Vishay VCNL36687S VCSEL-powered proximity sensor

Vishay introduces a fully integrated proximity sensor that combines a high power vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), a photodiode, a signal processing IC, and a 12-bit ADC in a single package.

20 cm detection range greatly simplifies the use and design-in of the proximity sensing capability in consumer and industrial applications.

Key features

• VCSEL profile: ± 3°
• VCSEL driving current: 20 mA
• Operating voltage range: 1.65 V to 1.95 V
• I2C bus voltage range: 1.65 V to 3.6 V

Additional features

• No mechanical barriers are required to optically isolate the emitter from the detector
• Small footprint and low height are ideal for space-constrained applications
• Low VCSEL profile is optimized for applications that require narrow angle detection
• Minimizes optical system design concerns
• Requires less energy than previous-generation devices to carry out the same functionality
• Previous VCNL series devices required 200 mA of current to detect a Kodak Gray Card at a distance of 20 cm
• Programmable interrupt function offers wake-up functionality for the microcontroller when a proximity change occurs
• Reduces processing overhead by eliminating the need for continuous polling

Applications

• Proximity sensing in smartphones, tablets, virtual reality
• Augmented reality (VR / AR) headsets
• Other battery-operated devices