Introduction:

This is an optical instrument used for the measurement of small angular differences. For small angular measurements, autocollimator provides a very sensitive and accurate approach.The Autocollimator is a single instrument combining the functions of a collimator and a telescope to detect small angular displacements of a mirror by means of its own collimated light. The two reticles are positioned in the focal plane of the corrected objective lens, so that the emerging beam is parallel. This usual configuration is known as infinity setting, i.e. the autocollimators are focused at infinity. The autocollimator projects the image of the collimator reticle in a parallel beam of light (collimated light) onto a mirror that retro-reflects the light bundle back into the autocollimator. An auto collimation image is formed. If the mirror is exactly perpendicular to the optical axis of the autocollimator the beam of light is reflected along the same path. When tilting the mirror the reflected beam enters into the objective at an angle. Depending on the angle of the reflected light bundle the auto collimation image is displaced to a greater or less amount. The displacement of the auto collimation image in respect to the eyepiece reticle provides a measure of the angular displacement of the mirror.

Working Principal:
Auto collimation is an optical technique of projecting an illuminated reticle to infinity and receiving the reticle image after reflection on a flat mirror. The reflected image is brought to the focus of the objective lens in which the eyepiece reticle is located. Thus the reflected image of the collimator (illuminated) reticle and the eyepiece reticle can be simultaneously observed. When the collimated beam falls on a mirror which is perpendicular to beam axis, the light is reflected along the

same path. Between the reflected image and the eyepiece reticle - which are seen superimposedno displacement occurs.If the reflector is tilted by an angle a, the reflected beam is deflected by twice that angle i.e. 2a. The reflected image is now laterally displaced with respect to the eyepiece reticle. The amount of this displacement "d" is a function of the focal length of the autocollimator and the tilt angle of the reflector: d = 2 a . (a in radians) The tilt angle can be ascertained with the formula: a = d / 2 where is the effective focal length EFL of the autocollimator. Since the is a constant of theautocollimator, the eyepiece reticle can be graduated in angle units and the tilt angle can be directly read off.

Autocollimators with infinity setting:

Auto collimation is an optical procedure where a reticle image, which is imaged back onto it, can be observed. Auto collimation is a sensitive procedure to detect small directional or tilt errors. It is generally used with an autocollimator set to infinity together with a plane mirror. The accuracy of this measurement method is independent on the distance between mirror/autocollimator.

Autocollimators with tube extension (variable setting):

Autocollimators with tube extension permit the variable setting to finite and infinite distances or to wavelengths different from 546 nm. With the aid of the tube extension the position of the reticles with respect to the focal plane of the objective is changeable. As a result of that the former parallel beam converts into a convergent or divergent beam and yields a real or virtual image of the collimator reticle that can be observed in the eyepiece when placing a mirror at the image sided focal point of the objective.Such autocollimators with tube extension can be used for measurement of long radii (convex or concave) and for testing the distance setting of optical instruments.

Calculation of the angles:

An autocollimator can be used to measure the angle of a mirror in two axes with respect to the optical axis of the autocollimator. If the mirror is exactly perpendicular to the optical axis, the beam is reflected upon itself. If the mirror is tilted by the angles _x and _y, the reflected beam enters the objective obliquely. Depending on the amount of tilt, the auto collimation image in the eyepiece reticle plane is displaced to a greater or lesser amount. The dis- placement _x and _y of the auto collimation image in X and Y direction provides a measure of the angular displacement of the mirror: f: focal length of the auto collimation objective.

Autocollimator Sample Applications:

Measurement of non-parallelism in windows, laser rod ends, and optical wedges by the two-face reflection method:

Measurement of squareness of an outside corner by aperture sharing:

Angle comparisons by aperture sharing:

Checking right angle prisms for angular and pyramid errors: