IR sensors calculate colour temperature

The new VEML3328 (top-looking) and VEML3328SL (side-looking) sensors offer better linearity and higher sensitivity compared to previous generation devices, as well as new features including an infrared (IR) channel.

The sensors sense red, green, blue, clear, and IR light by incorporating photodiodes, amplifiers, and analogue / digital circuits into a single CMOS chip.

With the ability to calculate colour temperature and sense ambient light, the devices offer a compact solution for adjusting backlighting in consumer electronics and notebook computers.

They can also help to differentiate indoor from outdoor lighting environments to ensure that displays maintain consistent true colour and ideal brightness levels based on the current environment lighting conditions.

In addition to digital camera and TV applications, the VEML3328 and VEML3328SL will also be used in various industrial and consumer applications where their excellent temperature compensation capability will keep the sensors' output stable under changing temperatures.

The sensors' built-in ambient light photodiode offers extremely high sensitivity, allowing the devices to operate in applications with dark lens designs.

A programmable analogue gain and integration time function, as well as the additional IR channel, allow designers to tailor the VEML3328 and VEML3328SL to their applications.

The sensors' functions are easily operated via the simple and power-efficient I²C (SMBus compatible) interface protocol. The devices feature a low operating voltage range of 2.6V to 3.6V to help prolong battery life in handheld and portable systems.