A scanning unit for a position measuring system for the optical scanning
of a scale, the scanning unit including a light source for transmitting
light in a direction toward a section of a scale and a detector for
receiving light modified by the scale. A lens arrangement placed in front
of the detector, the lens arrangement having a plurality of optical
lenses and is used for generating a definite image of a scanned scanning
area in an image field on the detector, wherein the lens arrangement
optically images the scanning area reduced in surface in the image field
on the detector.