Method to determine and adjust the alignment of the transmitter and receiver fields of view of a LIDAR system

A method for aligning a laser transmitter system and a receiver optical system comprising:

• a) placing an attenuator-and-reflector assembly on a receiver optical system;
• b) reflecting a first portion of an output laser beam from a laser transmitter system into said attenuator-and-reflector assembly:
• c) attenuating said first portion of said output laser beam to a power level insufficient to damage said receiver optical system and a reflector assembly of said attenuator-and-reflector assembly;
• d) reflecting said first portion of said output laser beam to change direction so as to direct said first portion of said output laser beam into said receiver optical system;
• e) inputting said first portion of said output laser beam into said receiver optical system;
• f) directing a second portion of said first portion of said output laser beam onto a means for capturing an image located at a back focal plane of said receiver optical system to generate an image of said second portion;
• g) determining a position and an intensity profile of said image of said second portion of said output laser beam using said means for capturing an image;
• and
• h) adjusting at least one optical element of said laser transmitter system when said image of said second portion of said output laser beam does not impinge upon a desired region of a plurality of pixels of said means for capturing an image.