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How to choose a laser rangefinder module

Six decisions, in the order that actually constrains the answer: wavelength, required range against a real target, accuracy, update rate, interface and envelope. Getting them in the wrong order is how a programme ends up with a 100 g module that cannot see its target in July haze.

Applies to all 47 rangefinder and LiDAR rows in the matrix. Every range figure here is tied to the conditions in the dataset.

1. Wavelength decides almost everything downstream

905 nm is silicon-detector territory: small optics, cheap electronics, kilohertz repetition rates, single-digit-gram sensors. The constraint is ocular safety — a 905 nm beam is focused by the eye onto the retina, so pulse energy is capped and usable range against a non-cooperative target lands in the tens of metres to about 1.5 km.

1535 nm (erbium-glass, often labelled 1.54 µm) is absorbed before the retina, so a module can carry two orders of magnitude more pulse energy at a stated Class 1 module level. That is why the long-range family exists at 3–23 km and 200–410 g. The price is cost, a larger optical aperture, and lower repetition rates (typically 0.5–10 Hz).

940 nm sits in between for the LiDAR-sensor style parts: still silicon, slightly better background rejection with a narrowband filter, short range.

Rule of thumb: below ~1 km, 905 nm; above ~3 km, 1535 nm; between, it depends on target size and how much mass you can spend.

2. Turn "I need 5 km" into a target, a reflectance and a visibility

Range is not a property of the module alone. The manufacturer tests against a specified target: a 5 × 15 m object, a 3 × 3 m vehicle, a 20 × 20 m diffuse panel at 30 % reflectance, in visibility of 6 to 30 km. Those conditions are quoted verbatim on every model page.

A 0.3 m drone at 10 % reflectance is a far harder target than a truck at 30 %.
Haze, rain and dust cut range far more at 905 nm than at 1535 nm.
If a supplier quotes a range without a target and a visibility, the number means nothing — including ours, which is why we print the condition next to it.

3. Accuracy: fixed or proportional

Long-range modules commonly give ±2 m fixed, or ±1 m near-field plus a proportional term (±0.3 m + D × 0.7 ‰). At 1,200 m the proportional term dominates. If your application is survey-grade, a rangefinder alone will not get you there; you need the error budget of the whole instrument, including the attitude and pointing solution.

4. Update rate and target dynamics

0.5–10 Hz suits observation and targeting; 100 Hz–10 kHz suits collision avoidance, AGV navigation and profiling. Note that high rate usually comes with short range and a 905 nm source, and that "10 kHz" figures assume strong returns — the rate falls back at long range.

5. Interface and supply

UART/TTL (3.3 V) is the default on small modules. RS-422 is what long-range 1535 nm modules use, because it drives longer cable in an electrically noisy vehicle. Check the baud rate, the frame format and whether the module has a discrete trigger or an internal timing output — the last one matters if you are geo-referencing returns.

6. Envelope, temperature and the safety case

The mass range across the catalogue is 1 g to 410 g, and the temperature range is typically −40 °C to +70 °C. Remember that the module's laser class statement covers the module; your finished product needs its own assessment. If you are putting a 1535 nm source behind a magnifying sight, that is exactly where the assessment changes.

The catalogue ordered by range

0 m – 100 m

LRF10VB (940 nm, 9 m, 1.0 g), LRF22VB (905 nm, 20 m, 1.5 g), LRF50H (905 nm, 50 m, 15.0 g), LRF50VB (905 nm, 50 m, 1.3 g)

100 m – 1 km

LRF100H (905 nm, 100 m, 20.0 g), LRF200H (905 nm, 200 m, 20.0 g), LRF300H (905 nm, 300 m, 20.0 g), LRF600H (905 nm, 600 m, 20.0 g)

1 km – 5 km

LR1000E2 (905 nm, 1 km, 10.0 g), LR1000E4 (905 nm, 1 km, 10.0 g), SPD1200N3 (905 nm, 1 km, 6.0 g), LR1000D23 (905 nm, 1.2 km, 20.0 g), LR1200D23 (905 nm, 1.2 km, 20.0 g), LR1200E2 (905 nm, 1.2 km, 10.0 g), LR1200E4 (905 nm, 1.2 km, 10.0 g), LRF1200A1 (905 nm, 1.2 km, 18.0 g), SPD1200ZG (905 nm, 1.2 km, 5.0 g), LR1500D23 (905 nm, 1.5 km, 20.0 g), LR1500E2 (905 nm, 1.5 km, 10.0 g), LR1500E4 (905 nm, 1.5 km, 10.0 g), LRF1500H (905 nm, 1.5 km, 20.0 g), SPD1200N0 (905 nm, 1.5 km, 5.0 g), SPD1200N2 (905 nm, 1.5 km, 5.0 g), SPD1200N4 (905 nm, 1.5 km, 5.0 g), SPD1200S2 (905 nm, 1.5 km, 10.0 g), SPD1200Z2 (905 nm, 1.5 km, 6.0 g), LR2000E2 (905 nm, 2 km, — g), LR2000E4 (905 nm, 2 km, — g), LRF0105C (1535 nm, 3 km, 29.0 g), LRF0310C (1535 nm, 3 km, 32.0 g), LRF3000A1 (905 nm, 3 km, 12.0 g), LRF0405C (1535 nm, 4 km, 32.0 g), LRF0305C (1535 nm, 4 km, 14.0 g), LRF0306C (1535 nm, 4 km, 14.0 g)

5 km – 12 km

LRF0609C (1535 nm, 6 km, 62.0 g), LRF0610C (1535 nm, 6 km, 90.0 g), LRF0612C (1535 nm, 6 km, 58.0 g), LRF0815C (1535 nm, 8 km, 175.0 g), LRF0816C (1535 nm, 8 km, 58.0 g), LRF0818C (1535 nm, 8 km, 65.0 g), LRF1017C (1.54 µm, 10 km, 275.0 g)

≥ 12 km

LRF1221C (1.54 µm, 12 km, 275.0 g), LRF1222C (1.54 µm, 12 km, 335.0 g), LRF1831C (1535 nm, 12 km, 410.0 g), LRF1525C (1.54 µm, 15 km, 400.0 g), LRF1829C (1535 nm, 23 km, 400.0 g), LRF1830C (1.54 µm, 23 km, 400.0 g)

Send the six answers, get a shortlist Tell us wavelength constraint, target, range, rate, interface and mass budget — we will reply with two or three models and the reasons, not the whole catalogue. Ask for a shortlist Or filter it yourself

Common mistakes

Comparing headline ranges from different test conditions.
Assuming a Class 1 module makes a Class 1 product.
Designing the harness for UART and then selecting an RS-422 long-range module.
Ignoring the blind range: a 50 m minimum is fine for surveillance and useless for docking.
Buying on accuracy alone when the pointing solution is the dominant error term.

Model list in this guide is generated from the same dataset as the dataset page; last verified 2026-10-23.