Reading the LR2000E2 2 km laser rangefinder over UART with Python

This DEV Community tutorial shows how to read data from the ERDI LR2000E2, a 905 nm UART laser rangefinder with a published range of 4 to 2,000 m. The module uses a four-wire connection, and the article warns that most errors come from protocol details such as skipped frame headers, unverified checksums, and wrong unit assumptions. Failed readings are common at long range, with the manual citing a valid rate of 80% or better beyond 400 m, so code must treat failures as normal. The article also flags practical concerns, including unclear TXD/RXD logic levels, the need for an enable signal on pin 6, and power supplies that can sag under the module's inrush current. It then describes the 8-byte command and reply frames, the checksum rule, and the distance encoding that requires dividing by 10, followed by a Python reader example.