OSRAM's SFH 5701 compact, IC-based, surface-mount (SMT) ALS is based on a sensitive photodiode with built-in thermal compensation and built-in, dark-current suppression. The built-in compensations help deliver a linear photocurrent output at any operating temperature. They also allow an increase of the operational dynamic range to six decades or the illumination range from very dark 0.05 lx to 10,000 lx. These qualities make this light sensor extremely versatile and easy in their application without the need of an I²C interface. The filter perfectly resembles the human eye sensitivity at an outstanding interference rejection (IR) to provide ultra-high fidelity to the actual light-level perceived by humans.

In applications where an I²C interface is not mandatory, the SFH 5701 delivers similar data quality without the need to integrate a software driver, poses no limits in the number of devices in one system, and does not limit designs in the length of the wire from the microcontroller to the ALS. It is ideal for applications where the programming environment allows the microcontroller to access the ALS at its own will. The small photodiode size makes it ultra-price competitive for many applications as well.

These benefits are available in an automotive approved SMT package (SFH 5701 A01) with a product qualification test plan based on the guidelines of AEC-Q101-REV-C stress test qualification for automotive grade discrete semiconductors. Typical automotive applications are dashboard backlighting regulation and head-lamp controls.