Introduction to ADCs and TDCs in advanced LIDAR technology

Light imaging, detection and ranging is making its way into the automotive industry, industrial automation and even into our smartphones. But besides such diverse applications for cheap LIDAR systems, it is not least modern high-end ADCs and TDCs that enable new measurement methods that really exploit the full potential of three-dimensional laser scanning.

Did you know that with modern LIDAR systems it is possible to detect structures in forested areas from the air, even though they are obscured by foliage and copses? And that bathymetric LIDAR can be used to survey and map entire underwater landscapes?  This results in a wide range of applications in archaeology, geology, environmental Monitoring, atmospheric physics, renewable energies and climate research.

LIDAR technology is based on a pulsed time-of-flight (TOF) measurement method for distance ranging and is used for the three-dimensional acquisition of coordinates with high precision and measuring point density.

Find out more in our detailed article on this subject.