The SparkFun Qwiic Mini ToF Imager is a state of the art, 64 pixel Time-of-Flight (ToF) four meter ranging sensor built around the VL53L5CX from STMicroelectronics. This Mini version has a footprint that is half the size (0.5in. x 1in.) of our standard Qwiic VL53L5CX board. Additionally, we moved the Qwiic connectors to the back of the board in a vertical orientation. These design changes favor mounting applications where the VL53L5CX sensor faces outward from an enclosure or chassis, and keeps your Qwiic cables cleanly tucked away.

Features

• Multizone ranging output with either 4×4 or 8×8 separate zones
• Autonomous Low-power mode with interrupt programmable threshold to wake up the host
• Up to 400cm ranging
• 60Hz frame rate capability
• Emitter: 940nm invisible light vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) and integrated analog driver
• 63° diagonal square FoV using diffractive optical elements (DOE) on both transmitter and receiver
• Operating Voltage: 3.3V
• I2C Address: 0x52
• 2x Vertical Qwiic Connectors
• Dimensions – 0.5in. x 1in.

The VL53L5CX chip integrates a SPAD array, physical infrared filters, and diffractive optical elements (DOE) to achieve the best ranging performance in various ambient lighting conditions with a range of cover glass materials. Utilizing our handy Qwiic system, no soldering is required to connect it to the rest of your system. However, we still have broken out some 0.1in.-spaced pins in case you prefer to use a breadboard.

Multi zone distance measurements up to 4000mm are possible across all 64 zones with a wide 63° diagonal field-of-view which can be read up to 15Hz. Thanks to ST Histogram patented algorithms, the VL53L5CX is able to detect different objects within the FoV. The Histogram also provides immunity to cover glass crosstalk beyond 60cm.

The Qwiic Mini ToF Imager is ideal for 3D room mapping, obstacle detection for robotics, gesture recognition, IoT, laser-assisted autofocus, and AR/VR enhancement; the Qwiic connector on this sensor makes integration easy.

Resources

• Schematic
• Eagle Files
• Board Dimensions
• Hookup Guide
• Datasheet (VL53L5CX)
• Qwiic Info Page
• Arduino Library
• GitHub Hardware Repo