LamaPLC: VL53Lnn STMicroelectronics time-of-flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensors with I²C communication

The STMicroelectronics VL53L1X is the successor to the STMicroelectronics VL53L0X, offering significant enhancements in range, speed, and functionality, while maintaining pin-to-pin compatibility. The most notable difference is the maximum distance measurement: the VL53L1X supports up to 4 meters, compared with 2 meters for its predecessor.

Feature Comparison:

In summary, while the VL53L0X is a cost-effective choice for short-range applications, the VL53L1X offers enhanced performance and versatility for more demanding tasks, such as drone navigation, industrial automation, and gesture recognition, that require longer range and spatial awareness.

• VIN: Power input (2.8V - 5V)
• GND: Ground
• SCL: I²C clock line
• SDA: I²C data line
• XSHUT: Shutdown pin, low-level shutdown, high-level normal operation
• GPIO1: Programmable interrupt output

The VL53L1X typically operates at 3.3V. Ensure your module includes a voltage regulator and level shifters when connecting to a 5V board, such as an Arduino Uno.

To interface the VL53L1X Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor with an Arduino, the Pololu VL53L1X library is widely recommended for its simplicity and small memory footprint.

#include <Wire.h>
#include <VL53L1X.h>
 
VL53L1X sensor;
 
void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  Wire.begin();
  Wire.setClock(400000); // Use 400 kHz I2C for faster readings
 
  sensor.setTimeout(500);
  if (!sensor.init()) {
    Serial.println("Failed to detect and initialize sensor!");
    while (1);
  }
 
  // Set distance mode: Long (up to 4m) or Short (up to 1.3m)
  sensor.setDistanceMode(VL53L1X::Long);
 
  // Timing budget is the time spent taking one measurement (min 20ms short, 33ms long)
  sensor.setMeasurementTimingBudget(50000); // 50ms
 
  // Start continuous readings every 50ms
  sensor.startContinuous(50);
}
 
void loop() {
  // Read distance in millimeters
  uint16_t distance = sensor.read();
 
  Serial.print("Distance (mm): ");
  Serial.println(distance);
 
  if (sensor.timeoutOccurred()) {
    Serial.print(" TIMEOUT");
  }
}

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