OPT4048 Tri-Stimulus Color Sensor
High-precision tristimulus color sensor measuring lux, CIE chromaticity (x,y), and correlated color temperature (CCT). Matches human eye color perception.
Say it to PAL
“How warm or cool is the light in here?”
The code PAL writes
const cct = await p.read('qwiic-opt4048', 'cct');
p.log(`Color temperature: ${cct}K`);“Tell me when the light looks like daylight.”
The code PAL writes
p.onSensorChange('qwiic-opt4048', 'cct', (cct) => {
if (cct >= 5000 && cct <= 6500) p.notify('Daylight quality light detected');
});
await p.waitUntilStopped();When to pick it
Use when color accuracy matters — display calibration, tunable white lighting, circadian rhythm monitoring. Measures CCT (Kelvin) and CIE chromaticity natively. Choose over simple lux sensors when color/temperature of light is important.
Good to know
- CIE coordinates require ambient light — readings in darkness are noise.
About it
The OPT4048 is a tri-stimulus XYZ color sensor designed to closely match the CIE 1931 color-matching functions, mimicking human eye perception. It outputs lux, CIE x/y chromaticity coordinates, and correlated color temperature (CCT) in Kelvin. Ideal for display calibration, lighting design, color-critical applications, and tunable white lighting systems. Four configurable I2C addresses allow up to 4 sensors on one bus.
Where to buy
Facts
Tested
It is in our catalog, but nobody has checked it on a real board. It may not work yet. Its driver is written, but it has not been tested on hardware yet.
I2C address
The OPT4048 Tri-Stimulus Color Sensor answers at I2C address 0x44. A jumper or pin moves it to 0x45 or 0x46 or 0x47.
Current
300 µA
The catalog lists a typical draw of 300 µA for the OPT4048, copied from the maker’s description and not measured by Palpable.
Board size
25.4 × 17.78 mm
The OPT4048 board measures 25.4 × 17.78 mm and stands 4.6 mm tall with its parts. It has 4 mounting holes. These dimensions are from the maker’s mechanical drawing.
Chip
OPT4048
Its sensor is the Texas Instruments OPT4048.
Free to reuse
Every fact here is open data under CC BY 4.0. Copy it into your own docs or code, and credit Palpable. Download it
This record was last changed on October 6, 2026.