Audio Innovations

Car Stereos, Auto Customizing, Mobile Electronics

1105 Jim's Lane, Conway, AR 72032 501-358-6545
  • Home
  • Services
    • Car Audio
    • Driver Safety Systems
    • Marine Audio
    • Motorcycle Audio
    • Radar and Laser Detector Systems
    • Remote Starters
  • About Us
  • Location
  • Customer Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
You are here: Home / RESOURCE LIBRARY / How Does DragonEye ECCM Lidar Work?

How Does DragonEye ECCM Lidar Work?

DragonEye ECCM

Over the past few months, we’ve talked about how radar detectors and laser defense systems work. Now it’s time to talk about the dreaded and often controversial DragonEye ECCM-equipped lidar guns and why they’re so difficult to jam.

What Is DragonEye ECCM?

DragonEye ECCMLet’s break this down a bit. Based in Norcross, Georgia, DragonEye Technology is a company that develops electro-optical systems for the law enforcement industry. What does this mean? They make police lidar guns. They have two basic product categories: lidar speed measurement guns with and without a built-in camera.

Aside from the quality, accuracy and reliability of their products, DragonEye’s claim to fame is their anti-jamming technology called the Electronic Counter-Counter Measure (ECCM) system. ECCM was designed to prevent a conventional laser defense system from being able to disable DragonEye’s measurement system.

What Is ECCM?

In a conventional lidar gun, the emitting laser produces pulses of light and measures the time it takes for those pulses to be reflected back to the gun. Knowing the speed of light, the gun can calculate the speed of an object by analyzing the changes in reflection time for each pulse. For our discussion, let’s say that the gun sends out 150 pulses per second and expects to see that same frequency of pulses returned.

DragonEye ECCM
Conventional lidar guns emit a series of evenly spaced light pulses.

Laser defense systems on our cars and trucks are designed to detect these pulses of light and transmit additional pulses and varying timing patterns to prevent a lidar gun from being able to make a calculation.

When ECCM is in use, the spacing between the light pulses is somewhat random. We specify that is it only “somewhat” random because the gun needs to know when it emitted a pulse and be able to measure its reflection time. As such, there is a pattern, even though it’s complicated.

Again, purely as an example, a DragonEye Gun may start transmitting at 150 Hz (pulses per second), then ramp up to 1,500 Hz and back down.

DragonEye ECCM
DragonEye lidar guns with ECCM enable emit a pseudo-random pattern of light pulses. If your laser defense system can’t generate a similar but scrambled pattern, the gun will still take a reading and if you are speeding, you’ll likely get a ticket.

Defending Against Variable Pulse Rate Lidar

A simpler name for lidar guns like the DragonEye Compact and DragonEye Speed LIDAR with ECCM enabled is Variable Pulse Rate (VPR) radar. Other guns like the Stalker X-Series, the Laser Ally lidar and the LTI TruSpeed also offer VPR anti-jamming modes.

DragonEye ECCM
A representation of a laser defense system that has detected the variable pulse rate signal from a lidar gun with VPR technology.

It’s worth clarifying: It’s the frequency of the pulses that is changed, not the frequency or wavelength of the beam being transmitted. For most lidar guns, that beam remains in the 905 nanometer/331.26 terahertz range.

In order for your laser defense system to prevent a reading, the system needs to detect the algorithm used to modulate the laser pulse frequency and transmit a compatible yet scrambled pattern. The transmitted pulses can’t simply be random.

DragonEye ECCM
Different laser defense systems use different proprietary algorithms to confuse laser guns. In short, the transmitted signal prevents the gun from taking reliable measurements because there is no pattern to the received information.

The Cat-and-Mouse Game

DragonEye ECCMManufacturers of laser defense systems such as Escort, AL Priority, Stinger and K40 are constantly working on updating their firmware to maintain compatibility with new firmware from the lidar gun manufacturers. Statements about which defense systems defend against which guns should be qualified with confirmation of the firmware on the gun. A four-year-old DragonEye gun that has never had an update is going to be easier to jam than one that just came off the assembly line or has just returned from recertification and updates.

If you are shopping for a laser defense system, visit your local specialist mobile enhancement retailer and talk with them about where and how you drive. If they are truly experienced in the laser defense market, they will be able to tell you what radar and lidar guns are in use in your area and help you select a solution that will meet your needs. As always, we want to remind our readers that the performance of a laser defense system depends significantly on the installation. A reliable and accurate installation isn’t cheap but it can be the difference between getting a speeding ticket and arriving at your destination without delays.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Related

Filed Under: RESOURCE LIBRARY, ARTICLES, Radar Detectors

About BestCarAudio.com

BestCarAudio.com is a showcase for the very best mobile electronics retailers in the world and a place to educate and inform interested consumers about existing and emerging technologies.

Recent Articles

KICKER MSC65

Product Spotlight: KICKER MSC65

September 8, 2025 

There are dozens of companies manufacturing marine-grade speakers. That certainly doesn’t mean that all the speakers sound good and have equivalent performance. KICKER, a company … [Read More...]

Wire Equivalency Using the AWG Standard: 16+16 Isn’t 8

Wire Equivalency Using the AWG Standard: 16+16 Isn’t 8

September 7, 2025 

We recently witnessed a discussion on social media in which someone said that two 16 AWG wires could do the same work as a single 8 AWG wire. Unfortunately, the American Wire Gauge … [Read More...]

The inside of a car with a band playing on a stage through the front window

The Four Stages of High-End Car Audio – Part 2: The Soundstage

August 31, 2025 

We’re back with the second of four articles discussing the listening experience of truly high-end car audio systems. In our first article, we discussed the importance of accurate … [Read More...]

A cartoon car with rings around it, signifying the ADAS systems detecting the surroundings

A Look at Modern ADAS Technology and Terminology

August 24, 2025 

Shopping for a new car, pickup truck or SUV is impossible without being bombarded with information about ADAS technology. Advanced driver assistance systems are designed to help … [Read More...]

Customer Reviews

Subscribe to Our Website

Enter your email address to subscribe to our website and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Location


Get Directions to Audio Innovations

Find Us

Audio Innovations

1105 Jim's Lane
Conway, AR 72032
501-358-6545

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Services

  • Car Audio
  • Driver Safety Systems
  • Marine Audio
  • Motorcycle Audio
  • Radar and Laser Detector Systems
  • Remote Starters

Hours

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Copyright © 2025 Audio Innovations · Privacy Policy · Website by 1sixty8 media, inc. · Log in

 

Loading Comments...