Light-to-digital sensor with optical power meter functionality

Mouser stocks the OPT3002 light-to-digital sensor from Texas Instruments. Greatly improving system performance over standard photodiodes and photoresistors, the fully-integrated sensor delivers the functionality of an optical power meter all within a single small device. Offering a wide spectral bandwidth, flexible and automated light measuring over a 23-bit effective dynamic range, and a simplified software and set-up configuration, this low-power optical sensor is ideal for use in optical spectral systems that require detection of a variety of wavelengths, such as optically-based diagnostic systems, or even as a low-power, battery-operated wake-up sensor. The light-to-digital sensor is an ambient light sensor (ALS) with a digital output integrated circuit. The device features a wide spectral bandwidth that measures light within the device spectral range of 300nm to 1,000nm. Using the device’s built-in, full-scale setting feature, it can take light measurements from 1.2nW/cm2 up to 10mW/cm2 without the need to manually select the full-scale ranges. This built-in functionality enables capturing of light measurements over a 23-bit effective dynamic range, with results compensated for dark-current effects and other temperature variations. The device captures measurements in either a continuous or single-shot fashion. The optical sensor measures the ambient light and reports the optical power readings directly from its two-wire, I2C- and SMBus-compatible serial interface. The interrupt pin system can also summarise measurement results with one digital pin. With fully-operational power consumption as low as 0.8µW at 0.8SPS on a 1.8V supply, the device’s light-to-digital sensor can be incorporated into a broad array of low-power, sensor-based applications, including security detection systems, system wake-up circuits, medical and scientific instrumentation, lighting controls, tablet and notebook computers and home automation. This light-to-digital sensor is available in a compact, 6-USON package that measures only 2mm × 2mm × 0.65mm. To evaluate the device under various conditions, it is also supported by the OPT3002EVM ambient light sensor evaluation module. This device features a small form factor module based on two PCBs (a data acquisition board and test board), includes intuitive GUI software, and is designed with 100mil-spaced test points for easy experimentation with external controllers.