a glass collimating lens. The laser diode is a Class IIIa laser device with a
maximum power output of <= (less than or equal to) 3 mW @ 635 nm. The laser diode is enabled for
~100 ms during a single frame capture.
To prevent eye damage, do not stare into the laser diode output on the front of the LRF Module. Many
documented cases of eye damage with Class IIIa devices (which include, for example, most run-of-the-
mill red laser pointers, laser levels, and laser-based thermometers), were caused by prolonged exposure
of the direct laser output: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_safety#Laser_pointers
Copyright © Parallax Inc. Parallax Laser Range Finder (#28044) v2.0 10/31/2015 Page 22 of 23