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What a laser rangefinder module costs, and why no one publishes a price
The honest answer to "how much is a 1535 nm rangefinder module" is a range that spans an order of magnitude, decided by five things. Here they are, with no numbers invented.
The five drivers
| Driver | What moves it | Effect on price |
|---|---|---|
| Wavelength | 905 nm uses silicon detectors and laser diodes; 1535 nm needs an erbium-glass source and an InGaAs APD | The single largest step: the 1535 nm family is several times the 905 nm family at the same range class |
| Range and aperture | Reaching 15–23 km means a large receiver aperture and a high pulse energy | Grows with aperture area and source energy, roughly stepwise by class (<1 km, 1–3 km, 3–8 km, 10 km+) |
| Quantity | Volume changes both the unit price and the test regime | First units carry engineering and test cost; production lots do not |
| Configuration | Harness, connector, firmware options, labelling, packaging | Added per unit, priced per order |
| Trade terms | Incoterms, export documentation, payment terms, warranty | Small per unit, large in total cost of ownership |
Why we do not print a number
Because a printed number is only valid for one configuration and one quantity, and it becomes a price anchor for every other conversation. A "from" price on a website is a marketing instrument, not a quote: it usually refers to the smallest model, the largest quantity, and excludes everything you need to make it work.
What we will do instead is quote against a stated requirement: model, quantity, interface, harness, and the trade terms you need. If that is slower, it is also the only way the number means anything.
How to compare two quotes that look different
- Same target, same visibility. A 10 km quote measured against a 20 × 20 m panel is not comparable with a 10 km quote against a 0.3 m drone.
- Same interface and harness. A bare module and a module with a mated harness and connector are different line items.
- Same test regime. A unit with a first-article inspection record and a certificate of conformance costs more than one without — and is what a defence integrator will ask for.
- Same trade terms. Ex-works and delivered-duty-paid differ by more than most people budget for.
- Same warranty and support. Who pays for the failed unit in month nine?
What actually makes a program expensive
Not the module. The expensive part is designing a housing around the wrong aperture, discovering in month four that the module cannot see the real target, and re-qualifying a replacement. That is why this site publishes test conditions rather than prices: picking the right part on the first attempt is worth more than any discount.
No prices are published anywhere on this site, by design. Commercial terms come from ERDI directly.