Holybro ST VL53L1X Lidar Range Sensor

Holybro’s tiny lidar breakout board utilises the VL53L1X next generation ToF (Time of Flight) laser-ranging sensor module from ST Microelectronics to give you the highly accurate measurements at long ranges for its size.

The VL53L1X is effectively a tiny, self-contained lidar system featuring an integrated 940 nm Class 1 laser, which is invisible and eye-safe. Unlike conventional IR sensors that use the intensity of reflected light to estimate the distance to an object, the VL53L1X uses ST’s FlightSense technology to precisely measure how long it takes for emitted pulses of infrared laser light to reach the nearest object and be reflected back to a detector. This approach ensures absolute distance measurements independent of ambient lighting conditions and target characteristics (e.g. color, shape, texture, and reflectivity), though these external conditions do affect the maximum range of the sensor, as do the sensor configuration settings.

Under favorable conditions, such as low ambient light with a high-reflectivity target, the sensor can report distances up to 4 m (13 ft) with millimeter resolution. The minimum ranging distance is 4 cm; inside of this range, the sensor will still detect a target, but the measurement will not be accurate.

The sensor comes housed in a 3D-printed casing and pre-wired ready for connection to the Pixhawk 4.

Please Note: This sensor type is suitable for indoor use, its range and precision is significantly reduced in bright sunlight conditions and is not recommended for outdoor use.

Features:

• Fully integrated miniature module
– Emitter: 940 nm invisible laser (Class1)
– SPAD (single photon avalanche diode) receiving array with integrated lens
– Low-power microcontroller running advanced digital firmware
• Pin-to-pin compatible with the VL53L0X FlightSense™ ranging sensor
• Fast and accurate long distance ranging
– Up to 400 cm distance measurement
– Up to 50 Hz ranging frequency
• Typical full field-of-view (FoV): 27 °
• Programmable region-of-interest (ROI) size on the receiving array, allowing the sensor FoV to be reduced
• Programmable ROI position on the receiving array, providing multizone operation control from the host
• Easy integration
– Single reflowable component
– Can be hidden behind many cover window materials
– Software driver and code examples for turnkey ranging
– Single power supply (2v8)
– I²C interface (up to 400 kHz)
– Shutdown and interrupt pins

Some Tips: https://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/common-vl53l0x-lidar.html