Maximum PAUT scan speed

An encoded scan stores one data set every time the encoder advances by the scan resolution. If the probe moves faster than the instrument can produce complete frames, the missing positions are either left empty or filled by repeating the last frame. The limit is simply v = frame rate × scan resolution.

At 20 frames per second and a 1 mm resolution that is 20 mm/s, about 1.2 m per minute - slow enough that a hand scan will overrun it on a good day. Halving the resolution to 0.5 mm halves the allowable speed again. This is why law count discipline matters: it buys scan speed directly.

Run below the theoretical limit, not at it. Hand scanning is not uniform, encoders slip and instruments occasionally miss a trigger, so a margin of 20 to 30 percent is normal practice. Where a procedure demands full data, switch on the instrument's data completeness or skipped line indicator and rescan any pass that reports missing positions.

v_max = frame rate × scan resolution
v_recommended = v_max × margin factor
m/min = mm/s × 0.06