PMW3901 Optical Flow Sensor Breakout

The PMW3901 Optical Flow Sensor Breakout is a specialized sensor designed to detect motion of surfaces from approximately 80mm to infinity. Ideal for DIY drone builds, this sensor uses a low-resolution camera combined with advanced algorithms to detect motion, making it useful for measuring displacement or drift correction.

This breakout board includes two white LEDs for illumination and operates at a frame rate of 121 FPS. It supports SPI interface, works with both 3.3V and 5V logic levels, and features reverse polarity protection. Compatible with all Raspberry Pi and Arduino models, it can be used solder-free with the Breakout Garden HAT with SPI.

Features:

• PMW3901 optical flow sensor
• Two white LEDs for illumination
• Frame rate: 121 FPS
• Speed: 7.4 rad/s
• Field of view: 42°
• Range: ~80mm to infinity
• Typical current draw: 6mA
• SPI interface
• Compatible with 3.3V or 5V systems
• Reverse polarity protection
• Compatible with Raspberry Pi and Arduino
• Python library available for easy interfacing

Technical Specifications:

• Dimensions: 24 x 24 x 5 mm

Connectivity:

When not using the Breakout Garden HAT with SPI, connect to Raspberry Pi GPIO pins using SPI with BCM numbering for CS (7), SCK (11), MOSI (10), MISO (9), INT (19), along with power and ground.

Software Support:

Pimoroni provides a Python library to facilitate reading x/y motion values and magnitude quickly and easily.