JSL400 Laser Distance Measuring Sensor (UART with 115.2kbps)

Meet our laser distance sensor capable of measuring distances up to 400 cm with millimeter-level resolution.

The Pinpoint features a narrow beam angle for precise target detection and operates at a 50 Hz sampling rate.

Communication with a microcontroller is handled via UART, using a simple and efficient 4-byte communication protocol.

Technical Features

• 5V working voltage
• 10mA working current (15mA Peak)
• UART 115.2kbps Output (Suitable for Arduino and other MCUs)
• Narrow sensing angle: ±3 degree.
• Weight: 1.3 gram
• Dimensions are: 9.1mm x 7.5mm x 7.5mm (Connector not included to dimensions, you can dowload Cad file for full dimension check)

Sensor Operating Principle

The sensor can be enabled or disabled via UART commands. To enable the sensor, a specific UART command sequence must be transmitted.

Start UART Value (6 Byte Send)

0x5A 0x0A 0x02 0x02 0x00 0xF1

Stop Uart Value (6 Byte Send)

0x5A 0x0A 0x02 0x00 0x00 0xF3

Once enabled, the sensor continuously outputs measurement data. Each data frame consists of 4 bytes:

• Byte 1: Frame Header (It is fixed to 0x5C)
• Byte 2: Distance Low value Byte (LSB)
• Byte 3: Distance High Value Byte (MSB) (Byte 2 and Byte 3 Combined distance measurement in millimeters)
• Byte 4: Checksum byte used for data integrity verification

We can name each variable as: rxBuffer[0] rxBuffer[1] rxBuffer[2] rxBuffer[3]

Coming Uart Value Example:

5C 18 05 E2 (Upcoming Byte values are hexadecimal)

Distance= (0x05 << 8) | 0x18 = 1304mm // Bitwise Operation 

Decimal(0x05)*256 + Decimal(18) = 1304mm

The sensor continuously transmits these 4-byte data frames while operating.

C Code:

int distance_mm = (rxBuffer[2] << 8) | rxBuffer[1];
uint8 checksum = (~(rxBuffer[1] + rxBuffer[2])); 

Typical Applications of JSL400 Laser Sensor

• Autonomous Sumo Robots
• Micromouse / Maze Solving Robots
• Educational and Research Robotics Projects
• Distance Measurement and Obstacle Detection Systems

Thanks to its laser infrared operating principle, the sensor can detect targets regardless of their color or surface angle. This allows for consistent and reliable measurements across a wide variety of objects and materials.

For sumo robots, this feature is particularly useful for measuring and tracking the distance to an opponent, helping the robot make more accurate movement and engagement decisions during a match.

You can download the CAD file below by clicking the image.