The new, fully integrated proximity sensor from Vishay Intertechnology's Optoelectronics Group is designed for consumer and industrial applications and is characterized by particularly high energy efficiency and performance. Based on a VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser), the VCNL36825T sensor from Vishay Semiconductors combines a photodiode, a signal processing IC and a 12-bit ADC in an SMD package measuring just 2.0 x 1.25 x 0.5 mm with a light aperture of only 1.6 mm.
Compared to previous generation sensors, the new proximity sensor offers a 76% smaller package and its smaller light aperture gives developers more design freedom - all at a lower cost. Its compact dimensions make it ideal for space-constrained applications. Thanks to its long detection range of up to 200 mm, it is ideal for collision avoidance in toy, consumer and industrial robot applications. It consumes only 6.63 µA and thus increases energy efficiency in such applications. A sophisticated compensation method eliminates crosstalk and an intelligent 'smart persistence' algorithm ensures fast and reliable proximity detection. The emission maximum of the VCSEL infrared transmitter is 940 nm; the emitted light has no visible red light component. The sensor is RoHS-compliant and halogen-free.
