High performance ToF sensing

Time-of-Flight sensors from ams are based on a proprietary SPAD (Single Photon Avalanche Photodiode) pixel design and time-to-digital converters (TDCs) which have an extremely narrow pulse width. They can measure in real time the direct time-of-flight of a VCSEL (laser) emitter’s infrared ray reflected from an object. 

This low-power Time-of-Flight sensing technology from ams enables host systems to measure distances accurately and at very high speed. Accurate distance measurements are used in various applications including presence detection, user face recognition and advanced cameras.
 

Find out more about our Time-of-Flight sensor TMF8801 with 945nm integrated IR VCSEL in a 2.2mm x 3.6mm x 1.0mm optical module 1.8V I²C and recommended operating distances of 2-250 cm.

Read more about our Time-of-Flight sensor TMF8701 with 940nm integrated IR VCSEL in a 2.2mm x 3.6mm x 1.0mm optical module 1.8V I²C and recommended operating distances of 60cm.

Histogram-based architecture and smart algorithms

Thanks to sophisticated histogram data and smart software algorithms developed by ams, its ToF sensors:

  • are able to detect and cancel out the effect of cover glass
  • are immune to smudges and to crosstalk caused by reflections from the cover glass
  • accommodate a large air gap
  • maintain accurate distance detection independent of the object’s color, reflectivity and texture
  • can measure the distance from multiple objects in the field of view
Time of Flight Histogram