Abstract: In order to investigate the possibility of a lateral shear interferometer,which is based on a birefringence crystal shear generator,to be applied to on-machine surface measurement,optical models of the interferometer for light propagation and surface measurement are derived.Its anti-vibration characteristics are analyzed,and a vibration table to simulate different vibration conditions is set up,on which many experiments for surface measurement under different vibration conditions are conducted.The analysis and experimental testing verify the advanced anti-vibration characteristics of the interferometer for on-machine surface measurement.