The Boardoza VL53L7CX-1 Time-of-Flight Breakout Board is a compact ranging sensor board built around the STMicroelectronics VL53L7CX multizone Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor. Designed for embedded systems operating entirely at 3.3V supply and logic levels, it provides accurate distance measurements with an ultra-wide 90° diagonal field of view using a configurable 4×4 or 8×8 ranging zone matrix.
With its advanced 4×4 or 8×8 multizone ranging capability, ultra-wide 90° diagonal field of view, and support for communication and control functions such as interrupt-based operation, communication enable control, and I²C interface reset (INT, LPn and RST), the board is ideal for robotics, obstacle detection, occupancy sensing, gesture recognition, smart appliances, industrial automation, and other embedded applications where accurate distance measurement and compact size are important. Its dual-connector layout also allows multiple boards to be connected in a cascade connection, making it easier to use more than one VL53L7CX board on the same I²C bus.
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- Multizone Distance Sensing: Supports both 4×4 and 8×8 ranging configurations, providing up to 64 independent measurement zones.
- Ultra-Wide Field of View: Provides a 60° × 60° square detection FoV with a 90° diagonal field of view.
- Eye-Safe Operation: Integrated Class 1 invisible 940nm VCSEL (Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser) emitter is safe for the eyes and enables safe operation in consumer and industrial products.
- Fast I²C Connectivity: Supports I²C communication with a device address of 0x52 and bus speeds up to 1 Mbit/s.
- Dedicated Hardware Control Pins: Includes interrupt output, LPn communication enable, and I²C reset control signals.
- Multitarget Detection: Capable of detecting and measuring multiple targets within each ranging zone.
- Autonomous Low-Power Mode: Supports autonomous operation with programmable interrupt thresholds for host wake-up applications.
- Power Status Indicator: Integrated LED provides visual confirmation of power availability.
Model: VL53L7CX-1
Manufacturer: Boardoza
Manufacturer IC: STMicroelectronics
Functions: Multizone Time-of-Flight (ToF) Distance Sensor
Board Supply Voltage: 3.3V
I/O Voltage Level: 3.3V
Communication Interface: I²C
I²C Address: 0x52 (8-bit address)
Maximum I²C Speed: 1 Mbit/s
Ranging Zones: 4 × 4 or 8 × 8, up to 64 zones
Sample Rate: Up to 60Hz
Max Range: 2cm to 350cm per zone
Field of View: 60° × 60° detection FoV, 90° diagonal
Emitter Wavelength: 940nm invisible VCSEL (Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser)
Detector Type: SPAD (single photon avalanche diode) receiving array
Safety Feature: Eye-Safe Class 1
Operating Temperature: -30°C to +85°C
Board Dimensions: 20mm x 20mm
All four boards use the same STMicroelectronics VL53L7CX multizone Time-of-Flight sensor and provide the same core ranging capabilities. The main differences between the models are their supply voltage requirements and the signals on which logic-level shifting is provided.
| Model | Board Supply Input | Onboard 3.3V Regulator | 5V-Compatible Signals | Native 3.3V Signals | Practical Difference | Recommended Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VL53L7CX-1 | 3.3V | No | None | SDA, SCL, INT, RST, LPn | The entire board operates directly from 3.3V. No voltage regulation or logic-level shifting is included. All connected signals must remain at 3.3V. | Best for systems in which both the power supply and the microcontroller logic operate at 3.3V. |
| VL53L7CX-2 | 3.3V to 5V | Yes | SDA, SCL | INT, RST, LPn | The board can be powered from either 3.3V or 5V. The I²C communication lines are level-shifted, allowing SDA and SCL to communicate with both 3.3V and 5V hosts. The control signals remain at 3.3V logic level. | Best when the host uses 5V I²C communication but the INT, RST, and LPn control pins can be handled at 3.3V. |
| VL53L7CX-3 | 3.3V to 5V | Yes | SDA, SCL, INT | RST, LPn | In addition to the I²C lines, the interrupt output is also level-shifted. This allows the host to receive the INT signal at its own logic voltage. RST and LPn still operate at 3.3V. | Best when both I²C communication and the interrupt signal need to be compatible with a 5V microcontroller. |
| VL53L7CX-4 | 3.3V to 5V | Yes | None | SDA, SCL, INT, RST, LPn | The board is powered from 5V, but all communication and control signals remain at native 3.3V logic levels. The connected host must therefore use 3.3V-compatible I/O signals. | Best for systems that provide a 5V power rail but use a 3.3V microcontroller or 3.3V host interface. |
- Choose VL53L7CX-1 when the complete system operates at 3.3V.
- Choose VL53L7CX-2 when you need 3.3V–5V compatible I²C communication, but the control pins can remain at 3.3V.
- Choose VL53L7CX-3 when both the I²C lines and the INT output must be compatible with a 5V host.
- Choose VL53L7CX-4 when the board will be powered from 3.3V-5V, but the connected microcontroller uses 3.3V logic.
Important Note: A board being powered from 5V does not automatically mean that all of its communication and control pins can accept 5V logic signals. Always check the logic-level compatibility of SDA, SCL, INT, RST, and LPn before connecting the board to a host system.
The following features are identical across all four models:
- STMicroelectronics VL53L7CX multizone Time-of-Flight sensor
- 4×4 or 8×8 ranging configurations
- Up to 64 independent measurement zones
- 60° × 60° square detection field of view
- 90° diagonal field of view
- Up to 60Hz ranging frequency
- Multitarget detection within each zone
- I²C communication
- INT, RST, and LPn control functions
- Class 1 eye-safe 940nm VCSEL emitter
- Dual-connector layout for easier multi-board connection
| Pin Number | Pin Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GND | Ground |
| 2 | SCL | I²C Serial Clock |
| 3 | SDA | I²C Serial Data |
| 4 | 3V3 | 3.3V Power Supply |
| Pin Number | Pin Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3V3 | 3.3V Power Supply |
| 2 | GND | Ground |
| 3 | SDA | I²C Serial Data |
| 4 | SCL | I²C Serial Clock |
| 5 | RST | I²C interface reset input, active high. Toggle from Low to High and back to Low to reset the I²C target interface only. |
| 6 | INT | Open-drain interrupt output. Indicates when new ranging data is available and can also be used for programmable threshold events. |
| 7 | LPn | Communication enable input. Pulled up to 3.3V for normal operation; drive Low to disable I²C communication. |
- V1.0.0 - Initial Release
- If you have any questions or need support, please contact support@boardoza.com
This repository contains both hardware and software components:
All hardware design files are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
All software and firmware are licensed under BSD 3-Clause License.