Quick answer: match update rate to how fast your target moves, not to headline range. ERDILRF’s LRF50H/LRF100H/LRF200H run 20 Hz–10 kHz (1 kHz default) for fast robots and drones; LRF300H/LRF600H/LRF1500H auto-switch to 50 Hz at long range; gimbal-class LR-series and LRF3000A1 hold 1–10 Hz adaptive for slower, longer-range tracking.
Why update rate matters more than headline range for moving platforms
A rangefinder’s maximum range tells you how far it can see. Its update rate tells you how often it tells you anything — and on a moving platform, that second number decides whether your control loop sees a smooth approach to an obstacle or a handful of stale snapshots. The gap between a 10 Hz reading and a 1 kHz reading is not a rounding error once the platform is moving at any real speed.
Run the arithmetic on a platform closing at 1.5 m/s. At 10 Hz (one reading every 100 ms), the target has moved roughly 15 cm between two consecutive readings — enough to miss a fast obstacle edge entirely. At 1 kHz (one reading per millisecond), the same platform only travels about 1.5 mm between readings, which is well inside the sensor’s own centimeter-class accuracy. The sensor’s range spec never changes in this comparison; only how current the number in your control loop is.
Two different update-rate designs inside ERDILRF’s own H-series
The H-series is a useful case study because it is not one update-rate behavior, it is two, split by range tier. LRF50H, LRF100H and LRF200H are all specified at 20 Hz–10 kHz with a 1 kHz default — a wide, user-relevant band that comfortably covers fast-moving robots and drone terrain-following. LRF300H, LRF600H and LRF1500H instead specify automatic switching between 1 kHz and 50 Hz depending on returned echo strength: you get the fast rate when the signal is strong, and the module drops itself to 50 Hz when it isn’t, with no user override documented.
That echo-strength coupling matters directly for the reflectivity spec these same models publish. LRF300H is rated 0.05–300 m against a 90%-reflective target but only 0.05–100 m against a 10%-reflective one; LRF600H drops from 600 m to 200 m across the same two conditions. A dark or distant target that only returns a 10%-class echo is exactly the condition that triggers the automatic fallback to 50 Hz — so on these three long-range models, the worst-case range scenario and the worst-case update-rate scenario arrive together, not separately.
| Model | Range at 90% reflectivity | Range at 10% reflectivity | Ranging accuracy | Measurement frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRF50H | 0.05–50 m | 0.05–15 m | ±5 cm (<10 m) · 1% (≥10 m), 2σ | 20 Hz–10 kHz, default 1 kHz |
| LRF100H | 0.05–100 m | 0.05–30 m | ±10 cm (<10 m) · 1% (≥10 m) | 20 Hz–10 kHz, default 1 kHz |
| LRF200H | 0.05–200 m | 0.05–70 m | ±10 cm (<10 m) · 1% (≥10 m) | 20 Hz–10 kHz, default 1 kHz |
| LRF300H | 0.05–300 m | 0.05–100 m | ±10 cm (<10 m) · 1% (≥10 m) | 1 kHz or 50 Hz, auto-switched by echo strength |
Long-range gimbal rangefinders trade speed for reach
ERDILRF’s pulsed LR-series and the flagship LRF3000A1 are built for gimbal and EO-payload integration rather than close-range robotics, and their update rates reflect that job. LR1200E2 and its LR1500E2/LR2000E2 siblings are specified at 2–10 Hz adaptive; LR1000E2 runs 3–10 Hz adaptive; LRF3000A1 is 3–10 Hz adaptive in normal mode and 1–10 Hz adaptive in long-range mode. That is one to two orders of magnitude slower than the H-series DToF ceiling, and it is a deliberate trade: these modules are optimized to push return energy out to kilometer-class distances, and a gimbal tracking a distant target does not slew fast enough on the frame to need kHz-class sampling the way a fast ground robot does.
If your platform is a slow-panning gimbal or a fixed-mount long-range payload, the 2–10 Hz class is normal and matched to the mechanics. If it’s a wheeled or flying platform closing distance at meaningful speed, that same rate is a mismatch, and the H-series or VB-series is the better starting point.
Selectable, fixed, or adaptive: the VB-series shows all three patterns
The compact VB-series illustrates a third axis: whether the update rate is fixed, adaptive, or something you can actually choose. LRF10VB outputs at a fixed 50 Hz with no documented alternative. LRF50VB is fixed at 100 Hz. LRF22VB is the outlier: its output rate is user-selectable across 200/100/50/20/10/1 Hz, so the same module can be configured for either a fast docking-approach loop or a slow, low-power periodic check, depending on firmware setting rather than model choice.
On the industrial side, the SPD-series reports adaptive ranges rather than a single number or a selectable list — SPD1200N0 and SPD1200N2 are specified at 2–15 Hz / 4–15 Hz adaptive, SPD1200D03 at 2–15 Hz adaptive, and SPD1200S2G at 2–20 Hz adaptive. Adaptive here behaves the same way it does in the H-series long-range tier: the module moves rate on its own based on signal conditions, and the datasheet gives you the band, not a single fixed value you can rely on in every scene.
A simple method for picking update rate
Three checks, in order: first, estimate your platform’s closing speed at the moment ranging matters most (final docking approach, obstacle avoidance, terrain following on descent). Second, check whether the candidate model gives you a fixed rate, a user-selectable rate, or only an adaptive band — an adaptive-only model can fall back to its floor rate exactly when the target is dim or far, which is often the worst possible moment for it to slow down. Third, multiply your platform’s speed by the sensor’s slowest documented interval (1÷Hz) and confirm the resulting travel-per-reading is smaller than the accuracy tolerance you actually need; if it isn’t, move up to a model with a higher rate ceiling rather than trying to compensate in software.
Frequently asked questions
What update rate do I need for a fast-moving AGV or mobile robot?
Look at the 20 Hz–10 kHz band with a 1 kHz default published for LRF50H, LRF100H and LRF200H. At 1 kHz, a robot moving at 1.5 m/s travels about 1.5 mm between readings, which sits comfortably inside these models’ centimeter-class accuracy figures — enough headroom for real-time obstacle avoidance and docking approaches.
Why does my rangefinder’s update rate drop when ranging a distant or dark target?
On LRF300H, LRF600H and LRF1500H, the measurement frequency automatically switches between 1 kHz and 50 Hz depending on returned echo strength. A distant target or a low-reflectivity (10%-class) surface returns a weaker echo, which triggers the automatic fallback to 50 Hz; there is no documented way to force 1 kHz under those conditions.
What’s the fastest update rate in ERDILRF’s catalog, and which models provide it?
LRF50H, LRF100H and LRF200H share the highest ceiling in the lineup: 20 Hz to 10 kHz, defaulting to 1 kHz. The compact LRF22VB tops out lower, at a user-selectable 200 Hz maximum.
Do long-range gimbal rangefinders run as fast as short-range DToF sensors?
No. LR1200E2, LR1500E2 and LR2000E2 are specified at 2–10 Hz adaptive, LR1000E2 at 3–10 Hz adaptive, and LRF3000A1 at 3–10 Hz (normal mode) or 1–10 Hz (long-range mode) adaptive — one to two orders of magnitude below the H-series kHz-class ceiling, because these modules are built for maximum reach on a slow-slewing gimbal rather than high-frequency close tracking.
Can I set an exact fixed update rate, or is it always adaptive?
It depends on the model. LRF22VB lets you pick a fixed rate from 200/100/50/20/10/1 Hz. LRF10VB is fixed at 50 Hz and LRF50VB is fixed at 100 Hz. The E2-series and SPD-series instead publish only an adaptive range — for example LR1200E2 at 2–10 Hz adaptive and SPD1200N0 at 2–15 Hz / 4–15 Hz adaptive — rather than a single selectable step.
Tell us your platform’s speed and worst-case target, and we’ll confirm which update-rate class fits before you commit to a model.
Further reading
For how flight controllers consume rangefinder data on a moving airframe, see ArduPilot’s rangefinder integration documentation.