Systems and methods for calibrating a LIDAR unit. In one embodiment, a system includes a light pulse detection unit, a delay unit and a two-dimensional target. The light pulse detection unit receives a light pulse from the LIDAR unit. The delay unit produces one or more delayed light pulses which are delayed by a known interval from the light pulse received from the LIDAR unit. The delayed light pulses are used to illuminate the target. Target illumination from each of the delayed light pulses returns to the LIDAR unit with a corresponding known delay. The delay of each delayed light pulse simulates a range that is greater than the actual physical distance from the LIDAR unit to the target. The delay of the light pulses from different parts of the target may be different to simulate different ranges for the different parts of the target.