STMicroelectronics P-NUCLEO-53L5A1

Overview

P-NUCLEO-53L5A1 from STMicroelectronics is a complete evaluation kit comprising the X-NUCLEO-53L5A1 expansion board with VL53L5CX 8×8 multizone Time-of-Flight sensor and the NUCLEO-F401RE STM32F401RE development board. It delivers up to 4 m ranging per zone at 60 Hz, 63° diagonal FoV, Class 1 laser safety compliance, Arduino Uno R3 connectivity, and full GUI-enabled software stack.

For engineers reviewing the P-NUCLEO-53L5A1 datasheet, P-NUCLEO-53L5A1 pinout, P-NUCLEO-53L5A1 application, or P-NUCLEO-53L5A1 equivalent, this kit enables rapid prototyping of multizone distance sensing in robotics navigation, gesture-aware UIs, occupancy monitoring, and industrial presence detection - all with validated firmware, hardware interconnect diagrams, and breakout-ready satellite headers.

Technical Context

The kit integrates two tightly coupled subsystems: the VL53L5CX sensor on the X-NUCLEO-53L5A1 board uses SPAD array + DOE + infrared filtering for ambient-light-robust 8×8 zone ranging, while the NUCLEO-F401RE (Cortex-M4, 84 MHz, 512 KB Flash) provides real-time control, USB-based programming, and GUI communication via virtual COM port. Both boards connect through standardized Arduino UNO R3 headers (CN5/CN6/CN8/CN9), enabling deterministic I²C and GPIO signal routing.

Software support includes ST's X-CUBE-TOF1 middleware, HAL drivers, and a Windows/Linux GUI that visualizes real-time zone maps, histograms, and confidence metrics - all built on ST's patented histogram processing engine that suppresses cover-glass crosstalk beyond 60 cm and enables multi-object separation within the FoV.

Key Specifications

Availability

P-NUCLEO-53L5A1 is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for robotics navigation, smart building occupancy sensing, industrial machine presence detection, and human-machine interface prototyping requiring stable component supply and production-ready firmware integration.

Supply support for P-NUCLEO-53L5A1 includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

STMicroelectronics is a global semiconductor leader headquartered in Geneva, designing and manufacturing microcontrollers, sensors, power ICs, and analog/mixed-signal devices for industrial, automotive, and consumer applications.

This kit belongs to ST's Nucleo ecosystem - a family of low-cost, community-supported development platforms designed to accelerate proof-of-concept and firmware validation for ST's sensor and MCU portfolios.

FAQ

Does P-NUCLEO-53L5A1 require external power or is it USB-powered?

It is fully USB-powered via the NUCLEO-F401RE board's Micro-USB connector. The onboard 3.3 V regulator on the X-NUCLEO-53L5A1 supplies the VL53L5CX sensor directly; no external power supply or voltage translation is needed for basic operation or GUI communication.

Can the VL53L5CX's field of view be adjusted in software?

Yes - the 63° diagonal FoV can be digitally reduced via firmware configuration to focus on specific sub-regions (e.g., 4×4 or 2×2 zones), trading resolution for longer effective range or lower power consumption per measurement cycle.

Are the two VL53L5CX-SATEL breakout boards included in the kit?

Yes - the P-NUCLEO-53L5A1 pack includes two VL53L5CX-SATEL breakout boards, each featuring the same VL53L5CX sensor plus supporting circuitry, and they connect directly to the X-NUCLEO-53L5A1's satellite headers for multi-sensor synchronization.

Is GUI software compatible with Linux or only Windows?

The official STSW-IMG027 GUI software supports both Windows and Linux (64-bit). It communicates over CDC ACM virtual COM port, displays real-time zone distance matrices, histogram plots, and allows parameter tuning including timing budget, inter-measurement period, and ROI selection.