The WASP™-200 LRF is an ultra-compact laser rangefinder (LRF) device that is capable of quickly and accurately identifying the distance to a target ~175 m away assuming 18% or better target reflectance and under full sun illumination conditions; and even further away with higher reflectance targets and/or lower solar illumination levels. The WASP™-200 LRF supports range update rates of up to 56 ranges-per-second with improved accuracy at lower repetition rates with a variety of filtering and averaging features. Attollo has three configurations of the WASP™-200 LRF:
- CU1 – UART communication interface (basic features implemented with Ardupilot*)
- MU1 – Ruggedized, IP67, UART communication interface
- MC1 – Ruggedized, IP67, CAN and RS-232 communication interface using the Cloud Cap Technology Piccolo autopilot protocol
NOTE: This Laser Product is designated as Class 1 during all aspects of operation.
The WASP™-200 LRF has been designed with ease of use and flexibility in mind and therefore supports a +5V‑compliant UART communication interface (CU1 and MU1 models) and requires just power and ground to operate out of the box. The UART interface can be used to set and save various user parameters and operating modes tailored to your specific application.
The MC1 is a ruggedized version of the WASP™-200 laser rangefinder that is IP67 compliant and is directly compatible with the Cloud Cap Technology Piccolo autopilot systems using their CAN and RS-232 interfaces. In addition to the Piccolo CAN interface, the user can access all of the commands and settings of the WASP™-200 over the RS-232 interface to set the various user parameters and operating modes for use while operating with the Piccolo flight controller.
The WASP™-200 LRF uses a highly sensitive avalanche photodetector (APD) and short-pulse laser diode. The laser is pulsed to produce an optical pulse of laser light with a peak power of about 40 Watts. This pulse is collimated with a lens and transmitted to the target up to 315 meters away (the maximum range capability of the WASP™-200 LRF). A small portion of the light will bounce off the targeted object and end up traveling back to the WASP™-200 LRF where it will be collected by the receiver lens and focused onto a small avalanche photodetector. This light will cause an avalanche of electrons to flow in the detector thus producing a current pulse which is subsequently amplified and converted into a voltage pulse.
The WASP™-200 LRF makes a careful timing measurement between the firing of the laser and the receipt of the detector’s signal pulse. This elapsed time, called the time‑of‑flight (ToF), is used to determine the distance to the object based on the speed of light and taking in to account the round‑trip path of the light pulse.
The WASP™-200 LRF has an on-board microprocessor which performs many functions throughout the idle and operating states of the rangefinder. Examples include maintaining a high sensitivity state of the APD under changing environmental and illumination conditions, performing burst mode averaging of returns when requested, applying calibration parameters to the detected pulse to compensate for variability in target properties, compensating for changes in the ambient temperature, etc.
The default baud rate for the serial communications is 115,200 bits per second. 115,200 bps is sufficient for ranging up to approximately 1,500 ranges-per-second. Software allows for the baud rate needs to be increased to 921,600 bps. At either baud rate, the range reporting format can be changed to binary to enable data to be reported up to the maximum range rate of 10,000 ranges per second over the serial port for Class 3 operation only. Class 1 is limited to a 56 Hz maximum range rate.
Anytime the system cannot respond immediately to a range based on a requested range rate, the WASP™-200 LRF reports a code which will be denoted by a negative sign and a numeric code.
Top Highlights of the WASP™ 200 Laser Rangefinder Include:
· High repetition rate for fast single-shot ranging for fast scanning and moving platforms
· Programmable burst mode averaging
· Class 1 Laser Product
· IP 67 option
· Optional fields of view available for proximity detection applications
· ArduPilot supported (Plane, Copter, and Rover)
· Connector options including pigtails
· Durable molded ABS plastic housing
· Integrated back or front mounting
The Software Features of the WASP™ 200 Laser Rangefinder Include:
· Programmable burst mode and moving averaging for enhanced precision
· Programmable burst mode averaging
· Background solar noise detection and compensation
· Programmable sensitivity and range offsets
The Top Applications for WASP™ 200 Laser Rangefinder Include:
· Robotics and Drones
· Scanned LiDAR
· Sense and Avoid
· Height Above Ground (HAG) flight
· Industrial Automation
· Height & Distance Measurements
· Maritime Operations
· Precise Proximity Detection
For more information go to www.attolloengineering.com or contact a sales associate sales@attolloengineering.com