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Arduino Nano 33 Sense Rev2- APDS9960 Proximity sensor

What is APDS9960 Proximity sensor?

The APDS-9960 is a compact, multifunction digital sensor used for gesture recognition, proximity sensing, ambient light measurement, and RGB color detection. It is widely used in mobile devices, wearables, robotics, and Arduino/embedded projects. Know more.

Feature APDS-9960 HC-SR04
Sensor type Optical — IR-based (proximity, gesture, RGB, ambient light) Ultrasonic — sound pulse echo distance sensor
Primary function Proximity & gesture detection; color & ambient light sensing Distance measurement (range to an object)
Range ≈ 0–10 cm (proximity); gesture ~10–20 cm depending on conditions ≈ 2–400 cm (typical; best accuracy within ~2–200 cm)
Accuracy Low–medium (suitable for presence/gesture, not precise distance) Medium–high for distance (depends on surface and environment)
Interface I²C (digital) Digital Trigger / Echo pins (pulse timing)
Supply voltage 3.3 V (common) 5 V (often needs level shifting for 3.3 V MCUs)
Environment sensitivity Affected by ambient IR/lighting and target reflectivity (dark/absorbent surfaces reduce response) Unaffected by ambient light; affected by soft/porous or angled surfaces that absorb/deflect sound
Best use cases Touchless gesture controls, near-field presence detection, color sensing, auto-brightness Distance measurement, obstacle avoidance, simple robotics navigation
Extra features Gesture recognition, RGB color sensing, ambient light sensor None — dedicated to distance measurement
Typical cost Moderate Very low

Library

To use this code you will need the Arduino_APDS9960 library.

We have a tutorial on how to install a library here.

Getting started - Proximity

To detect rotations and speed.

#include <Arduino_APDS9960.h>

int ledState = LOW;

unsigned long previousMillis = 0;

const long intervalLong = 1000;
const long intervalMed = 500;
const long intervalShort = 100;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  while (!Serial);

  if (!APDS.begin()) {
    Serial.println("Error initializing APDS9960 sensor!");
  }

  // set the LEDs pins as outputs
  pinMode(LEDR, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(LEDG, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(LEDB, OUTPUT);

  // turn all the LEDs off
  digitalWrite(LEDR, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(LEDG, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(LEDB, HIGH);
}

void loop() {
  unsigned long currentMillis = millis();

  // check if a proximity reading is available
  if (APDS.proximityAvailable()) {
    // read the proximity
    // - 0   => close
    // - 255 => far
    // - -1  => error
    int proximity = APDS.readProximity();

    if (proximity > 150) {
      if (currentMillis - previousMillis >= intervalLong) {
        previousMillis = currentMillis;

        // if the LED is off turn it on and vice-versa:
        if (ledState == LOW) {
          ledState = HIGH;
        } else {
          ledState = LOW;
        }

        // set the green LED with the ledState of the variable and turn off the rest
        digitalWrite(LEDG, ledState);
        digitalWrite(LEDR, HIGH);
        digitalWrite(LEDB, HIGH);
      }
    }

    else if(proximity > 50 && proximity <= 150){
      if (currentMillis - previousMillis >= intervalMed) {
        previousMillis = currentMillis;

        // if the LED is off turn it on and vice-versa:
        if (ledState == LOW) {
          ledState = HIGH;
        } else {
          ledState = LOW;
        }

        // set the blue LED with the ledState of the variable and turn off the rest
        digitalWrite(LEDB, ledState);
        digitalWrite(LEDR, HIGH);
        digitalWrite(LEDG, HIGH);
      }
    }

    else {
      if (currentMillis - previousMillis >= intervalShort) {
        previousMillis = currentMillis;

        // if the LED is off turn it on and vice-versa:
        if (ledState == LOW) {
          ledState = HIGH;
        } else {
          ledState = LOW;
        }

        // set the blue LED with the ledState of the variable and turn off the rest
        digitalWrite(LEDR, ledState);
        digitalWrite(LEDB, HIGH);
        digitalWrite(LEDG, HIGH);
      }
    }

    // print value to the Serial Monitor
    Serial.println(proximity);
  }
}

Getting started - Colour Detection

#include <Arduino_APDS9960.h>

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  while (!Serial);

  if (!APDS.begin()) {
    Serial.println("Error initializing APDS9960 sensor.");
  }
}

void loop() {

  // check if a color reading is available
  while (! APDS.colorAvailable()) {
    delay(5);
  }
  int r, g, b;

  // read the color
  APDS.readColor(r, g, b);

  if (r > g & r > b)
  {
    digitalWrite(LEDR, LOW);
    digitalWrite(LEDG, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(LEDB, HIGH);
  }
  else if (g > r & g > b)
  {
    digitalWrite(LEDG, LOW);
    digitalWrite(LEDR, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(LEDB, HIGH);
  }
  else if (b > g & b > r)
  {
    digitalWrite(LEDB, LOW);
    digitalWrite(LEDR, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(LEDG, HIGH);
  }
  else
  {
    digitalWrite(LEDR, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(LEDG, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(LEDB, HIGH);
  }


  // print the values
  Serial.print("Red light = ");
  Serial.println(r);
  Serial.print("Green light = ");
  Serial.println(g);
  Serial.print("Blue light = ");
  Serial.println(b);
  Serial.println();

  // wait a bit before reading again
  delay(500);
}
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