Ambient light measurement with analog and digital sensors from ROHM

Building on the success with the advanced Ambient Light Sensors BH1600FVC and BH1700FVC ROHM has created enhanced types featuring even higher measurement accuracies.

BH1603FVC analogue output type Ambient Light Sensor comes in a 1.6 X 3.0mm 6-pin SMD package. The output current is highly proportional to the ambient light intensity from around 0.1lx up to and above 65000lx.

This new type offers the wider supply voltage range of 2.4V to 5.5V. To match the output current min-max range to the application designers can pre-set the integrated current amplifier in 3 levels, low, medium and high. This reduces the need for external parts to one small resistor.

BH1715FVC digital output version comes in the same package as the analogue type. The ambient light measurement results are internally converted to digital values with a 16bit resolution and can be read out via standard or fast mode I²C bus. Measurement is possible between just 1lx and up to even 65535lx.

The BH1603FVC and BH1715FVC have a well optimized spectral responses, near to the human eyes response. Compared to most other sensors in the market, its output values are very well balanced to the light intensities of various – quite different – light sources (e.g. incandescent vs. fluorescent, etc.). The temperature and supply voltage dependencies are minimal.

In order to eliminate any need for an in-production calibration at our customers, ROHM have now found a new method to reduce the sensitivity variation of this semiconductor sensor to a very low tolerance of +-15% as maximum.

All these features contribute to a highly cost efficient design as well as production and provide a maximum of device performance.

For more information, or details on the full range of ROHM products available from Anglia, please call +44 (0)1945 474747 or email info@anglia.com

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This news article was originally published in November 2008.