VL53L0X LIDAR Distance Sensor: Pinout, Datasheet, and Applications

VL53L0X Pinout

Symbol

Symbol

Footprint

Footprint

The VL53L0X is a new generation Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging module housed in the smallest package on the market today, providing accurate distance measurement whatever the target reflectances, unlike conventional technologies. It can measure absolute distances up to 2m, setting a new benchmark in ranging performance levels, opening the door to various new applications.

Block diagram illustrates that it has many electronics components inside such as RAM, ROM, single-photon Avalanche Diode( SPAD), Microcontroller, and VCEFL driver.

VL53L0X Block Diagram

• This small module consists of a 940nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser, VCSEL driver, and a microcontroller.

• VL53L0X measures a distance accurately up to 2 m.

• This sensor operates in a voltage range of 2.6V to 3.5V and has a supply current of 10mA.

• It has a protocol that enables communication.

• This device consists of internal IR filters which provide higher immunity to ambient light and optical crosstalk compensation.

• The VCSEL laser source is safe for the human eye.

• It has additional features of reset (Xshut) and GPIO interrupt

• The temperature range specified for operation is -20°C to 70°C.

• User detection for personal computers/ laptops/tablets and IoT (energy saving)

• Robotics (obstacle detection)

• White goods (hand detection in automatic faucets, soap dispensers, etc.)

• 1D gesture recognition.

• Laser assisted autofocus. Enhances and speeds up camera autofocus system performance, especially in difficult scenes (low light levels, low contrast) or fast-moving video mode.

The sonar sensor uses ultrasonic waves, but its sensing cone is wide. So, we can use IR sensors to measure the distance. The measurement of these sensors depends on the object characteristics and other environmental factors. Therefore, we use VL53L0X to obtain precise measurements. It has a narrow cone that bounces light and directly determines the distance. The value is independent of characteristics like size and dimensions of the object. This sensor is easy to use, and its breakout board is also available in the market.

This sensor is easy to use and can be easily incorporated. The module can be powered by a source of 2.6V to 5.5V which is then regulated to 2.8V using the onboard regulator. For communication, you can use the I2C communication pins provided. The sensor can easily be implemented by most of the microcontrollers. More details can be found at the VL53L0X datasheet linked below.

The diagram shows the connections of the sensor breakout board with Arduino Uno. We use the Arduino Uno I2C interface to connect the VL53L0X distance sensor module.

1. Connect Vin to the power supply, 3-5V is fine (red wire on STEMMA QT version).

2. Connect GND to common power/data ground (black wire on STEMMA QT version)

3. Connect the SCL pin to the I2C clock SCL pin on your Arduino (yellow wire on STEMMA QT version).

VL6180

VL53L0X Dimension

Waveshare Electronics Co., Ltd. (waveshare) is a high-tech enterprise, specializing in the production of Raspberry Pi expansion boards, Jetson Nano expansion boards, HD LCD/OLED, and other products.