PCL
Photon Counting Lidar

The Photon Counting Lidar (PCL) is an airborne lidar system developed by Sigma Space Corporation. Instead of capturing the full return waveform like traditional lidars, it detects and counts individual photons returned from the laser pulse, enabling finer resolution and higher repetition rates. It is primarily used for topographic and bathymetric mapping. PCL operates at a wavelength of 532 nm, scans the terrain at a rate of 18.5 Hz, and achieves a spatial resolution of 10 cm per photon at a typical survey altitude of 800 meters.