ESP32 VL53L0X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor

Code Examples

Below you can find code examples of VL53L0X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor with ESP32 in several frameworks:

• Arduino IDE
• ESP-IDF
• ESPHome
• PlatformIO
• MicroPython

ESP32 VL53L0X Arduino IDE Code Example

Example in Arduino IDE

Fill in your main Arduino IDE sketch file with the following code to use the VL53L0X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor:

#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_VL53L0X.h>

Adafruit_VL53L0X lox = Adafruit_VL53L0X();

void setup() {
    Serial.begin(115200);
    Wire.begin();

    if (!lox.begin()) {
        Serial.println("Failed to initialize VL53L0X! Check connections.");
        while (1);
    }
    Serial.println("VL53L0X Initialized.");
}

void loop() {
    VL53L0X_RangingMeasurementData_t measure;
    lox.rangingTest(&measure, false);

    if (measure.RangeStatus != 4) { // Status 4 means no object detected
        Serial.print("Distance: ");
        Serial.print(measure.RangeMilliMeter);
        Serial.println(" mm");
    } else {
        Serial.println("Out of range.");
    }

    delay(500);
}

This Arduino code demonstrates how to use the VL53L0X sensor with the Adafruit library. It initializes the sensor using the lox.begin() method. In the loop(), the rangingTest() method measures the distance to an object in millimeters, which is printed to the Serial Monitor every 500 ms. If no object is detected or the object is out of range, a corresponding message is displayed. The I2C protocol facilitates communication with the sensor.

Connect your ESP32 to your computer via a USB cable, Ensure the correct Board and Port are selected under Tools, Click the "Upload" button in the Arduino IDE to compile and upload the code to your ESP32.

ESP32 VL53L0X ESP-IDF Code Example

Example in Espressif IoT Framework (ESP-IDF)

If you're using ESP-IDF to work with the VL53L0X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor, here's how you can set it up and read data from the sensor. Fill in this code in the main ESP-IDF file:

#include <stdio.h>
#include "driver/i2c.h"
#include "esp_log.h"

#define I2C_MASTER_NUM I2C_NUM_0
#define I2C_MASTER_SDA_IO 21
#define I2C_MASTER_SCL_IO 22
#define I2C_MASTER_FREQ_HZ 100000
#define VL53L0X_ADDR 0x29

static const char *TAG = "VL53L0X";

void app_main() {
    i2c_config_t i2c_config = {
        .mode = I2C_MODE_MASTER,
        .sda_io_num = I2C_MASTER_SDA_IO,
        .scl_io_num = I2C_MASTER_SCL_IO,
        .sda_pullup_en = GPIO_PULLUP_ENABLE,
        .scl_pullup_en = GPIO_PULLUP_ENABLE,
        .master.clk_speed = I2C_MASTER_FREQ_HZ,
    };
    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(i2c_param_config(I2C_MASTER_NUM, &i2c_config));
    ESP_ERROR_CHECK(i2c_driver_install(I2C_MASTER_NUM, I2C_MODE_MASTER, 0, 0, 0));

    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "VL53L0X initialized.");
    while (1) {
        // Placeholder for distance measurement implementation
        ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Reading distance...");
        vTaskDelay(500 / portTICK_PERIOD_MS);
    }
}

This ESP-IDF example configures the VL53L0X sensor for use with I2C. The I2C_MASTER_NUM defines the I2C port, and GPIO21 and GPIO22 are used as the SDA and SCL lines. While the provided code sets up the I2C communication, additional functions for sending measurement commands and reading data from the VL53L0X would need to be implemented to perform distance measurements. The example demonstrates how to initialize the sensor and prepare for measurements.

Update the I2C pins (I2C_MASTER_SDA_IO and I2C_MASTER_SCL_IO) to match your ESP32 hardware setup, Use idf.py build to compile the project, Use idf.py flash to upload the code to your ESP32.

ESP32 VL53L0X ESPHome Code Example

Example in ESPHome (Home Assistant)

Fill in this configuration in your ESPHome YAML configuration file (example.yml) to integrate the VL53L0X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor

sensor:
  - platform: vl53l0x
    name: "VL53L0X Distance"
    update_interval: 500ms

This ESPHome configuration uses the vl53l0x platform to interface with the sensor. The sensor's name, 'VL53L0X Distance,' makes it easily identifiable in home automation platforms like Home Assistant. The update_interval of 500 ms ensures frequent updates for applications requiring real-time distance measurements.

Upload this code to your ESP32 using the ESPHome dashboard or the esphome run command.

ESP32 VL53L0X PlatformIO Code Example

Example in PlatformIO Framework

For PlatformIO, make sure to configure the platformio.ini file with the appropriate environment and libraries, and then proceed with the code.

Configure platformio.ini

First, your platformio.ini should look like below. You might need to include some libraries as shown. Make sure to change the board to your ESP32:

[env:esp32dev]
platform = espressif32
board = esp32dev
framework = arduino
lib_deps = 
    adafruit/Adafruit VL53L0X @ ^1.2.0
monitor_speed = 115200

ESP32 VL53L0X PlatformIO Example Code

Write this code in your PlatformIO project under the src/main.cpp file to use the VL53L0X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor:

#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_VL53L0X.h>

Adafruit_VL53L0X lox = Adafruit_VL53L0X();

void setup() {
    Serial.begin(115200);
    Wire.begin();

    if (!lox.begin()) {
        Serial.println("Failed to initialize VL53L0X! Check connections.");
        while (1);
    }
    Serial.println("VL53L0X Initialized.");
}

void loop() {
    VL53L0X_RangingMeasurementData_t measure;
    lox.rangingTest(&measure, false);

    if (measure.RangeStatus != 4) { // Status 4 means no object detected
        Serial.print("Distance: ");
        Serial.print(measure.RangeMilliMeter);
        Serial.println(" mm");
    } else {
        Serial.println("Out of range.");
    }

    delay(500);
}

The PlatformIO code uses the Adafruit VL53L0X library to interface with the sensor. After initializing I2C communication with Wire.begin(), the sensor is configured using lox.begin(). The rangingTest() function retrieves distance measurements in millimeters, which are printed to the Serial Monitor every 500 ms. A status check ensures meaningful data is displayed, and the code gracefully handles 'out of range' cases.

Upload the code to your ESP32 using the PlatformIO "Upload" button in your IDE or the pio run --target upload command.

ESP32 VL53L0X MicroPython Code Example

Example in Micro Python Framework

Fill in this script in your MicroPython main.py file (main.py) to integrate the VL53L0X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor with your ESP32.

from machine import I2C, Pin
from vl53l0x import VL53L0X

# Initialize I2C (SDA=21, SCL=22)
i2c = I2C(0, scl=Pin(22), sda=Pin(21))

# Initialize VL53L0X sensor
sensor = VL53L0X(i2c)

print("VL53L0X Distance Sensor Example")

while True:
    distance = sensor.read()  # Distance in mm
    print("Distance: {} mm".format(distance))
    time.sleep(0.5)

This MicroPython script uses the VL53L0X library to interface with the sensor. The I2C pins (GPIO21 for SDA and GPIO22 for SCL) are initialized first. The sensor object is created, and the read() method is called in a loop to fetch distance measurements in millimeters. The measurements are displayed on the console every 500 ms. The library simplifies communication with the sensor, handling low-level I2C details internally.

Upload this code to your ESP32 using a MicroPython-compatible IDE, such as Thonny, uPyCraft, or tools like ampy.