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Laser rangefinders for gimbals, EO/IR pods and payloads

A stabilised payload has three hard constraints: mass, power and the pointing error you can actually hold. The module has to survive all three.

Mass budget first

58–90 g for a 6–8 km 1535 nm module is the usual sweet spot: heavy enough to be a real sensor, light enough that the gimbal motors do not care. For short-range work against ground targets, a 12–32 g 905 nm module at 1–3 km with a fast interface gives you tracking-rate headroom the long-range parts do not.

Pointing error sets the divergence budget

A 0.3 mrad beam in a 0.5 mrad pointing loop is a coin flip at 8 km. Either tighten the loop or accept a wider beam — a 1.3 mrad part is more forgiving of pointing error and worse at discriminating a small target next to clutter. Decide which failure you prefer.

Interface and power

UART at 115200 to the gimbal controller, discrete trigger for the shot, 12 V rail with local decoupling. Long-range modules pump a rod: expect inrush a bench supply tolerates and a small battery does not.

Modules that fit this application

Shortlist is a starting point, not a recommendation — the right module depends on target, visibility and pointing error. Filter the full matrix.