VL53L0X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor – TOF200C (up to 2 m)

Measure distance with a tiny, invisible laser. This TOF200C module uses ST's VL53L0X Time-of-Flight sensor, which times how long a pulse of infrared light takes to bounce back. That gives you real distance in millimetres up to about 2 metres, and unlike simple IR sensors, the reading barely changes with the colour or texture of what it's pointed at.

This version has a protective optical cover over the sensor and two mounting holes. That makes it tougher than a bare breakout when it's sewn onto a garment or tucked into a bag, where lint and dust are a real issue. It's much smaller than an ultrasonic sensor and completely silent.

Specifications

• Sensor: ST VL53L0X (TOF200C module)
• Range: about 3 cm to 200 cm (depends on target and lighting)
• Emitter: 940 nm Class 1 laser (eye-safe)
• Field of view: 25°
• Interface: I2C, default address 0x29
• Supply voltage: 3–5V
• Operating temperature: −20 to +70 °C

Pin Definitions

• VIN — Power in, 3–5V
• GND — Ground
• SCL — I2C clock
• SDA — I2C data
• INT — Interrupt output
• SHUT / XSHUT — Shutdown — pull low to turn off (handy for giving multiple sensors different addresses)

Project Ideas

A collar that lights up when someone steps into your personal space, an interactive gallery piece that reacts as visitors approach, a hat brim that senses how close a wall is, or a theremin-style instrument you play by moving your hand.

Good to know

All VL53L0X boards share the address 0x29. To run two or more, use the SHUT pins to change addresses at start-up, or use an I2C multiplexer.

Pair It With

Works well with the Adafruit ESP32-C3 QT Py, Adafruit ESP32-S2 QT Py or Beetle ESP32 [Sewable]. For short-range sensing (up to 50 cm) there's also the VL6180X TOF050C. For the smallest option there's the VL53L0X V2 breakout.

In the box

• TOF200C VL53L0X laser ranging module × 1
• Header pins × 1 set