Adafruit
Ultrasonic Distance Sensor with I2C Interface - RCWL-1601
This ultrasonic distance sensor uses I2C communication instead of the traditional trigger/pulse interface, making it easy to integrate with microcontrollers ...
This ultrasonic distance sensor uses I2C communication instead of the traditional trigger/pulse interface, making it easy to integrate with microcontrollers and microcomputers that lack fast GPIO or hardware UART. It works with both 3.3V and 5V power and logic, so it's compatible with virtually any development platform.
The sensor measures distances from approximately 2cm to 450cm, with best results in the 10–250cm range. The I2C interface is straightforward — write a '1' to start ranging, wait a few milliseconds, then read 3 bytes for the distance in micrometres.
Key Features
- I2C Interface – Simple read/write protocol on address 0x57
- 3.3V and 5V Compatible – Works with any logic level
- Wide Range – 2cm to 450cm (best results 10–250cm)
- Low Cost – Affordable ultrasonic sensing
- Pull-Up Resistors Included – Two 10K resistors for breadboard wiring
Specifications
- Model: RCWL-1601
- Interface: I2C (address 0x57, fixed)
- Operating Voltage: 3.3–5V
- Range: ~2cm to 450cm
- Output: Distance in micrometres (3-byte response)
- Pin Order (L→R): Power, SCL, SDA, Ground
Ideal For
- Robotics obstacle detection
- Interactive art installations
- Automation and proximity sensing
- Projects without available UART or fast GPIO
Package Contents
- 1× RCWL-1601 Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (I2C)
- 2× 10K Pull-Up Resistors
Resources
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- GPIO
- General-purpose input/output pins are microcontroller pins you can set in software to read signals, switch devices on and off, or connect to peripherals. The number of GPIO pins matters because it limits how many buttons, LEDs, sensors, and other parts you can wire directly to the board.
- I2C
- I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
- UART
- UART is a simple serial connection that sends data over separate transmit and receive wires, often labelled TX and RX. It matters because this module is designed to replace a wired UART cable with a wireless link while keeping the same serial data format.
- ultrasonic sensing
- Ultrasonic sensing uses high-frequency sound waves to estimate distance to nearby objects. For a robot kit, this helps with obstacle avoidance and simple navigation activities.
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