SmartElex VL6180X ToF Distance Ranging Sensor
The SmartElex VL6180X ToF Distance Ranging Sensor is a compact Time-of-Flight module for measuring the distance to nearby objects. It uses STMicroelectronics’ FlightSense technology to measure distance based on the travel time of infrared light, making the measurement less dependent on the target’s reflectance compared with conventional light-intensity-based sensing.
The VL6180X combines a ToF ranging sensor, infrared VCSEL emitter and ambient light sensor in one module. It supports I2C communication and can be used for proximity detection, distance measurement, gesture recognition, robotics and embedded sensing applications.
Features
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Time-of-Flight Technology: Uses infrared light travel time to measure the absolute distance to nearby objects.
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Short-Range Distance Measurement: Provides ranging from 0 to above 100mm, with performance beyond 100mm depending on target and environmental conditions.
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Ambient Light Sensor: Includes an integrated ambient light sensor with a wide dynamic range and calibrated output in lux.
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VCSEL Infrared Emitter: Uses an 850nm infrared emitter for ToF distance measurement.
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I2C Interface: Uses the standard I2C communication interface with a 0x29 7-bit device address for convenient host-controller integration.
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Reflectance Independent Sensing: FlightSense ToF technology measures distance based on light travel time rather than simply measuring reflected light intensity.
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Ambient Light Rejection: Designed to maintain reliable ranging performance under varying ambient light conditions.
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Gesture Recognition: Distance and signal-level information can be used to develop gesture and touchless-control applications.