Scanning lidar is widely used in atmospheric remote sensing detection and target capture. To realize the effective detection of lidar, this paper studies four common scanning modes of l???????idar: raster scanning, Lissajo scanning, spiral scanning and hexagonal scanning. The corresponding scanning equation is deduced, and the physical meaning and adjustment method of parameters are discussed. Aiming at the requirement of fine scanning in atmospheric remote sensing detection, the distribution of spot under raster scanning and hexagonal scanning is studied. The leakage rate and overlap rate of these two scanning modes are simulated and analyzed. The results show that under the same scanning condition, the leakage area of hexagonal scanning mode is the smallest. The physical image and scan pattern of scanning control system based on the above research are presented. Finally, the characteristics of these four scanning modes are summarized, and their application and suggestions are given.