Automotive grade sensor provides design flexibility for gesture applications

The Optoelectronics group of Vishay Intertechnology has introduced a new fully integrated automotive grade proximity and ambient light sensor for gesture recognition. Featuring Filtron technology, the VCNL4035X01 combines photo detectors for proximity and ambient light, a signal conditioning IC, a 16-bit ADC, and a driver for up to three external IREDs in one compact 4mm x 2.36mm x 0.75mm surface-mount package. The AEC-Q101 qualified sensor features an interrupt function and supports I²C bus communication interface for portable electronics and smart home, industrial, and automotive applications. The device can be implemented to provide gesture recognition in consumer electronics such as notebooks and tablets; presence detection for display activation in printers, copiers, and automobiles; collision avoidance in toys and robots; and lighting control in offices, corridors, and public buildings. All the circuitry needed for these applications is included in one compact device to save PCB space, while its utilization of external emitters for gesture applications provides greater design flexibility. The device’s built-in ambient light photo diode offers detection from 0.004lx to 4.2klx, allowing the device to operate in applications with dark or high transparency lens designs. The sensor offers high accuracy of ±10%, fluorescent light flicker immunity, and excellent temperature compensation from -40C to +105C. It’s proximity sensor uses intelligent cancellation to eliminate cross-talk, while a smart persistence scheme ensures fast response time when an object is detected. The device has a supply voltage range of 2.5V to 3.6V and I²C bus voltage range from 1.8V to 5V. Offered in a lead (Pb)-free 8-pin QFN package, the sensor is RoHS-compliant, halogen-free, and Vishay Green.