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The RFQ that gets you a usable answer: a rangefinder spec template
Most rangefinder enquiries fail at the first email — not because the supplier is unhelpful, but because the requirement is unanswerable. This is the minimum set that makes a quote comparable.
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| Field | Why it decides the answer |
|---|---|
| Target size (m × m) | Determines whether you are in the point-target or extended-target regime; it is the largest single factor after visibility |
| Target reflectance (%) | 10 % matte surface, 30 % painted vehicle, 90 % retro-reflector — each moves the usable range by a large factor |
| Required range (m) and expected visibility (km) | A range without a visibility is half a requirement |
| Mass budget (g) and volume (mm) | Decides whether the 1535 nm family is even available to you |
| Interface (UART / RS-422 / CAN) and supply | Rules out models before any discussion of price |
| Update rate needed (Hz) | Control loops and designation have different answers |
| Operating temperature and sealing | −40…+70 °C and IP67 are common; a heated window is not |
| Quantity: sample, then annual | Two different prices and two different test regimes |
| Trade terms and destination | Incoterms and export documentation change the total |
What not to send
- "We need a laser rangefinder, please send your best price" — there is no answer to this that helps either side.
- A competitor's part number with no requirement — the honest reply is "it depends on your target", which wastes a round trip.
- A target of "we will know it when we see it" — the bench decides, but only if the target is described well enough to pick the module.
What a good reply looks like
Two or three models, the reason each was chosen, the test condition behind each range figure, and what we expect to be the limiting factor. If a supplier replies with the whole catalogue, they have not read your requirement.
Send the nine fields
You will get two candidates and the expected limiting factor, not a catalogue.
Email tommy@erdimail.com
Or shortlist by spec