Laser sensor
March 1st 2006 The efector pmd laser sensor from ifm electronic is designed for distance measurement to within a millimetre at high ranges.
It operates to the time-of-flight principle: transmitted light takes a certain time to travel to the object and back to the sensor.
This period of time is directly proportional to the distance travelled.
The sensor's receiver element is a System-on-Chip design. Both sensor element and electronics for signal evaluation are integrated on a single silicon chip called a Photonic Mixer Device. The company says the high precision sensor element contains the world's first on-chip, time-of-flight measurement system with industrial feasibility.
The design is said to offer maximum performance in a compact, industrially compatible housing at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems. More articles from ifm electronic Limited: | 
