STMicroelectronics VL53L7CX FlightSense multi-zone distance sensor

STMicroelectronics has revealed a new FlightSense multi-zone distance sensor with 90° field of view. The optical sensor is designed to bring lifelike situational awareness to applications like home automation, domestic appliances, computers, robots and smart equipment used in stores, factories and more.

The FlightSense technology inside time-of-flight multi-zone sensors enables innovative scene understanding with low demands on system power and processing. Extending the field of view gives users greater flexibility while maintaining resolution and simplicity.

Unlike camera sensors, which are sometimes positioned for these tasks, time-of-flight (ToF) sensors do not capture images and thus provide full privacy for users. The sensor’s 90° field of view to 90° (diagonal) enhances the performance of presence detection and system activation, such as activating a screen or waking an appliance like an oven or coffee machine.

The sensor has native 64-zone (8 x 8) sensing and can measure distance to multiple objects in each zone, up to 350 cm. ST-patented histogram algorithms allow multi-target detection and measurement within the field of view, as well as smudge immunity above 60 cm.

The linearity is consistent when measuring distance to objects as close as 2 cm.

In low-power mode, the sensor consumes 5.4 mW. In addition, the sensor can operate in autonomous mode, which allows the host system to power down and wake only when a threshold value is reached. Thresholds include distance to nearest object, signal rate and detection of motion.

The sensor is in production now and available in a 6.4 x 3.0 x 1.6 mm miniature optical LGA16 package.