Sensor offers five-fold increase in proximity detection

The sensor offers a five-fold increase in proximity detection over previous-generation devices. The sensor’s integrated long-distance proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, and 940nm infrared-emitting diode (IRED) eliminate the need for additional light barriers and optical alignment of the IR emitter and photo diode.

The device’s small outline saves space and gives design engineers greater flexibility in where and how they locate the sensor.

A 16-bit, high-resolution ambient light sensor offers excellent sensing capabilities with sufficient selections to fulfill most applications whether a dark or high-transparency lens design.

The devices offer individual programmable high- and low-threshold interrupt features to allow designers to best utilise resources and power on the microcontroller.

For the 8-bit proximity-sensing function, VCNL4100 has a built-in intelligent cancelation scheme that eliminates background light issues. The device’s smart persistence scheme prevents false judgment of proximity sensing due to ambient light noise.

It provides temperature compensation of -40 to +85 degrees Celsius to keep the output stable under changing temperature.

Designers can easily operate proximity and ambient light sensor functions via the device’s I²C (SMBus-compatible) interface protocol.

The device operates on a supply voltage range of 2.5V to 3.6V in a lead-free, RoHS-compliant 8.0 × 3.0 × 1.8mm package.