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Time-of-Flight ModuleTime-of-Flight (ToF) sensors manufactured by Broadcom's Industrial Fiber Optic Division (IFPD) are fully integrated Class 1 laser eye safety modules incorporating a laser light source, a detector array and signal processing. They are offered in a number of variants suitable for unambiguous operation from 1.5cm to 100m with ambient light suppression of 100kLux.

 

AFBR-S50 Series ToF modules combine a red or near-infrared (NIR) Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) with a custom Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) developed specifically for Correlation ToF - also known as Continuous Wave ToF (CW-ToF) or Indirect ToF (i-ToF).

 

Broadcom ToF modules are optimised for applications requiring high performance with attractive pricing, including:-

 

  • Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Guided Vehicles (AGVs)
  • HMI proximity sensing
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) / Drone
  • Pedestrian and traffic control
  • Dry material and liquid fill level monitoring
  • Stereo camera validation
  • Factory Automation and Logistics

 

The ToF sensors are offered as 5 modules based on a common architecture - each suited to a particular range and field of view (FOV):-

 

  AFBR-S50MV85G AFBR-S50LV85D AFBR-S50LX85D AFBR-S50MV68B AFBR-S50MV85I AFBR-S50MX85I
Typical Operating
Range
10mm to 10m 10mm to 30m  50mm to 50m 10mm to 10m 10mm to 3m 10mm to 6m 
Laser
Wavelength
850nm (IR) 850nm (IR) 850nm (IR) 680nm (Red) 850nm (IR) 850nm (IR)
Spot size
@ 1m
7cm dia. 3.5cm dia. 3.5cm dia. 0.7cm dia. 23 x 10.5 cm² 23 x 10.5 cm²
Illuminated
Pixels
7-16 of 32AFBR-S50MV85G pixels 1-2 of 32AFBR-S50LV85D pixels 1-2 of 32AFBR-S50LX85D pixels 1 of 32AFBR-S50MV68B pixels 32AFBR50MV85I pixels 32AFBR50MV85I pixels
Sensor FOV 4° x 4° 2° x 2° 2° x 2° 0.4° x 0.4° 12.4° x 5.4° 12.4° x 5.4°
Typical
Applications

Range
Direction
1D/3D speed

Range
1D speed

Long range
1D speed

Range
1D speed
Visible spot

Range
Direction
1D/3D speed
Gesture recognition
Collision, void, overhang avoidance

Range
Direction
1D/3D speed
Gesture recognition
Collision, void, overhang avoidance 

 

The video below demonstrates key features and benefits of the AFBR-S50 series sensors when used in UAVs/drones along with examples of other applications:-

 

 

Broadcom publish a number of application notes to help users get the most from the modules:-

 

download pdf Application Note: Time-of-Flight basics
download pdf Quick Start Guide: AFBR-S50 ToF sensor family evaluation kit
download pdf User Guide: AFBR-S50 ToF sensor evaluation kit
download pdf Software Development Kit release notes
download pdf ToF Module reference design

 

For information on our range of Time-of-Flight sensor modules please go to the product and support pages using the links or Contact Us.