APDS-9960 gesture sensor: specs and pinout
Optical sensor chip with proximity, ambient light, RGB colour and gesture detection over an I2C interface.
Specs
| Spec | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Supply voltage (VDD) | 2.4 V to 3.6 V (typical 3.0 V) | source Operating conditions table |
| Absolute maximum VDD | 3.8 V | source Absolute maximum ratings |
| LED supply (VLEDA) | 3.0 V to 4.5 V | source Operating conditions table |
| Operating ambient temperature | -30 °C to 85 °C | source Operating conditions table |
| I2C speed | Up to 400 kHz (I2C fast mode compatible) | source Features, I2C-bus interface |
| I2C address | 0x39 (7-bit, single slave address) | source I2C interface section |
| SCL/SDA input high (VIH) | 1.26 V minimum, VDD maximum | source DC characteristics table |
| SCL/SDA input low (VIL) | 0.54 V maximum | source DC characteristics table |
| Package | L 3.94 mm x W 2.36 mm x H 1.35 mm | source Features |
Power
| Value | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Supply | VDD 2.4 V to 3.6 V (typical 3.0 V); VLEDA 3.0 V to 4.5 V for the IR LED | source Operating characteristics table |
| Current | 200 µA to 250 µA in active ALS state at VDD = 3 V (row as printed in the datasheet) | source Operating characteristics table |
Chip pins
These are the pins of the chip on the module, from the chip datasheet. The module's own header may label or expose them differently. Module header labels (VCC, GND, SDA, SCL…) come from the Compoden listing, not an official module schematic.
| Pin | Function | Voltage | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDA (pin 1) | I2C serial data I/O terminal | Input max 3.8 V (absolute maximum); VIH max = VDD; not 5 V tolerant | source I/O Pins Configuration table | |
| INT (pin 2) | Interrupt output, open drain, active low | Output max 3.8 V (absolute maximum) | source I/O Pins Configuration table | |
| LDR (pin 3) | LED driver input for the proximity IR LED (constant-current source) | source I/O Pins Configuration table | ||
| LEDK (pin 4) | LED cathode: connect to the LDR pin when using the internal LED driver | source I/O Pins Configuration table | ||
| LEDA (pin 5) | LED anode: connect to VLEDA on the PCB | 3.0 V to 4.5 V (VLEDA) | source I/O Pins Configuration table | |
| GND (pin 6) | Power supply ground; all voltages are referenced to GND | source I/O Pins Configuration table | ||
| SCL (pin 7) | I2C serial clock input | Input max 3.8 V (absolute maximum); VIH max = VDD; not 5 V tolerant | source I/O Pins Configuration table | |
| VDD (pin 8) | Power supply voltage | 2.4 V to 3.6 V (typical 3.0 V); absolute maximum 3.8 V | source I/O Pins Configuration table |
Common mistakes
- Connecting 5 V to VDD, SDA or SCL: absolute maximum VDD is 3.8 V, and the SCL/SDA high-level input is referenced to VDD (source)
- Using an I2C address other than 0x39: the datasheet specifies a single address, 0x39 (source)
- Supplying the IR LED outside 3.0 V to 4.5 V: VLEDA is specified at 3.0 V to 4.5 V (source)
What we could not confirm
- Gesture detection range (listing 10 cm), ambient light range (listing 0 to 20,000 lux) and similar range claims are not in this datasheet and are omitted.
- 5 V tolerance is not stated in the datasheet and is not claimed. Any regulator on a module is board-level and not covered.
- The IDD row's min and typical split is unclear in the datasheet table, so the current is given as printed.
- Pinout is excluded.
- Pin rows are the APDS-9960 chip's 8 pins. The listing's VCC '(or 5V with the regulator)' claim is a module-level statement and is not supported by the chip datasheet (VDD max 3.8 V, SCL/SDA VIH max = VDD); do not feed 5 V to the module's I2C lines without a level shifter.
Sources
- Broadcom APDS-9960 datasheet AV02-4191EN (official): link.
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