Lidar system optical alignment and its verification

In lidar systems it is often advantageous or indeed necessary to reduce the field of view of the receiver. This reduction places a stringent demand on the accurate alignment of the axes of the transmitter and receiver. If this condition is not met an erroneous signal may be recorded. A simple apparatus for producing a parallel alignment of the axes is presented. A method for checking the alignment of the axes in a lidar system is also examined.