ST VL53L8CX Expansion Board User Guide
- June 12, 2024
- ST
Table of Contents
VL53L8CX Expansion Board
Quick Start Guide
Low-power high-performance 8×8 multizone Time of-Flight sensor VL53L8CX
expansion board for STM32 Nucleo
May 2023 STM32 Open
Development
Environment
Hardware Overview
Order Code: X-NUCLEO-53L8A1
X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 Hardware Description
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The X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 is low-power high performance 8×8 multizone Time-of-Flight sensor and development board designed around the VL53L8CX sensor based on ST FlightSense™ patented technology
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The VL53L8CX communicates with the STM32 Nucleo developer board host microcontroller through an I 2 C or SPI link available on the Arduino UNO R3 connector.
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X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 expansion board
- VL53L8CX devices in custom applications can be integrated with expansion board, or external VL53L8CX breakout.
- The breakout boards are delivered separately.
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X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 is also available as a NUCLEO Pack (P-NUCLEO-53L8A1)
- The X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 expansion board can also be ordered on www.st.com as part of a NUCLEO Pack with expansion board and STM32 NUCLEO board.
- Order code: P-NUCLEO-53L8A1:
X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 expansion board and NUCLEO-F401RE full features board.
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VL53L8CX breakout boards can be ordered separately
- Order code: SATEL-VL53L8
- The pack carry two breakout boards
Time-of-Flight sensors Software Environment STM32Cube Software Overview
X
-CUBE-TOF1 software description
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The X-CUBE-TOF1 software package is a STM32Cube expansion for the expansion boards of the Time-ofFlight product family (including the X-NUCLEO-53L8A1) for STM32. The source code is based on STM32Cube to ease portability and code sharing across different STM32 MCU families. A sample implementation is available for the STM32 Nucleo ranging sensor expansion board (X-NUCLEO-53L8A1) plugged on top of an STM32 Nucleo development board (NUCLEOF401RE or NUCLEO-L476RG).
Key features -
Driver layer (VL53L8CX ULD) for complete management of the VL53L8CX sensor integrated in the X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 expansion board.
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Easy portability across different MCU families, thanks to STM32Cube.
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Free, user-friendly license terms.
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Sample code for ranging measurement.
Setup & Demo Examples
HW prerequisites
- 1x High accuracy ToF sensor expansion board based on VL53L8CX (X-NUCLEO-53L8A1).
- 1x STM32 Nucleo development board (NUCLEO-F401RE for example)
- 1x Laptop/PC with Windows
- 1x USB type A to Mini-B USB cable
- If you don’t have an STM32 Nucleo development board, you can order a Nucleo pack (P-NUCLEO-53L8A1):
- X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 expansion board and NUCLEO-F401RE full features board delivered together.
- STSW-IMG040: Ultra Lite Driver (ULD) for VL53L8CX
- STSW-IMG041: Graphical User Interface (GUI) on Windows 7 and 10
- STSW-IMG042: Linux driver for VL53L8CX
- X-CUBE-TOF1: Time-of-Flight sensors software expansion for STM32Cube.
- When you install the X-CUBE-TOF1 the installer install also the directory containing the example projects here for instance :
- C:\Users\
\STM32Cube\Repository\Packs\STMicroelectronics\X-CUBE-TOF1\ \Projects\NUCLEOF401RE\Examples\53L8A1\53L8A1_SimpleRanging.
NUCLEO Kit driver installation
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Connect the P-NUCLEO to the PC through USB
• Wait for the board to be recognized; the drivers are installed automatically)
• If Windows cannot install automatically the STLINK driver, please follow step 2 -
Install the PC USB port driver to detect the Nucleo board
• Download STSW-LINK009 from www.st.com
• Unzip and double click on “stlink_winusb_install.bat” to install the driver
VL53L8CX GUI software installation
GUI is generally the first and easy tool to evaluate the device
- Perform HW installation and connect the X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 expansion board + Nucleo F401RE to the PC
- Install the GUI SW for VL53L8CX Demo and configuration settings
- STSW-IMG041, downloaded from www.st.com
- Run the installer with Admin privileges
The Graphical User Interface can:
- Perform the offset and Xtalk calibration and visualize calibration data
- Change key parameters of VL53L8CX
- Display real time the data (distance, signal, ambient rate)
- Get data logging and replay a datalog (.csv file)
X-CUBE-TOF1 software installation
- Perform HW installation and connect the NUCLEO kit ( P-NUCLEO-53L8A1) to the PC
- Install the X-CUBE-TOF1 SW package
- X-CUBE-TOF1 rev 3.0 or newer, downloaded from www.st.com
- The X-CUBE-TOF1 is installed through STM32CubeMx, manage software installation section.
- Once the X-CUBE-TOF1 is installed. Go to
- C:\Users\
\STM32Cube\Repository\Packs\STMicroelectronics\X-CUBE-TOF1\ \Projects\NUCLEO-F401RE\Examples\53L8A1\53L8A1_SimpleRanging
X-CUBE software package contents: API SW + SW examples
VL53L8CX – 8×8 multizone ranging sensor with 90° FoV
Evaluation code example (.bin) using X-CUBE-TOF1 and a NUCLEO Pack
Follow the instructions from the UM3108 (Getting started with
the STMicroelectronics X-CUBE-TOF1, Time-of-Flight sensors, software package
for STM32CubeMX) that can be found on st.com
Start programming with code examples using X-CUBE-TOF1 and a NUCLEO
Pack
Open project example for Simple Ranging And modify, build application SW
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Same folders exist for Threshold
Detection projects -
Same folders exist for L476RG board
Documents & Related Resources
All documents are available in the Documentation tab of the related products webpage
X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 :
- Data Brief DB4921 : Time-of-Flight expansion board based on the VL53L8 series for STM32 Nucleo
- User Manual UM3120 : Getting started with the X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 Time-of-Flight expansion board based on the VL53L8 series for STM32 Nucleo
- X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 SCHEMATIC
- X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 GERBER
P-NUCLEO-53L8A1 :
- Data Brief DB4958 : STM32 Nucleo pack with X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 expansion board and NUCLEO-F401RE development board
SATEL-VL53L8 :
- Data Brief DB4924 : Breakout board based on the VL53L8 series Time-of-Flight sensors
- SATEL-VL53L8 SCHEMATIC
- SATEL-VL53L8 GERBER
X-CUBE-TOF1 : Software package for STM32Cube
- Data Brief DB4449: Time-of-Flight sensors software expansion for STM32Cube
- User Manual UM3108: Getting started with the STMicroelectronics X-CUBE-TOF1, Time-of-Flight sensors, software package for STM32CubeMX
VL53L8CX :
- Datasheet DS14161: Low-power high-performance 8×8 multizone Time-of-Flight sensor
- Data Brief DB4884: Low-power high-performance 8×8 multizone Time-of-Flight sensor
STSW-IMG036 :
- Data Brief DB4810: Ultra lite driver (ULD) application programming interface (API) for the VL53L7CX Time-of-Flight 8×8 multizone ranging sensor with 90° FoV
STSW-IMG037 :
- Data Brief DB4811: P-NUCLEO-53L7A1 pack graphical user interface (GUI)
STM32 ODE Ecosystem
FAST, AFFORDABLE PROTOTYPING AND DEVELOPMENT
The STM32 Open Development Environment (ODE) is an open, flexible, easy and
affordable way to develop innovative devices and applications based on the
STM32 32-bit microcontroller family combined with other state-of-the-art ST
components connected via expansion boards. It enables fast prototyping with
leading-edge components that can quickly be transformed into final designs.
he STM32 ODE includes the following five elements:
-
* STM32 Nucleo development boards. A comprehensive range of affordable development boards for allSTM32 microcontroller series, with unlimited unified expansion capability, and with integrated debugger/programmer- STM32 Nucleo expansion boards. Boards with additional functionality to add sensing, control, connectivity, power, audio or other functions as needed. The expansion boards are plugged on top of the STM32 Nucleo development boards. More complex functionalities can be achieved by stacking additional expansion boards
- STM32Cube software. A set of free-of-charge tools and embedded software bricks to enable fast and easy development on the STM32, including a Hardware Abstraction Layer, middleware and the STM32CubeMX PC-based configurator and code generator
- STM32Cube expansion software. Expansion software provided free of charge for use with STM32 Nucleo expansion boards, and compatible with the STM32Cube software framework
- STM32Cube Function Packs. Set of function examples for some of the most common application cases built by leveraging the modularity and interoperability of STM32 Nucleo development boards and expansions, with STM32Cube software and expansions.
The STM32 Open Development Environment is compatible with a wide range of development environments including STM32CubeIDE, IAR EWARM, Keil MDK-ARM, and GCC/LLVM-based IDEs, with the possibility to integrate the various components such as STM32CubeMX, STM32CubeProgrammer or STM32CubeMonitor.
all that you need
The combination of a broad range of expandable boards based
on leading-edge commercial products and modular software, from driver to
application level, enables fast prototyping of ideas that can be smoothly
transformed into final designs.
To start your design:
- Choose the appropriate STM32 Nucleo development board (NUCLEO) and expansion (X-NUCLEO) boards (sensors, connectivity, audio, motor control etc.) for the functionality you need.
- Select your development environment (IAR EWARM, Keil MDK and GCC/LLVM-based IDEs) and use the free STM32Cube tools and software such as STM32CubeMX, STM32CubeProgrammer, STM32CubeMonitor or STM32CubeIDE.
- Download all the necessary software to run the functionality on the selected STM32 Nucleo expansion boards.
- Compile your design and upload it to the STM32 Nucleo development board.
- Then start developing and testing your application.
Software developed on the STM32 Open Development Environment prototyping hardware can be directly used in an advanced prototyping board or in an end product design using the same commercial ST components, or components from the same family as those found on the STM32 Nucleo boards.
References
- P-NUCLEO-53L8A1 - STM32 Nucleo pack with X-NUCLEO-53L8A1 expansion board and NUCLEO-F401RE development board - STMicroelectronics
- SATEL-VL53L8 - Breakout board based on the VL53L8 series Time-of-Flight sensors - STMicroelectronics
- VL53L8CX - Low-power high-performance 8x8 multizone Time-of-Flight sensor (ToF) - STMicroelectronics
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