The Sharp distance sensor is a great way to add obstacle avoidance to your robot or motion sensing to any other project. With a detection range of 4” to 32” and an analog voltage indicating the distance, this sensor is very easy to use.

The Sharp distance sensor is a popular choice for many projects that require accurate distance measurements. This IR sensor is more economical than sonar rangefinders, yet it provides much better performance than other IR alternatives. Interfacing to most microcontrollers is straightforward: the single analog output can be connected to an analog-to-digital converter for taking distance measurements, or the output can be connected to a comparator for threshold detection. The detection range is approximately 10 cm to 80 cm (4" to 32"); the distance-to-output voltage graph is shown below.

The distance sensor uses a 3-pin JST connector that we do not carry; however, it is simple to solder three wires to the sensor where the connector pins are mounted. The three connections are power, ground, and the output signal.

Feature summary

• 4.5 V to 5.5 V operating voltage
• 30 mA average current consumption
• 10 cm to 80 cm range (4" to 32")
• 1.9 V output voltage change over distance range