Light & color
Measuring light level, capturing spectral color and detecting UV are three different jobs. The difference shows up in the output signal, not just the part number.
CdS photoresistors, I2C lux sensors like VEML7700 and TSL2591, multi-channel spectral sensors, UV detectors and TCS-series color sensors — about 80 listings for anything that responds to photons.
- Simple ambient light: CdS photoresistors give a rough analog reading through a voltage divider; ALS-PT19 and TEMT6000 are faster analog sensors; BH1750, VEML7700 and TSL2591 (high dynamic range, 600M:1 range) return calibrated lux over I2C.
- Color and spectral sensors go further — TCS3430 and TCS34725 return X/Y/Z or RGB values; AS7341 covers 11 visible channels; AS7262 and AS7343 add near-IR; OPT4048 gives CIE XYZ and lux from a single chip.
- UV measurement splits by band: VEML6075 covers UVA and UVB with a UV index output; LTR390 adds separate UVA and UV channels; AS7331 and ML8511 target UVA/UVB/UVC ranges; all are I2C except the analog ML8511.
- Proximity and gesture live here when they're light-based: VCNL4020/VCNL4040/VCNL4200 combine IR proximity with lux; APDS9960 adds RGB and gesture detection on the same I2C address.
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Swap guidanceCan I swap these?
Pick the board you have - we'll show what we know about swapping it.
Known swap options (1)
General board checks (5)
- Decide whether the design needs brightness only, color classification or calibrated color measurement.
- Match the interface: analog divider for a photoresistor, digital frequency/counting plus control pins for a TCS3200 module.
- Check supply voltage, logic level, pull-down/divider resistor value, onboard illumination and physical viewing distance.
- Plan for calibration if color or repeatable thresholds matter.
- Use the linked product page or guide as the final authority before production.
