Improve security and efficiency in your daily life with Si1153 and STM32L496AG
Seamless proximity sensing: The key to smarter interaction
Published Jul 22, 2025
Click board™
Proximity 13 Click
Dev. board
Discovery kit with STM32L496AG MCU
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
STM32L496AG
Experience the magic of proximity sensing, a gateway to a world where convenience and innovation coexist
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Hardware Overview
How does it work?
Proximity 13 Click is based on the Si1153, a touchless sensor IC from Silicon Labs that includes dual 23-bit analog-to-digital converters, an integrated high-sensitivity array of visible and infrared photodiodes, a digital signal processor, and three integrated LED drivers with programmable drive levels. The photodiode response and associated digital conversion circuitry provide excellent immunity to artificial light flicker noise and natural light flutter noise. By default, the measurement parameters are optimized for indoor ambient light levels, where it is possible to detect low light levels. For operation under direct sunlight, the ADC can be programmed to operate in a high signal operation so that it is possible to measure direct sunlight without overflowing. The Proximity 13 click is capable of measuring visible and infrared light. However, the visible photodiode is also influenced by infrared light. The measurement of illuminance requires the same spectral response as the human
eye. If an accurate lux measurement is desired, the extra IR response of the visible-light photodiode must be compensated. Therefore, to allow the host to make corrections to the infrared light’s influence, SI1153-AB09-GMR reports the infrared light measurement on a separate channel. The separate visible and IR photodiodes lend themselves to a variety of algorithmic solutions. The host can then take these two measurements and run an algorithm to derive an equivalent lux level as perceived by a human eye. Having the IR correction algorithm running in the host allows for the most flexibility in adjusting for system-dependent variables. For example, if the glass used in the system blocks visible light more than infrared light, the IR correction needs to be adjusted. Over distances of less than 50 cm, the dual-port active reflection proximity detector has significant advantages over single-port, motion-based infrared systems, which are only good for triggered events. Motion-based infrared detectors
identify objects within proximity, but only if they are moving. Single-port motion-based infrared systems are ambiguous about stationary objects even if they are within the proximity field. The Proximity 13 click can reliably detect an object entering or exiting a specified proximity field, even if the object is not moving or is moving very slowly. However, beyond about 30–50 cm, even with good optical isolation, single-port signal processing may be required due to static reflections from nearby objects, such as tables, walls, etc. If motion detection is acceptable, the SI1153-AB09-GMR can achieve ranges of up to 50 cm, through a single product window. Since the three infrared LEDs are placed in an L-shaped configuration, it is possible to triangulate an object within the three-dimensional proximity field. Thus, a touchless user interface can be implemented with the aid of host software.
Features overview
Development board
The 32L496GDISCOVERY Discovery kit serves as a comprehensive demonstration and development platform for the STM32L496AG microcontroller, featuring an Arm® Cortex®-M4 core. Designed for applications that demand a balance of high performance, advanced graphics, and ultra-low power consumption, this kit enables seamless prototyping for a wide range of embedded solutions. With its innovative energy-efficient
architecture, the STM32L496AG integrates extended RAM and the Chrom-ART Accelerator, enhancing graphics performance while maintaining low power consumption. This makes the kit particularly well-suited for applications involving audio processing, graphical user interfaces, and real-time data acquisition, where energy efficiency is a key requirement. For ease of development, the board includes an onboard ST-LINK/V2-1
debugger/programmer, providing a seamless out-of-the-box experience for loading, debugging, and testing applications without requiring additional hardware. The combination of low power features, enhanced memory capabilities, and built-in debugging tools makes the 32L496GDISCOVERY kit an ideal choice for prototyping advanced embedded systems with state-of-the-art energy efficiency.
Microcontroller Overview
MCU Card / MCU
Architecture
ARM Cortex-M4
MCU Memory (KB)
1024
Silicon Vendor
STMicroelectronics
Pin count
169
RAM (Bytes)
327680
Used MCU Pins
mikroBUS™ mapper
Take a closer look
Click board™ Schematic
Step by step
Project assembly
Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Discovery kit with STM32L496AG MCU as your development board.
Track your results in real time
Application Output
1. Application Output - In Debug mode, the 'Application Output' window enables real-time data monitoring, offering direct insight into execution results. Ensure proper data display by configuring the environment correctly using the provided tutorial.
2. UART Terminal - Use the UART Terminal to monitor data transmission via a USB to UART converter, allowing direct communication between the Click board™ and your development system. Configure the baud rate and other serial settings according to your project's requirements to ensure proper functionality. For step-by-step setup instructions, refer to the provided tutorial.
3. Plot Output - The Plot feature offers a powerful way to visualize real-time sensor data, enabling trend analysis, debugging, and comparison of multiple data points. To set it up correctly, follow the provided tutorial, which includes a step-by-step example of using the Plot feature to display Click board™ readings. To use the Plot feature in your code, use the function: plot(*insert_graph_name*, variable_name);. This is a general format, and it is up to the user to replace 'insert_graph_name' with the actual graph name and 'variable_name' with the parameter to be displayed.
Software Support
Library Description
This library contains API for Proximity 13 Click driver.
Key functions:
proximity13_generic_write- This function writes data to the desired register.proximity13_generic_read- This function reads data from the desired register.proximity13_read_channels- This function reads all enabled channels.
Open Source
Code example
The complete application code and a ready-to-use project are available through the NECTO Studio Package Manager for direct installation in the NECTO Studio. The application code can also be found on the MIKROE GitHub account.
/*!
* \file
* \brief Proximity13 Click example
*
* # Description
* This demo application shows example for measuring close distance
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* Initialization of I2C module and additional pin, checks id of device,
* configurates device for measuring 1. channel,
* and then sends command to start measuring
*
* ## Application Task
* Appliction measures values every 100ms and logs result
*
* \author Luka Filipovic
*
*/
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "proximity13.h"
// ------------------------------------------------------------------ VARIABLES
static proximity13_t proximity13;
static log_t logger;
// ------------------------------------------------------ APPLICATION FUNCTIONS
void application_init ( void )
{
log_cfg_t log_cfg;
proximity13_cfg_t cfg;
uint8_t status;
/**
* Logger initialization.
* Default baud rate: 115200
* Default log level: LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG
* @note If USB_UART_RX and USB_UART_TX
* are defined as HAL_PIN_NC, you will
* need to define them manually for log to work.
* See @b LOG_MAP_USB_UART macro definition for detailed explanation.
*/
LOG_MAP_USB_UART( log_cfg );
log_init( &logger, &log_cfg );
log_info( &logger, "---- Application Init ----" );
// Click initialization.
proximity13_cfg_setup( &cfg );
PROXIMITY13_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
proximity13_init( &proximity13, &cfg );
status = proximity13_get_int_pin_status( &proximity13 );
while ( status != PROXIMITY13_PIN_HIGH );
status = porximity13_check_id( &proximity13 );
if ( status == PROXIMITY13_OK )
{
log_info( &logger, " Device OK" );
}
else
{
log_info( &logger, " Device Error" );
for ( ; ; );
}
log_info( &logger, " Setting default configuration" );
proximity13_default_cfg ( &proximity13 );
proximity13_send_command( &proximity13, PROXIMITY13_CMD_START );
log_info( &logger, " Starting measurement" );
}
void application_task ( void )
{
proximity13_chn_val_t chn_val;
proximity13_read_channels( &proximity13, &chn_val );
log_printf( &logger, " Data : %lu\r\n", chn_val.channel_1 );
Delay_ms ( 100 );
}
int main ( void )
{
/* Do not remove this line or clock might not be set correctly. */
#ifdef PREINIT_SUPPORTED
preinit();
#endif
application_init( );
for ( ; ; )
{
application_task( );
}
return 0;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END
Additional Support
Resources
Category:Proximity
