VL53L1X Time-of-Flight (ToF) Laser Ranging Sensor Module (25mm x 13.3mm)

Specifications

• Sensor IC: VL53L1X

• Technology: Time-of-Flight (ToF) Laser Ranging

• Operating Voltage (VIN/VCC): 2.8V to 5V

• Communication Interface: I2C (SCL, SDA)

• Control Pins: XSHUT (Hardware Shutdown), GPIO1 (Data Ready Interrupt)

• Pin Count: 6 Pins

• Dimensions: 25mm Total Length (16mm body) x 13.3mm Width

Key Applications and Projects

• Obstacle Avoidance Robotics: Mounting the sensor on the front of a small rover to accurately detect walls and drop-offs, allowing the robot to map its environment and avoid collisions.

• Drone Altitude Hold: Pointing the sensor directly downwards on a custom quadcopter to provide highly precise, millimetre-level ground-tracking for stable hovering indoors.

• Touchless Smart Home Switches: Embedding the sensor into a wall panel to create a "Jedi" light switch that turns your room lights on or off when you wave your hand within a specific distance.

Unlock New Capabilities (Project Evolution): The Multi-Zone LiDAR Array: Don't stop at just one sensor! Because the VL53L1X features the XSHUT hardware pin, you can wire multiple of these modules to the same I2C bus on an ESP32. By turning them on one by one in your setup() code and dynamically changing their I2C addresses, you can build a 180-degree LiDAR-style array. Mount 5 of these sensors in an arc on your robot, and suddenly your microcontroller can "see" a sweeping 2D map of the room, enabling advanced pathfinding and maze-solving algorithms!

PACKAGE INCLUDED

• 1 x VL53L1X Laser Ranging Sensor Module

• 1 x 6-Pin Male Header (Unsoldered)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1. What is the main sensor on this module? The active sensing component is the VL53L1X Time-of-Flight laser-ranging sensor.

2. Why does the board say VL53L3CX? Manufacturers often share identical PCB layouts for different sensor generations to save costs. While the silkscreen reads "VL53L3CX", the chip installed on this specific module is the VL53L1X.

3. What communication protocol does it use? The module communicates with your host microcontroller using the I2C protocol via the SCL and SDA pins.

4. What is the operating voltage? The board features an onboard regulator, allowing the VIN (or VCC) pin to safely accept a positive power supply ranging from 2.8V to 5V.

5. Can I use this directly with a 5V Arduino Uno? Yes, because the power input supports up to 5V, you can power it directly from a 5V Arduino without needing an external voltage step-down module.

6. What does the XSHUT pin do? The XSHUT pin is a hardware standby pin. Pulling this pin low forces the sensor into shutdown mode, which is highly useful for saving battery life in portable projects.

7. What does the GPIO1 pin do? The GPIO1 pin acts as an interrupt. It outputs a signal that indicates to your microcontroller that new distance data is ready to be processed.

8. Are the header pins pre-soldered? No, the module comes with a 6-pin male header strip that is loose/unsoldered, allowing you to choose whether to solder the pins for a breadboard or solder wires directly to the pads.

9. What does "Time-of-Flight" mean? Time-of-Flight (ToF) means the sensor emits a tiny, invisible laser pulse and measures the exact time it takes for the light to bounce off an object and return to the sensor.

10. Is the sensor affected by the color of the target object? Unlike traditional IR proximity sensors, ToF sensors are largely immune to target color and surface reflectance, providing consistent measurements regardless of whether the object is white or black.

11. What is the yellow film on the sensor? Some modules arrive with a protective yellow Kapton tape applied at the factory to protect the delicate optical lens during shipping. It must be removed before you attempt to use the sensor.

12. What are the surface mount components on the back? The back of the PCB houses essential support circuitry, including a voltage regulator, I2C pull-up resistors, and decoupling capacitors to ensure stable operation.

13. How many pins does the module have? The module breaks out a total of six pins: VIN (or VCC), GND, SCL, SDA, GPIO1, and XSHUT.

14. What are the two large holes on the edges for? These are structural mounting holes, allowing you to securely screw the sensor module onto a robot chassis or an enclosure.

15. What are the exact dimensions of this board? The PCB is 13.3mm wide. The main rectangular body is 16mm long, and the total length from ear to ear is 25mm.

16. What is the default I2C address of the sensor? The default I2C address for the VL53L1X is typically 0x29.

17. Can I use multiple of these sensors on the same I2C bus? Yes, but because they all share the same default address, you must wire the XSHUT pin of each sensor to a different GPIO on your microcontroller to toggle them on individually and reassign their addresses via software.

18. Does this module have a microcontroller on it? No, this is purely a sensor breakout board. It cannot execute code on its own and requires a "brain" like an ESP32 or Arduino.

19. What libraries can I use to program this? Popular, well-documented libraries for Arduino include the SparkFun VL53L1X library and the Pololu VL53L1X library.

20. What does the "GND" pin connect to? The GND pin is the ground of the power supply and must be connected to the ground of your microcontroller to complete the electrical circuit.