New proximity sensor offers low power consumption in compact SMD package The Optoelectronics group of Vishay Intertechnology has introduced a new fully integrated proximity sensor to improve efficiency and performance in consumer and industrial applications. Offering a VCSEL, the Vishay Semiconductors VCNL36825T consolidates a photodiode, signal processing IC, and 12-bit ADC in a compact 2mm x 1.25mm x 0.5mm surface-mount package with a small 1.6mm light hole. As compared to previous-generation devices, this new proximity sensor provides a 76% smaller package, while its decreased light hole opening offers increased design flexibility — all at a lower cost. The device's small size makes it excellent for space-constrained battery-powered applications, such as detecting if users are wearing or not wearing true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones or VR/AR headsets. With a range of 200mm, it also offers collision detection in toys, consumer and industrial robots. The proximity sensor provides low power consumption down to 6.63μA to increase efficiency in these applications.