Light-to-digital sensor provides functionality of optical power meter within single device

The Texas Instruments’ OPT3002 light-to-digital sensor provides the functionality of an optical power meter within a single device. This optical sensor greatly improves system performance over photodiodes and photoresistors. The device has a wide spectral bandwidth, ranging from 300nm to 1000nm. Measurements can be made from 1.2nW/cm2 up to 10mW/cm2, without the need to manually select the full-scale ranges by using the built-in, full-scale setting feature. This capability allows light measurement over a 23-bit effective dynamic range. The results are compensated for dark-current effects, as well as other temperature variations. Use the device in optical spectral systems that require detection of a variety of wavelengths, such as optically-based diagnostic systems. The interrupt pin system can summarise the result of the measurement with one digital pin. Power consumption is very low, allowing it to be used as a low-power, battery-operated, wake-up sensor when an enclosed system is opened. It is fully integrated and provides optical power reading directly from the I2C and SMBus-compatible, two-wire, serial interface. Measurements are either continuous or single-shot. The device fully-operational power consumption is as low as 0.8µW at 0.8SPS on a 1.8V supply.