Common accessories for the Acuity laser rangefinder

The optional AC to DC power supplies for the AR4000 rangefinders provide operating power and temperature stabilization heater power to the sensors.

They are housed in NEMA-4 polycarbonate enclosures and are normally permanently attached to the AR4000 power/signal cable, with 6 feet (2m) of cable between the sensor and power supply.

An additional 4 feet of cable extends beyond the power supply for reading the sensor's optional current loop and other outputs. The LIR Power Supply also includes the keyswitch and interlock jack required for CFR certification for Class IIIb lasers.

Input voltage range for the power supplies is 80 - 240 VAC, 50-60 Hz. All 4000-LIR systems purchased by end users must include the power supply or the IR Interlock Box in order to meet FDA regulations.

OEM users that do not order sensors with these interlocks are responsible for supplying the required keyswitch, removable jack or another suitable interlock.

Power supply dimensions are 6.73 by 3.15 by 4.75 inches (171 x 80 x 121 mm). The power supplies are permanently attached to the sensors with 6 feet (2m) of cable.

The power supplies may be installed with the High Speed Interface. The High Speed Interface can supply power to the AR4000 sensors from the computer in which it is installed, but if the voltage level is inadequate (5.0 V min) or the current for the sensor is inadequate, an AR4000 power supply may be used instead to guarantee reliable sensor operation.

It is not uncommon for new customers of the Acuity laser rangefinder to apply the incorrect voltage to their laser rangefinder. In cases of insufficient voltage, the green LED on the back of the sensor will flash and the sensor will behave erratically. In cases of >6.0V, circuitry often controlling the laser power may burn out and must be repaired at the factory. Such repairs can not be carried out in the field.

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The high power 20 mW laser diode option is only available for the AR4000-LIR model. It is recommended for measuring to dark targets at ranges beyond 30 feet (9.1 m), or in outdoor applications where the target surface may be sunlit.

The GaAlAs semiconductor high power laser has twice the drift and fluctuation in the range readings of the 8 mW version, so it is half as accurate as the 8 mW version, but it often works in situations where the lower power laser is not sensitive enough. The laser class remains IIIB and has a wavelength of 780 nm.

The High Power Laser Option is typically designated during manufacture. Changing the laser on an existing sensor entails additional cost, as it requires significant changes and recalibration. The lifetime of the laser diode is 50,000 hours. If you need higher power than 20 mW, please contact Acuity.

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For sunlit or very brightly lit targets, or when the target is glowing in the visible or near IR (at a temperature of 1000° F or higher), the optical interference filter is recommended for the Acuity laser rangefinder. This is a narrowband filter matched to the laser wavelength and permanently installed in the AR4000 device in front of the photodiode.

The filter blocks 96% of light to which the 4000's detector element is sensitive. It is availabe for all three Acuity laser rangefinder models, the LIR, the LV and the RET. The filter is installed internally in the AR4000 at manufacture and the focusing of the collection optics is adjusted for it, so retrofitting the Optical Filter carries additional charges.

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The sensitivity of the standard AR4000 rangefinder increases with distance from zero to 9 feet (2.7 m), and then gradually drops off from 9 feet to 54 feet (16.5m) All AR4000 models may be ordered with a close focus configuration.

If an application requires maximum sensitivity at less than 9 feet and does not require operation beyond 16 feet, the optical focus can be adjusted to move the point of greatest sensitivity to shorter distances. This is one way to get the best performance out of the AR4000 laser rangefinder when being used at close, known distance ranges. A typical application that necessitates CFO is transverse road profiling of asphalt. In this case, the road profiling engineers designate the maximum range based on the height of their scanner (using the laser sensor) above the endpoints of a car lane.

The customer specifies the minimum and maximum operating range and the optics are tuned accordingly. The optics are adjusted and permanently mounted at manufacture, so retrofitting the Close Focus Optics carries additional charges. The sensor is only calibrated in the specified range.

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The NEMA-4 Interlock box supplies the keyswitch and removable jack power controls required for end use of all Class IIIb lasers (the 4000-LIR rangefinder).

This box is installed in-line in the AR4000 power/signal cable (dark-grey cable). Interlock box dimensions are 2.2 by 2.6 by 4.6 inches (56 x 66 x 117 mm).

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The Acuity™ Touch Panel Display is a stand-alone terminal interface for use with Acuity laser distance sensors. These fully-enclosed units replace panel meters, alphnumeric displays and analog controllers by providing a modern interface through a full-color LCD and touch screen. The Touch Panel Display communicates with one or two Acuity sensors using their serial interfaces. Sensors can be easily configured using on-screen buttons to display and scale their distance outputs. Relative dimensions can be measured using a tare function. With dual RS232 serial inputs from two Acuity sensors, the touch panel serves as a thickness gauge and display, an application which previously demanded a PC computer and custom software programming. Using a single RS485 serial interface, the Panel can transmit thickness and dimensional information to external devices.
Download the Touch Panel Display data sheet (PDF 1MB)

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