Getting started with X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 long distance ranging and multi target
ToF sensor expansion board based on VL53L1 for STM32 Nucleo
Introduction
This document provides detailed hardware information on the X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board. This expansion board is
compatible with the STM32 Nucleo family and the Arduino™ electronic boards. It is designed around the VL53L1 long distance
ranging sensor with multi target detection, and is based on the ST patented FlightSense technology.
To allow the user to validate the VL53L1 in an environment as close as possible to its final application, the X-NUCLEO-53L1A2
expansion board is delivered with a holder in which three different height spacers of 0.25 mm, 0.5 mm, and 1 mm can be fitted
with the cover glass above the spacer. The height spacers are used to simulate different air gap distances between the VL53L1
sensor and the cover glass.
The X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board is delivered with two VL53L1 breakout boards.
UM2759 - Rev 1 - September 2020
For further information contact your local STMicroelectronics sales office.
The X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board features the VL53L1 long distance ranging sensor with multi target
detection, based on ST’s FlightSense, Time-of-Flight (ToF) technology.
It is compatible with the STM32 Nucleo development board family, and with the Arduino UNO R3 connector
layout.
Several ST expansion boards can be stacked through the Arduino connectors, which allows, for example, the
development of VL53L1 applications with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi interfaces.
The X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board is delivered with:
•Three spacers of 0.25 mm, 0.5 mm, and 1 mm height, used to simulate different air gaps between the
VL53L1 and the cover glass.
•Two cover windows to simulate the integration of the VL53L1 into the customer’s final product.
•Two VL53L1 breakout boards which can be plugged onto the X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board or
connected through flying wires to the X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board.
•Two 10-pin connectors to enable the customer to connect the two breakout boards onto the XNUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board.
Note:The VL53L1 is delivered with a liner to prevent potential foreign material from penetrating inside the module
holes during the assembly process. This liner must be removed at the latest possible step during final assembly,
before module calibration.
Table 1. Ordering information
Order code
X-NUCLEO-53L1A2STM32 Nucleo expansion board - spacers and glass - two breakout boards
Description
UM2759 - Rev 1
page 3/18
2Document references
DescriptionDocId
VL53L1 datasheetDS11786
X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 data briefDB4214
P-NUCLEO-53L1A2 data briefDB4261
X-CUBE-53L1A2 data briefDB4252
UM2759
Document references
Table 2. Document references
UM2759 - Rev 1
page 4/18
3X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board
VL53L1
VL53L1
VL53L1
This section describes the X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board features and provides useful information for
understanding the electrical characteristics.
The board allows the user to test the VL53L1 functionality, to program it and to understand how to develop an
application using the VL53L1. It integrates:
•2.8 V regulator to supply the VL53L1
•Level translators to adapt the I/O level to the main board of the microcontroller
•Arduino UNO R3 connectors
•Optional VL53L1 breakout board connectors
•Solder drops to allow different configurations of the expansion board
It is fundamental to program a microcontroller to control the VL53L1 through the I2C bus. The application software
and an example of the C-ANSI source code are available on www.st.com/VL53L1.
The X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board and STM32 Nucleo development board are connected through the
Arduino UNO R3 connectors CN5, CN6, CN8, and CN9 as shown in Figure 3. X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion
board connector layout and as described in Table 3. Left Arduino connector and Table 4. Right Arduino connector.
The X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 must be plugged onto the STM32 Nucleo development board through the Arduino UNO
R3 connectors.
1. Depends on STM32 Nucleo board solder bridges, see details in Section: Solder drop configurations. These interrupt signals
are duplicated, but not used. This offers hardware connection flexibility in case of conflict on the MCU interface
management when the expansion board is used superimposed with other expansion boards. In this case, remove the solder
drop from the used interrupt and instead, fit the solder drop in “NC”.
UM2759 - Rev 1
page 7/18
Table 4. Right Arduino connector
UM2759
Description
CN numberVL53L1 boardPin numberPin nameMCU pin
X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion
board function
SCL10D15PB8I2C1_SCL
SDA9D14PB9I2C1_SDA
8NCAVDDNot used
Gnd7GndGndGnd
6INT_LPA5
CN5 digital
5NCPA6
4NCPA7
Not used
3NCPB6
GPIO1_L2INT_LPC7By default not used, interrupt
GPIO1_L1INT_LPA9
signal from optional VL53L1 left
breakout board
(1)
8NCPA8
7NCPB10
Not used
6NCPB4
By default not used, interrupt
signal from optional VL53L1 right
breakout board
(1)
CN9 digital
5INT_RPB5
4NCPB3Not used
By default not used, interrupt
3INT_RPA10
2NCPA2
1NCPA3
signal from optional VL53L1 right
breakout board
(1)
Not used
1. These interrupt signals are duplicated, but not used by default. This offers hardware connection of the breakout board
VL53L1 interrupt signals and flexibility in case of conflict on the MCU interface management when the expansion board is
used superimposed with other expansion boards. In this case, select, through a solder drop, the MCU port which is free.
U3, U9TXS0108PWRTIFor all signals except I2C interface
U24ST2329AQTRSTFor I2C interface
C10100 nFSupply decoupling capacitor
R454.7 kPush button pull up
R461 kOutput pull up
R60Delay time setting (def = 10 ms)
PB1Push button
U22TPS3838K33TISupervisory circuit
C14, C15100 nFSupply decoupling capacitor
UM2759
List of materials
Table 5. List of materials
VL53L1 application
Supply voltage decoupling
VL53L1 breakout board interfaces
Left breakout board interrupt output
pull up
Left breakout board reset input pull
up
Right breakout board reset input pull
up
Right breakout board interrupt
output pull up
2.8 V regulator application
Feedback resistor bridge to set the
output voltage to 2.8 V
Level translator application
3.3 V decoupling capacitor
Add-on feature
GPIO expander
UM2759 - Rev 1
page 10/18
3.4Solder drop configurations
Solder drops allow the following configurations of the X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board:
•If the developer wants to make an application with several expansion boards stacked and there is:
–conflict with the microcontroller port allocation, the GPIO1 can be output on the CN8/A4 (U17 fitted) of
the Arduino connector. The default configuration is that GPIO1 is output on the CN8/A2 (U14 fitted) of
the Arduino connector.
–conflict on the I2C addresses, the addresses of the STMPE1600 can be modified (the default
addresses are A2, A1, A0, 000, and 001).
•If the developer wants to connect breakout boards (see Figure 5. Interrupt configurations) to the XNUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board:
–the VL53L1 interrupt of the left breakout board can be output on the CN5/D9 (U10 fitted) or CN5/D8
(U11 fitted) of the Arduino connector. By default, the U10 and U11 are not fitted.
–the VL53L1 interrupt of the right breakout board can be output on the CN9/D4 (U15 fitted) or CN9/D2
(U18 fitted) of the Arduino connector. By default, the U15 and U18 are not fitted.
–the VL53L1 interrupt of the left and right breakout boards, GPIO1_L and GPIO1_R, can be shared with
the VL53L1 interrupt on the main board, GPIO1, by fitting U7 and U8 solder drops. By default U7 and
U8 are not fitted.
UM2759
Solder drop configurations
Figure 5. Interrupt configurations
UM2759 - Rev 1
page 11/18
3.5Integrated device pinning
STMPE1600
A2
A1 INT VCC SDA SCL
24123 22 21 20 19
GPIO_0
GPIO_1
GPIO_2
GPIO_3
GPIO_4
GPIO_5
217
316
415
514
613
789 10 11 12
GPIO_6
A1
Input:output 1. Referenced to VCCA
VCCA
A-port supply voltage
A2
Input:output 2. Referenced to VCCA
A3
Input:output 3. Referenced to VCCA
A4
Input:output 4. Referenced to VCCA
A5
Input:output 5. Referenced to VCCA
A6
Input:output 6. Referenced to VCCA
A7
Input:output 7. Referenced to VCCA
A8
Input:output 8. Referenced to VCCA
OE
3-state output-mode enable
GPIO_7
GND
GPIO_8
Figure 6. Integrated device pinning
LD39050PUR
12EN
GND
3PG4 V
B1
20
VCCB
19
B2
18
B3
17
B4
16
B5
15
B6
14
B7
13
B8
12
GND
11
I/O
I/O
VL1
VL2
B1
VCCB
B2
B3
B4
B5
B6
B7
B8
GND
GPIO_9
GPIO_10
18
A0
GPIO_15
GPIO_14
GPIO_13
GPIO_12
GPIO_11
TOP VIEWS
TXS0108EPWR
A1
VCCA
A2
A3
A4
A5
A6
A7
A8
OE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Integrated device pinning
TPS3838
65V
IN
ADJ
OUT
ST2329A
VL VCC
1019
2
2OE7 GND
10 9
NC NC
Input:output 1. Referenced to VCCB
B-port supply voltage
Input:output 2. Referenced to VCCB
Input:output 3. Referenced to VCCB
Input:output 4. Referenced to VCCB
Input:output 5. Referenced to VCCB
Input:output 6. Referenced to VCCB
Input:output 7. Referenced to VCCB
Input:output 8. Referenced to VCCB
Ground
12CT
GND
3MR4 RESET
87I/O
VCC1
I/O
VCC2
5 V
UM2759
DD
UM2759 - Rev 1
page 12/18
4VL53L1 breakout board
VL53L1 breakout board
VL53L1
VL53L1
VL53L1 mini PCB
The VL53L1 breakout boards are supplied at 2.8 V by the regulator present on the X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion
board.
UM2759
VL53L1 breakout board
Figure 7. VL53L1 breakout board
The VL53L1 breakout board can be directly plugged onto the X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board through the
two 10-pin connectors or connected to the board through flying leads.
When connected through flying leads, developers should break off the mini PCB from the breakout board, and
use only the VL53L1 mini PCB which is easier to integrate into customer devices, because of its small size.
Figure 8. VL53L1 breakout board schematic
UM2759 - Rev 1
page 13/18
UM2759
VL53L1 breakout board
Figure 9. VL53L1 mini PCB flying lead connection to X-NUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board
UM2759 - Rev 1
page 14/18
5Safety
5.1Electrostatic precaution
The user should exercise electrostatic precautions, including using ground straps when using the XNUCLEO-53L1A2 expansion board. Failure to prevent electrostatic discharge could damage the device.
5.2Laser considerations
The VL53L1 contains a laser emitter and corresponding drive circuitry. The laser output is designed to remain
within Class 1 laser safety limits under all reasonably foreseeable conditions including single faults, in compliance
with the IEC 60825-1:2014 (third edition). The laser output remains within Class 1 limits as long as
STMicroelectronic’s recommended device settings are used and the operating conditions specified in the
datasheet are respected. The laser output power must not be increased by any means and no optics should be
used with the intention of focusing the laser beam.
STMicroelectronics NV and its subsidiaries (“ST”) reserve the right to make changes, corrections, enhancements, modifications, and improvements to ST
products and/or to this document at any time without notice. Purchasers should obtain the latest relevant information on ST products before placing orders. ST
products are sold pursuant to ST’s terms and conditions of sale in place at the time of order acknowledgement.
Purchasers are solely responsible for the choice, selection, and use of ST products and ST assumes no liability for application assistance or the design of
Purchasers’ products.
No license, express or implied, to any intellectual property right is granted by ST herein.
Resale of ST products with provisions different from the information set forth herein shall void any warranty granted by ST for such product.
ST and the ST logo are trademarks of ST. For additional information about ST trademarks, please refer to www.st.com/trademarks. All other product or service
names are the property of their respective owners.
Information in this document supersedes and replaces information previously supplied in any prior versions of this document.