The invention is a kind of optical scanning external diameter measuring system which hasn't the scanning object lens and the measuring method. The system is made up of two or more optical scanning units without scanning object lens, each unit is assembled with any angle, each unit is made up by connecting light source, collimating mirror, scanning rotary mirror, the receiving object lens, photoelectric receiver. The photoelectric receiver connects with computer through wires. The method uses any two units as a group, the distance between the scanning mirror and the reflection centre point is l0, the offset centre angle to light of the measured object are 2theta 1 and 2 theta 2, the line between the object gravity center and the scanning mirror reflection centre point are alpha 1, alpha 2, the diameter is d: d= dkl0 according to following method, k= 1/(cos alpha 1/ sin theta 1 + cos alpha 2/ sin theta 2). The invention has no object lens, the producing is easy, it realiezes the computer digit compensate for system difference, the stability is good, it has high reliability, the assemble and maintaining is easy, the cost is low.