Opto-Electronics


Proximity and ambient light sensor

16 August 2017 Opto-Electronics

The Optoelectronics group of Vishay Intertechnology introduced a new high-sensitivity proximity and ambient light sensor that combines long distance proximity detection up to 1,5 m with the company’s Filtron technology in a compact 8 by 3 by 1,8 mm surface-mount package.

The VCNL4200 three-in-one sensor features a high-power IR (infrared) emitter, photo detectors for proximity and ambient light, a signal processing IC, and a 12-bit / 16-bit ADC, while providing an interrupt function and supporting I²C bus communication interface for smart home, industrial and office applications.

Offering a 50% increase in proximity detection over previous-generation devices, the device can provide presence detection for display activation in printers, copiers and home appliances; collision avoidance in toys and robots; proximity sensing and lighting control in offices, corridors and public buildings; lavatory appliance activation; and parking space availability in lots and garages.

Containing the circuitry needed for these applications in one device, the sensor eliminates the need for additional light barriers and optical alignment of the IR emitter and photo diode. Its small outline saves space and gives design engineers greater flexibility in where and how they locate the sensor.

The ambient light and proximity sensors of the VCNL4200 operate in a parallel structure, and each offers a programmable interrupt function with high and low thresholds that allow the sensor to wake up an application from a low-power mode, reducing the overall power consumption of an application. The device’s Filtron technology enables ambient light spectral sensitivity close to that of the human eye while offering excellent background light cancellation capabilities.

The VCNL4200’s built-in ambient light photo diode offers detection from 0,003 lx to 1,57 klx, allowing the device to operate in applications with dark or high transparency lens designs.

The 16-bit sensor offers fluorescent light flicker immunity and excellent temperature compensation from -40 C to +85 C. The VCNL4200’s 12-bit proximity sensor uses intelligent cancellation to eliminate cross-talk, while a smart persistence scheme ensures accurate sensing and faster response time. The emitter wavelength peaks at 940 nm and has no visible ‘red-tail.’

For more information contact EBV Electrolink, +27 (0)21 402 1940, [email protected], www.ebv.com



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