TSL2561 Light Sensor

TSL2561

amssensor light distance

The TSL2561 is a digital light sensor that converts light intensity into a digital signal. It features a 16-bit output, programmable gain, and integration time, with an I2C interface for easy integration into microcontrollers.

Manufacturer datasheet

Buy · DigiKey Buy · Mouser Buy · Amazon

In stock

Specifications

Operating Voltage: 2.7 V
Operating Voltage: 3.6 V
Interface: I2C
Resolution: 16-Bit
I2c Clock Speed: 400 kHz
Active Supply Current: 0.75 mW
Power Down Supply Current: 3.2 uA
Temperature Range: -30 °C
Temperature Range: 70 °C

Pinout

Pin	Name	Functions	Notes
1	VDD	POWER	Supply voltage
2	ADDR SEL	GPIO	Address select pin
3	GND	GND	Power supply ground
4	SCL	I2C	Serial clock input
5	INT	GPIO	Interrupt output, open drain
6	SDA	I2C	Serial data I/O

Interactive pinout

Highlight:

TSL2561

Click a pin to copy its name · tap a tag above to spotlight a bus.

Starter code

Community starter examples — minimal, unofficial, and provided to get you wiring fast. Verify against the manufacturer datasheet before relying on them.

Arduino (C++)

Arduino library: Adafruit TSL2561 (+ Adafruit Unified Sensor)

arduino

// TSL2561 light sensor (lux) over I2C — community starter example
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_Sensor.h>
#include <Adafruit_TSL2561_U.h>

Adafruit_TSL2561_Unified tsl(TSL2561_ADDR_FLOAT, 12345);

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  if (!tsl.begin()) { Serial.println("TSL2561 not found"); while (1) delay(10); }
  tsl.enableAutoRange(true);
  tsl.setIntegrationTime(TSL2561_INTEGRATIONTIME_101MS);
}

void loop() {
  sensors_event_t event;
  tsl.getEvent(&event);
  if (event.light) { Serial.print(event.light); Serial.println(" lx"); }
  delay(1000);
}

MicroPython

MicroPython library: tsl2561 (driver port)

python

# TSL2561 (ESP32) — community starter example
# driver: a TSL2561 MicroPython port
from machine import Pin, I2C
import tsl2561, time

i2c = I2C(0, scl=Pin(22), sda=Pin(21))
sensor = tsl2561.TSL2561(i2c)

while True:
    print(sensor.read(), "lx")
    time.sleep(1)

Wiring

Pin	Arduino Uno R3	ESP32 DevKitC (WROOM-32)	Notes
VCC	+5V	3V3	Breakout 3-5 V safe
GND	GND	GND
SCL	A5/SCL	GPIO22	I2C clock
SDA	A4/SDA	GPIO21	I2C data

Typical uses

Wide-range light measurement (lux)
Light metering for cameras/displays