Glossary
Compatible with:
LRS4000
multiScan100
multiScan200
picoScan100
This glossary explains the terms, abbreviations, and SICK-specific names used in this guide. Where a term has its own page, the entry links to it.
A
| Term |
Meaning |
| AAS (Asset Administration Shell) |
Standardized digital twin of a product with its data sheet, operating instructions, certificates, and CAD data. See Asset Administration Shell. |
| Activation type |
Setting of an evaluation group that defines when the group is evaluated: always, controlled by digital inputs, or controlled by a telegram. See Field Evaluation. |
| Ambient light image |
Passive, narrow-band image around 905 nm that the multiScan200 captures through its LiDAR receiver. It is not a camera image. |
| AMR (autonomous mobile robot) |
Mobile robot that navigates without fixed guidance. A typical application for LiDAR sensors. |
| Angle range filter |
Filter that limits the output to a horizontal and vertical angle range. See Filter Details. |
| API (application programming interface) |
Interface through which programs access the sensor, for example REST or CoLa. |
| Authorized Client |
User level for configuring the sensor in daily operation. See User Levels. |
| AutoIP |
Method in which the sensor assigns itself an IP address when no DHCP server answers. |
| Azimuth |
Horizontal angle of a beam (theta). |
B
| Term |
Meaning |
| Beam |
One measurement direction of the sensor. Each beam can return one or more echoes. |
| Blanking |
Detection mode of field evaluation: the field is infringed when an object at least as large as the minimum object size is inside the field. Smaller objects are ignored ("blanked"). |
| Blooming |
False points next to highly reflective objects such as retroreflectors. The multiScan200 blooming filter removes them. |
C
| Term |
Meaning |
| Challenge-response authentication |
Login method of the REST API. The client requests a one-time challenge and answers with a hash that includes the password; the password itself is not transmitted. See REST Interface. |
| Checksum |
Value calculated over data to detect transmission errors or changes. CoLa B uses an XOR checksum, the Compact format CRC32, and the device reports MD5 checksums of its software and parameters. See Checksums. |
| CloudCompare |
Open source software for viewing and processing 3D point clouds. See CloudCompare. |
| CoLa (Command Language) |
SICK telegram protocol for configuration and data requests. CoLa A uses ASCII text on TCP port 2111, CoLa B binary data on TCP port 2112, and CoLa 2 uses TCP port 2122. See CoLa Interface. |
| CoLa1 |
Collective name for CoLa A and CoLa B. |
| Compact format |
SICK binary format for measurement data over UDP or TCP, described by Kaitai Struct definitions. See Compact Format. |
| Contamination indication |
Function that detects dirt on the optics cover and reports warnings or errors. See Contamination Indication. |
| Contour mode |
Detection mode of field evaluation that compares the scan with a taught-in reference contour. |
| CRC32 |
32-bit cyclic redundancy check. Protects each Compact and MSGPACK telegram. |
| Cyclone DDS |
DDS implementation specified as the ROS 2 middleware for native ROS 2. |
D
| Term |
Meaning |
| Data output |
Application in SOPASair that configures which measurement data the sensor sends and in which format. |
| DDS (Data Distribution Service) |
Publish-subscribe middleware used by ROS 2. Native ROS 2 runs a DDS participant on the sensor. |
| Device Not Ready |
Device state that signals that the sensor does not work correctly. Can be output on a digital output (DRDY). |
| Device search |
Discovery of sensors in the network through UDP broadcasts on port 30718. See Device Discovery. |
| DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) |
Protocol with which a network server assigns IP addresses automatically. |
| Diagnostic file |
File with log entries for in-depth analysis by SICK. Created in SOPASair under Diagnostics. |
| Distance-dependent |
Field evaluation parameter that decides, based on their axial separation, whether two objects are evaluated separately or merged. See Field Evaluation. |
E
| Term |
Meaning |
| Echo |
Reflection of one laser pulse. One beam can return several echoes, for example from a raindrop and a wall behind it. |
| Echo filter |
Filter that selects which echoes are output, for example the first, the last, or all echoes. See Filter Details. |
| EEPROM |
Non-volatile memory of the sensor. Changes are stored permanently only after WriteEeprom (REST) or mEEwriteall (CoLa). |
| Elevation |
Vertical angle of a beam (phi). |
| Encoder |
Rotary sensor on a moving axis. The picoScan150 can read an encoder to build 3D point clouds. See 3D With 2D LiDARs. |
| Evaluation |
One detection field with its parameters. Up to 48 evaluations can be configured. |
| Evaluation group |
Set of evaluations that is activated and deactivated together. |
F
| Term |
Meaning |
| Field evaluation |
On-sensor application that checks whether objects are inside a defined field and reports FREE or INFRINGED. See Field Evaluation. |
| Firmware |
Software that runs on the sensor. See Firmware Update. |
| Fog filter |
picoScan100 filter that removes fog echoes at close range. |
| Frame |
One complete scan. A frame is split into segments for output. |
I
| Term |
Meaning |
| IMU (inertial measurement unit) |
Built-in sensor that measures acceleration, angular velocity, and orientation. |
| Interlaced mode |
multiScan200 scan configurations 10 to 12, which combine several scans that are shifted against each other to reach a higher resolution. |
| Interval filter |
Filter that outputs only every n-th scan. |
K
| Term |
Meaning |
| Kaitai Struct |
Language for describing binary formats. SICK publishes the Compact format as Kaitai Struct definitions (.ksy). |
L
| Term |
Meaning |
| Layer |
One horizontal scan line at a fixed elevation angle. Multi-layer devices such as multiScan100 and multiScan200 provide several layers; LRS4000 and picoScan100 have one layer. |
| LiDAR (light detection and ranging) |
Measurement principle that determines distances from the time-of-flight of laser pulses. |
| LMDscandata |
CoLa telegram with measurement data. See LMDscandata Format. |
M
| Term |
Meaning |
| Maintenance |
User level for maintenance tasks. See User Levels. |
| Mean filter |
Filter that averages the distance of each point over several scans, also called moving average filter. On the multiScan200 it is called high precision mode. See Filter Details. |
| Minimum object size |
Smallest object that infringes a field in blanking mode. |
| MSGPACK (MessagePack) |
Binary serialization format; used by multiScan100 and picoScan100 for measurement data. See MSGPACK Format. |
| Multi-echo |
Ability of the sensor to measure several echoes per beam. |
| Multicast |
Transmission of one data stream to a group of receivers. |
N
| Term |
Meaning |
| Native ROS 2 |
Function with which the sensor publishes ROS 2 messages itself over DDS, without a host driver. See ROS Integration. |
| NTP (Network Time Protocol) |
Protocol for synchronizing the sensor clock with a time server. See Time Synchronization. |
O
| Term |
Meaning |
| OpenAPI |
Machine-readable description of a REST API. SICK publishes an OpenAPI file for each device. |
P
| Term |
Meaning |
| Particle filter |
Filter that removes isolated points caused by dust, rain, or snow. See Filter Details. |
| pcap |
File format for recorded network traffic, created for example with Wireshark. See Wireshark. |
| Performance profile |
See scan configuration. |
| Perpendicular distance measurement |
picoScan100 application that measures the distance of objects to a reference line. See Perpendicular Distance Measurement. |
| PLC (programmable logic controller) |
Industrial controller. See PLC Integration. |
| Point cloud |
Set of 3D points calculated from the measured distances and angles. |
| PointCloud2 |
ROS message type for point clouds. |
| Product ID |
Unique identification of a device from its part number and serial number, reachable at pid.sick.com/{P/N}/{S/N}. |
| PSIRT (Product Security Incident Response Team) |
SICK team that handles reports of security vulnerabilities. |
| PTP (Precision Time Protocol, IEEE 1588) |
Protocol for precise time synchronization over Ethernet. |
Q
| Term |
Meaning |
| Quaternion |
Four values (w, x, y, z) that describe an orientation in 3D. The IMU reports its orientation as a quaternion. |
R
| Term |
Meaning |
| Reflector |
Highly reflective target, such as a retroreflector. The sensor can mark points on reflectors. |
| Region of interest |
Area to which an evaluation or a filter is limited. For teach-in, the polygon that bounds where the contour is learned. |
| Remission factor |
Share of the emitted light that an object reflects back, also called remission. Ranges are specified for a given remission factor, for example 10 %. |
| REST (Representational State Transfer) |
HTTP-based interface of the sensor for reading and writing variables and calling methods. See REST Interface. |
| RMW (ROS middleware) |
Layer that connects ROS 2 to a DDS implementation. |
| ROS (Robot Operating System) |
Open source framework for robot software. See ROS Integration. |
| ROS bag |
Recording of ROS messages in a file (.bag in ROS 1, .db3 or .mcap in ROS 2). See ROS Bag. |
| RSSI (received signal strength indicator) |
Measure of the strength of an echo. |
S
| Term |
Meaning |
| Scan configuration |
Predefined combination of aperture angle (field of view), scanning frequency, and angular resolution, identified by a number. |
| Scan range |
Angle range covered by the sensor, for example 276° for the picoScan100. |
| ScanSegmentAPI |
SICK Python and C# libraries for receiving segmented scan data. The Python library supports LRS4000, multiScan100, and picoScan100; the C# library supports multiScan100 and picoScan100. |
| Segment |
Part of a frame that is sent as one telegram so that it can be processed immediately. |
| Service |
Highest user level. Enabled on delivery. See User Levels. |
| Session token |
Token that authorizes binary file transfers, for example firmware updates and configuration backups. |
| sick_perception_sdk |
SICK C++ SDK for configuring LRS4000, multiScan100, multiScan200, and picoScan100 sensors and receiving Compact data. See Programming Tools and Examples. |
| sick_scan_xd |
SICK driver for ROS 1, ROS 2, and applications without ROS. See ROS Integration. |
| Slot |
One column of measurements at a horizontal angle step; on the multiScan200, each slot contains all layers. |
| SOPAS ET |
SICK Engineering Tool for Windows for configuring and visualizing devices. See SOPAS ET. |
| SOPASair |
Web interface of the sensor, opened in a browser. See SOPASair. |
| STX / ETX |
Start of text (0x02) and end of text (0x03), the control characters that frame a CoLa A telegram. |
| Swagger UI |
Interactive viewer for OpenAPI files. |
| System plug |
Exchangeable connector unit of the sensor that also stores a copy of the parameters. |
T
| Term |
Meaning |
| Teach-in |
Function that learns the current environment as the reference contour of a field. See Field Evaluation. |
| Telegram |
One message exchanged with the sensor, for example a CoLa command or a Compact data packet. |
| Telegram type |
Number in a Compact telegram that identifies its content, for example scan data or IMU data. |
U
| Term |
Meaning |
| Unicast |
Transmission of a data stream to one receiver. |
| User level |
Access level that defines which settings a user can change: Maintenance, Authorized Client, or Service. See User Levels. |
V
| Term |
Meaning |
| Virtual Sensor Lab |
Browser-based simulation of SICK sensors. See Virtual Sensor Lab. |
W
| Term |
Meaning |
| WebSocket |
Protocol for a persistent connection over which the sensor pushes events. See WebSocket Events. |
| Wireshark |
Network analysis tool. SICK provides a Wireshark dissector for the Compact format. |
X
| Term |
Meaning |
| XOR checksum |
Checksum of CoLa B telegrams: the exclusive OR of all payload bytes. |