Description
Basics of 2-axis laser scanners
A laser beam is reflected from two scan mirrors in turn, and directed through a focusing lens. The mirrors are capable of high speed deflection about a rotation axis, being driven by a galvo-scanner motor. In most cases the maximum deflection angle of the mirror is ±12.5° (often ±10° is a safer limit) either side of the non-deflected incidence angle of 45°.
Note that, for best performance, the lens will appear to be ‘the wrong way round’ when compared with a standard meniscus lens used in conventional focusing of a laser beam.