STMicroelectronics X-NUCLEO-53L7A1 Multizone Ranging Sensor User Guide

Quick Start Guide
Time-of-Flight 8×8 multizone ranging sensor with 90° FoV VL53L7CX expansion board for
STM32 Nucleo

October 2022

Hardware Overview

VL53L7CX – 8×8 multizone ranging sensor with 90° FoV
X-NUCLEO-53L7A1 Hardware Description

• The X-NUCLEO-53L7A1 is a 8×8 multizone ranging sensor with 90° FoV and development board designed around the VL53L7CX sensor based on ST FlightSense™ patented technology
• The VL53L7CX communicates with the STM32 Nucleo developer board host microcontroller through an I C link available on the Arduino UNO R3 connector.

Key Products on board
VL53L7CX 8×8 multizone ranging sensor with 90° FoV
0.25, 0.5 and 1mm spacers to simulate air gaps, with the cover glasses

Breakout boards
SATEL-VL53L7CX breakout boards can be purchased separately

Latest info available at www.st.com
X-NUCLEO-53L7A1

Order Code: X-NUCLEO-53L7A1

• X-NUCLEO-53L7A1 expansion board
  • VL53L7CX devices in custom applications can be integrated with expansion board, or external VL53L7CX breakout.
  • The breakout boards are delivered separately.

• X-NUCLEO-53L7A1 is also available as a NUCLEO Pack (P-NUCLEO-53L7A1)
  • The X-NUCLEO-53L7A1 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-53L7A1: X-NUCLEO-53L7A1 expansion board and NUCLEO- F401RE full features board.

• VL53L7CX breakout boards can be ordered separately
  • Order code: SATEL-VL53L7CX
  • The pack carry two breakout boards

Time-of-Flight sensors Software Environment
STM32Cube Software Overview

X-CUBE-TOF1 software description

• The X-CUBE-TOF1 software package is a STM32Cube expansion for the expansion boards of the Time-of- Flight product family (including the X-NUCLEO-53L7A1) 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-53L7A1) plugged on top of an STM32 Nucleo development board (NUCLEO- F401RE or NUCLEO-L476RG).

Key features

• Driver layer (VL53L7CX ULD) for complete management of the VL53L7CX High accuracy ranging sensor integrated in the X-NUCLEO-53L7A1 expansion board.
• Easy portability across different MCU families, thanks to STM32Cube.
• Free, user-friendly license terms.
• Sample code for ranging measurement.

Setup & Demo Examples

HW prerequisites

• 1x High accuracy ToF sensor expansion board based on VL53L7CX (X-NUCLEO-53L7A1).
• 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-53L7A1):
  • X-NUCLEO-53L7A1 expansion board and NUCLEO-F401RE full features board delivered together.

SW prerequisites

• STSW-IMG036: Ultra Lite Driver (ULD) for VL53L7CX
• STSW-IMG037: P-NUCLEO-53L7A1 Graphical User Interface (GUI) on Windows 7 and 10
• STSW-IMG038: Linux driver for VL53L7CX
• 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\53L7A1\53L7A1_SimpleRanging.

NUCLEO Kit driver installation

VL53L7CX GUI software installation

GUI is generally the first and easy tool to evaluate the device

• Perform HW installation and connect the VL53L7CX expansion board + Nucleo F401RE to the PC
• Install the GUI SW for VL53L7CX Demo and configuration settings
• STSW-IMG037, 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 VL53L7CX
• 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-53L7A1) to the PC
• Install the X-CUBE-TOF1 SW package
  • X-CUBE-TOF1 rev 3.2.0 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\53L7A1\53L7A1_SimpleRanging

X-CUBE software package contents: API SW + SW examples

VL53L7CX – 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 (How to use the VL53L7CX with STMicroelectronics’ X-CUBE-TOF1 Time-of-Flight sensor software packages for STM32CubeMX) that can be found on st.com

VL53L7CX – 8×8 multizone ranging sensor with 90° FoV
Start programming with code examples using X-CUBE-TOF1 and a NUCLEO Pack
Follow the instructions from the UM3108 (How to use the VL53L7CX with STMicroelectronics’ X-CUBE-TOF1 Time-of-Flight sensor software packages for STM32CubeMX) that can be found on st.com

Documents & Related Resources

All documents are available in the Documentation tab of the related products webpage
X-NUCLEO-53L7A1:

• Data Brief DB4808: Time-of-Flight 8×8 multizone ranging sensor with 90° FoV expansion board based on the VL53L7CX for STM32 Nucleo
• User Manual UM3067: Getting started with X-NUCLEO-53L7A1 High accuracy Time-of-Flight sensor based on the VL53L7CX for STM32 Nucleo
• X-NUCLEO-53L7A1 SCHEMATICS
• X-NUCLEO-53L7A1 GERBER

P-NUCLEO-53L7A1:

• Data Brief DB4871: VL53L7CX Nucleo pack with X-NUCLEO-53L7A1 expansion board and STM32F401RE Nucleo board

SATEL-VL53L7CX:

• Data Brief DB4809: VL53L7CX breakout board High accuracy Time-of-Flight Sensor
• SATEL-VL53L7CX SCHEMATIC
• SATEL-VL53L7CX 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

VL53L7CX:

• Datasheet DS13865: Time-of-Flight 8×8 multizone ranging sensor with 90° FoV
• Data Brief DB4796: Time-of-Flight 8×8 multizone ranging sensor with 90° FoV

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 Open Development Environment: Overview

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.
The 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.

STM32 Open Development Environment: 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.

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