SparkFun Shrinks Its VL53L5CX Qwiic Time-of-Flight Sensor Board with New, More Compact Mini Variant
With the same specifications as its full-size sibling, the new Qwiic Mini ToF Imager board is a space-saving alternative.
SparkFun has launched a more compact Qwiic-compatible sensor board designed to cram time-of-flight (ToF) imaging into more svelte projects — but still boasting a 64-pixel resolution and range out to 13 feet.
"This board is near-identical to our existing breakout," SparkFun's McCarty explains of the new Qwiic Mini ToF Imager board, "except it is half the size with Qwiic connectors aligned in a vertical arrangement."
The original Qwiic ToF Imager was launched late last year, breaking out the features of the STMicroelectronics VL53L5CX — a ranging sensor based around a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array with physical infrared filters and diffractive optical elements (DOE) plus an active 940nm vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) emitter offering 64 individual measurement "pixels" out to a 13-foot range.
The new version of the board retains all the same specifications as its predecessor, but as the "Mini" suffix suggests is considerably smaller. As well as chopping the board, effectively, in half, the redesign moves the Qwiic connectors to the rear in a vertical orientation — ideal for projects where the sensor will be pointing out from the main body of a design with the cables running backwards to a controlling board.
Cutting down the size hasn't cut down the price, though: The new board is now available on the SparkFun store at $24.95 before volume discounts, the same as its full-sized sibling.
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