Where the equipment is certified
| Jurisdiction | AT500 | AT930/AT960 instrument | AT Controller |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | FCC Part 15 B/C — Class B digital device | FCC Part 15 — class A product | FCC Part 15 |
| EU / EEA | Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU | Applicable European Directives | RED 2014/53/EU — Class 1 equipment |
| Canada |
CAN ICES-003 B / NMB-003 B, licence-exempt RSS |
Licence-exempt RSS | Licence-exempt RSS |
| Japan | Granted under the Japanese Radio Law (電波法) | Not stated | Granted under the Japanese Radio Law (電波法) |
| Anywhere else | Approval required before use | Approval required before use | Approval required before use |
Hexagon publishes the full text of its EU Declaration of Conformity at leica-geosystems.com/ce. That document, not this article, is what a European authority will want to see.
Laser class and what it means on site
IEC 60825-1 assigns laser products to hazard classes. Both trackers are Class 2.
Class 2 products are safe for momentary exposures but can be hazardous for deliberate staring into the beam. The beam may cause dazzle, flash-blindness and afterimages, particularly under low ambient light conditions.
From a safety perspective, Class 2 laser products are not inherently safe for the eyes. The two precautions that follow:
- Avoid staring into the beam or viewing it through optical instruments.
- Avoid pointing the beam at other people or at animals.
What Class 2 does not require
Per IEC TR 60825-14 (2004-02), products classified as Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3R do not require:
- laser safety officer involvement
- protective clothes and eyewear
- special warning signs in the laser working area
National laws and local regulations could impose more stringent instructions for the safe use of lasers than IEC 60825-1 (2014-05) and IEC TR 60825-14 (2004-02).
Standards on the instrument label
Both trackers carry a manufacturer's label stating the applied standard, emitted wavelengths, and maximum average radiant power. Both labels also state compliance with 21 CFR 1040.10 and 1040.11 — the U.S. FDA performance standards for laser products — except for conformance with IEC 60825-1 Ed. 3, as described in Laser Notice No. 56, dated May 8, 2019.
Why the whole tracker is Class 2 when its parts are rated lower
Each tracker contains more than one light source. Because those sources can emit at the same time, the tracker as a complete system takes the higher of the possible ratings — Class 2 — even where an individual source on its own would rate lower.
The two trackers reach Class 2 by different routes:
- On the AT930, every individual laser source is Class 1. Simultaneous emission is the only reason the system is Class 2.
- On the AT500, the individual sources are not all rated the same. The distance meter and laser pointer are classified together as Class 2; the target-recognition laser is Class 1.
What is inside each tracker
AT500
The ADM and the laser pointer are classified jointly, as one Class 2 laser product, rather than rated separately.
| Source | Class | Visible? | Wavelength | Max. average radiant power | Beam divergence (full angle) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Distance Meter (ADM) — classified with the laser pointer below | Class 2 (joint) | No | 795 nm (range 785–800 nm) | < 0.35 mW cw | 0.1 mrad |
| Laser pointer — classified with the ADM above | Class 2 (joint) | Yes | 640 nm | 0.35 mW cw | 0.2 mrad |
| Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) | Class 1 | No | 905 nm | 1.5 mW | 11 mrad |
| PowerLock vision system | Not a laser — see below | No (LED) | — | — | — |
| Instrument status indicator | Not a laser — see below | Yes (LED) | — | — | — |
The ATR beam is pulsed: pulse duration ≤ 2.56 ms, pulse repetition frequency ≤ 500 Hz. The ADM and the laser pointer both emerge from the telescope objective.
AT930
| Source | Class | Visible? | Wavelength | Max. average radiant power | Beam divergence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Distance Meter (ADM) | Class 1 | No | 795 nm | 0.53 mW cw | < 1.5 mrad (collimated) |
| Laser interferometer | Class 1 | Yes | 633 nm | 0.30 mW cw | < 1.5 mrad |
| PowerLock vision system | Not a laser — see below | No (LED) | — | — | — |
| Instrument status indicator | Not a laser — see below | Yes (LED) | — | — | — |
Additional figures: the ADM has a beam diameter of about 10 mm, works by modulation of polarisation, resolves to 0.3 µm, and has a dynamic lock-on accuracy (MPE) of ±10 µm. The interferometer has a 5.5 mm emitting aperture, wavelength stabilisation accuracy of ±0.3 ppm, and resolves to 0.4 µm.
The LEDs are not lasers
On both trackers, the PowerLock vision system and the status indicators are excluded from the scope of IEC 60825-1 entirely. They are classified as exempt group under IEC 62471 (2006-07) and pose no hazard when the tracker is used and maintained as directed. If someone asks whether the blue, green, or red lights on the front of the tracker are lasers: they are not.
Flying or shipping a tracker with its batteries
The trackers are powered by lithium batteries, which can overheat and ignite under certain conditions. Four rules:
- Carrying or shipping a tracker with lithium batteries onboard a commercial aircraft must follow the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.
- Read Hexagon's own guidance first. Leica Geosystems publishes guidelines titled "How to carry Leica products" and "How to ship Leica products" with lithium batteries. Consult them before any transportation — they are at leica-geosystems.com/dgr.
- Damaged or defective batteries are prohibited from being carried or transported onboard any aircraft. Check the condition of every battery before it goes near a flight. A swollen, cracked, leaking, or heat-damaged battery does not fly.
- Call the carrier before you ship. The duty sits with the person responsible for the product, who must ensure the applicable national and international rules and regulations are observed. Before transportation or shipping, contact your local passenger or freight transport company.
Loop in your Dusty contact as well, so the shipment is tracked on our side.
Before you take a tracker outside the United States
Work through this in order:
- Confirm the destination is covered. The US, EU/EEA, and Canada are certified for both trackers; Japanese Radio Law approval covers the AT500 and the AT Controller. Everywhere else needs approval before the equipment is used or operated.
- Tell your Dusty contact early. Certification is per-country, and the rest of your kit is not covered by this article.
- Plan the batteries around IATA, call the carrier, and inspect every battery before travel.
- Pull Hexagon's Declaration of Conformity from leica-geosystems.com/ce if an authority or a customer's compliance team asks for documentation.