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SF33
Multi-beam laser sensor
1. Overview
The SF33 multi-beam laser sensor is designed to detect obstacles or follow terrain from moving ground-based or arial vehicles. Each
individual laser beam works by measuring the time it takes for a very short flash of laser light to travel to a surface and back again.
The accuracy of the measurement is not affected by the colour or texture of the surface or the angle of incidence of the laser beam.
The SF33 is virtually immune to background light, wind and noise, making it an ideal sensor to detect unexpected obstacles.
Operating from a regulated 5 V DC supply, the SF33 includes analog and digital interfaces that can be easily connected to a flight
controller or a standard processing platform. Each interface on the SF33 can be configured using a simple software menu that is
accessible through the built-in, micro-B USB port. The interfaces are as follows:
Serial port:
Provides distance readings and other communications to an embedded host controller
Synchronisation:
A logic level signal that provides a time marker for the serial port data
Analog port:
An analog voltage proportional to the shortest distance reading
Alarm:
A logic level signal that warns when the distance measured is below a preset value
USB port:
Connects to a Terminal application on a PC to allow settings to be entered.
Readings can be taken as isolated "snapshots" at a moment determined by the update rate setting, or they can be combined using a
filter into a smoothed time series. At the full speed of 3052 readings per second, a single flash of laser light is used to take a
measurement. The synchronisation signal marks the instant of the laser flash ensuring that the time of the measurement is known
precisely.
There are two members of the SF33 family:
•
the SF33S creates a straight beam pattern using three laser beams, each of which provides an independent distance reading,
providing a wider effective beam than a single beam unit. It has a total of 10 degrees coverage in one axis;
•
the SF33T creates a triangular beam pattern using three laser beams, each of which provides an independent distance reading.
The beam pattern is tailored to match a 45 degree downwards-and-forwards looking obstacle detector and altimeter
configuration. The baseline beams are 10 degrees apart.
SF33 Multi-beam sensor - Product Manual - Revision 1
Product manual
Figure 1 :: The main features of the SF33
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© LightWare Optoelectronics (Pty) Ltd, 2016
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