VL53L1X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor
Measures distance using time-of-flight laser ranging. Range of 40mm to 4 meters with ±3% accuracy.
Say it to PAL
“Tell me when something comes within 50 cm.”
The code PAL writes
p.onSensorChange('qwiic-vl53l1x', 'distance', (dist) => {
if (dist < 500) p.notify('Object at ' + dist + 'mm');
});
await p.waitUntilStopped();When to pick it
Default distance sensor. Laser time-of-flight, accurate up to 4 meters with multiple range modes. Good for presence detection, fill-level monitoring, gesture zones.
Good to know
- Doesn't work through glass — the laser passes through and measures whatever is behind it.
- Very dark or shiny surfaces absorb/scatter the laser, reducing range significantly.
- Direct sunlight interferes with the infrared laser. Shield the sensor if using outdoors.
- Narrow field of view (~27°) — measures a small spot, not a wide area.
About it
A Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser distance sensor that provides millimeter-resolution measurements from 40mm to 4 meters. Works in various ambient light conditions. Common applications include presence detection, liquid level sensing, robotics obstacle avoidance, and occupancy counting.
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 VL53L1X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor answers at I2C address 0x29. Its address can be changed in software.
Current
20 mA
The catalog lists a typical draw of 20 mA for the Distance Sensor, copied from the maker’s description and not measured by Palpable.
Board size
25.4 × 17.78 mm
The Distance Sensor 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.
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 26, 2026.