VL53L5CX Register description

[PBoer.1]

I just started working with VL53L5CX but can't find details on the commands/registers. I had a look to the example code and can use it but I can only guess what the different settings send via i2c to the firmware will do. I also studied the different pdfs provided on the related website but also found only general descriptions what is possible and what the different functions are doing. Where can I find a more detailed description for the firmware?

[John E KVAM]

The L5 as we call it really doesn't have any registers. It's a full blown MCU. In fact, during the init of the chip an 80K program is downloaded to get the sensor running.

We use the 'register' concept to communicate, because it fits the I2C protocol.

The bad news is you need to do the download, but the good news is that we can continue to tweak the features of the sensor.

We tried to make the API as flexible as we could and as easy to understand so you would not be tempted to demand a register map.

But as the chip software and the API are a matched set, you really are kind of stuck with using the ST API.

If you have questions as to what is going on, I'll do my best to help.

• john

[PBoer.1]

I just wrote a simple ranging test based on the examples. Two questions came up.

1. The status for the measurement in each cell is either 5 or 255. According to what I read 255 means the value is not correct/uncertain e.g. because it's looking to empty space and no refelection takes place. And it looks like 5 means it is an acceptable value. Is this correct?
2. In the example code it is stated that it can be checked if values are available by polling or by using the INT signal. Does this mean that after a measurement is done the INT will be raised to high/low. With an osciloscope I can't see any signal. I also tested this with example 9 which uses thresholds. But also here I can't see any signal.

[PBoer.1]

Ok, the signal is now available. The internal pull-up was not activated.