LRF0609C 6km 1535nm Eye-Safe Laser Rangefinder Module for UAV, Vehicle EO/IR and Security Cameras

Technical Specifications

Applications

• UAV and drone distance measurement

• Autonomous navigation and obstacle detection

• Military and defense rangefinding systems

• Vehicle safety and collision avoidance

• Surveying, mapping, and environmental monitoring

• Industrial automation and robotics

Structural dimensions

Overall dimensions: 

≤ 55 mm × 48 mm × 32 mm

Figure  — Mechanical and Opto-Mechanical Interface Diagram

Electrical Interface

a) Supply voltage: 4.5 V–16 V
b) Standby power consumption: ≤ 0.3 W; average power consumption: ≤ 1.5 W
c) The host computer connects to the rangefinder via a 6-pin connector for interface and testing. The pin assignment of the rangefinder’s power and communication port is shown in Table 1.

Table 1 — Pin assignment of the rangefinder power and communication port

Connector Pin 1 Location

Product Description

LRF0609C 6km 1535nm Eye-Safe Laser Rangefinder Module for UAV, Vehicle EO/IR and Security Cameras

The LRF0609C is a compact 1535nm eye-safe laser rangefinder module designed as a drop-in ranging core for UAV payloads, vehicle EO/IR turrets, PTZ security domes and industrial sensing heads. It emits 1535nm ±10nm laser pulses and calculates distance using time-of-flight, while communicating with the host system over a TTL UART interface with a simple, field-proven command set.

Under visibility ≥12km and relative humidity ≤60%, with a 0.3-reflectivity vehicle target (2.3m × 4.6m), the LRF0609C delivers a maximum range of ≥6000m, with a minimum range of ≤20m, ±2m range accuracy, ≥98% valid hit rate and ≤0.5mrad beam divergence. These parameters allow the module to support mid- to long-range surveillance, situational awareness and targeting tasks in traffic enforcement, perimeter monitoring and mobile platforms.

The ranging rate supports single-shot, 1Hz, 2Hz, 3Hz, 4Hz, 5Hz and 10Hz modes, selectable via commands. First-target and last-target ranging, together with configurable range-gate distances, enable engineers to handle cluttered scenes—such as vehicles in front of buildings, fences in front of background terrain, or multiple layers of traffic—by ignoring near-field clutter or far-field background according to system needs. The module also supports built-in self-test, status and temperature readout, shot counters and in-field firmware updates via the serial port, which simplifies maintenance and integration into long-life systems.

Electrically, the LRF0609C accepts a 4.5–16V supply, with standby power consumption ≤0.3W and average operating power ≤1.5W, making it attractive for battery-powered UAV gimbals, mobile surveillance systems and compact vehicle turrets that must stay within tight power budgets. A 6-pin connector exposes VIN+, VIN−, POWER_ON, UART_TX, UART_RX and signal ground, all at TTL 3.3V logic levels. The UART supports baud rates of 115200bps (default), 57600bps, 38400bps and 9600bps, using an 8N1 format with LSB-first transmission.

Mechanically, the module fits in a ≤55mm × 48mm × 32mm housing and weighs ≤62g, which is suitable for mid-size gimbals, PTZ housings and mast- or pole-mounted security cameras where volume and weight are constrained but 6km vehicle performance is required. Environmental robustness is ensured with an operating temperature range of −40°C to +60°C, storage down to −50°C and up to +70°C, plus 5–50–5Hz / 2.5g vibration and 1200g, 1ms shock at the system level, aligned with MIL-STD-810G-style conditions.

The LRF0609C uses a flexible communication protocol set. In “Protocol 1”, simple 0x55/0xAA framed commands support single and continuous ranging, baud-rate switching, range-gate configuration, self-test and status query, with routine response frames returning first/last distances, status bytes and 24-bit shot counters. For more advanced integration, “Protocol 2” uses an 0xEE 0x16 header and an explicit device code and length field, with command codes for self-test, single/continuous ranging, first/last/multi-target mode selection, frequency and gate settings, and total / per-power-on shot queries—allowing engineers to embed detailed health and configuration control directly in their host software.

For outdoor systems requiring a protective window, ERDI recommends an H-K9L optical glass window with high surface quality (Ra ≤0.012µm) and a wedge angle tolerance ≤3′. An AR coating optimised for 1525–1545nm should reach ≥99% transmittance, and even after additional hydrophobic or hard coatings and mechanical integration, overall transmittance should remain ≥97%. The effective aperture, outer diameter and spacing between the window and the LRF0609C antenna must follow the geometry guidelines to keep absorption and back-reflection low, while the laser axis should be held within 2–4° of the window normal and the air gap kept as small as practical.

In real projects, a 6km 1535nm eye-safe module like the LRF0609C fits naturally into UAV surveillance payloads, vehicle EO/IR turrets, border and perimeter cameras, traffic enforcement systems, robotic perception heads and industrial monitoring nodes, where accurate mid- to long-range distance data, Class I eye-safety, low power and a clear integration interface are all mandatory.