Clearance Distance, Field of View and Measurement Range

Clearance distance (CD), field of view (FOV), and measurement range (MR) are important concepts for understanding the setup of a sensor and for understanding results.

Clearance distance – The minimum distance from the sensor that a target can be scanned and measured. A target closer than this distance will result in invalid data.

Measurement range – The vertical distance, starting at the end of the clearance distance, in which targets can be scanned and measured. Targets beyond the measurement range will result in invalid data.

Field of view – The width on the X axis along the measurement range. At the far end of the measurement range, the field of view is wider, but the X resolution and Z resolution are lower. At the near end, the field of view is narrower, but the X resolution is higher. When resolution is critical, if possible, place the target closer to the near end. (For more information on the relation between target distance and resolution, see Z Resolution.)