Adafruit AS7341 10-Channel Light / Color Sensor Breakout – STEMMA QT/Qwiic

The Adafruit AS7341 10-Channel Light / Color Sensor Breakout – STEMMA QT/Qwiic is a multi-channel spectrometer, which is a special type of light sensor that is able to detect not only the amount of light present but also the amounts of light within different wavelengths. This means that you can use it to detect much better than the human eye is capable of, what color or colors of light is present.

The AS7341 packs within its 3x2mm footprint 16 different sensors that can detect 8 separate, overlapping bands of colored light. As if that weren’t enough, it also includes sensors for white light as well as Near Infra-red light, and even sensors made specifically for detecting light flicker at specific frequencies from things like indoor lighting.

The super-human color measuring capabilities of the AS7341 can be used to quantify the specific makeup of whatever interesting colors you can point it at, and can do so with more accuracy and specificity than a well-trained artist.

This is possible thanks to the impressive collection of sensors in the AS7341 being routed through a 16-bit 6-channel ADC that takes the raw measurements and converts them to digital values that can be read out over I2C.

11 readable individual sensor elements (10 light channels plus flicker detection) don’t exactly fit through a 6-channel ADC all at once, so the chip includes a so-called Super MUX (SMUX) that allows you to route the signal from any sensor to an ADC channel. Now that’s some super multiplexing! The sensor also has GPIO and interrupt pins that can allow it to communicate directly with other sensors, or the microcontroller itself.

All of this capability is made accessible by mounting the sensor on a STEMMA QT form factor breakout board, complete with level shifting circuitry and SparkFun Qwiic compatible Stemma QT connectors. This means that you can, without needing to solder, connect our AS7341 breakout into your 3.3V or 5V microcontroller of choice be it an Arduino Uno, Raspberry Pi, or one of the many CircuitPython-compatible boards.

Applications:

1. High-precision reflective color point and spectral measurements.
2. Fluid color, turbidity, or reagent-based constituent analysis.
3. Spectral power distribution and passive ambient CCT measurement for home and building automation.
4. High-end display color management.

Useful link:

Technical details of Adafruit AS7341 10-Channel Light / Color Sensor Breakout

Features: 

1. Precision color, spectral composition, and distribution measurements
2. 8 optical channels distributed over the visible spectral range + clear and NIR channels realized via silicon nano optic interference filter deposition technologies.
3. Low power consumption and efficient I²C communication.
4. Integrated ambient light flicker detection on-chip and light source detection through the NIR channel.
5. Electronic shutter/trigger and synch control.
6. GPIO can be used as an external trigger input or light source synchronization output.
7. External photodiodes to expand detection range.
8. GPIO can be used as input for external photodiodes including a mid-IR range.

Package Includes:

1 x Adafruit AS7341 10-Channel Light / Color Sensor Breakout – STEMMA QT/Qwiic