The MAX44009 Lux Sensor measures ambient light from near darkness to bright sunlight with auto-ranging and I2C output in real lux values.
This is an easy to use lux sensor, and features an ultra-wide 22-bit dynamic range from 0.045 lux to 188,000 lux. That means you can use the AdafruitMAX44009 Wide-range Lux Sensor in darkness or in bright outdoors sun, without having to tweak the integration time or gain: the sensor will auto-range for you so you get smooth readings no matter the light level.
Most light sensors just give you a number for brighter/darker ambient lighting. The MAX44009 makes your life easier by calculating the lux, which is an SI unit for light. You'll get more consistent readings between multiple sensors because you aren't dealing with some unit-less values.
The sensor has 22-bit dynamic range for ambient light detection from 0.045 lux to about 188 lux with resolution down to 0.045 per least-significant-bit. It does come with software-adjustable integration times, or you can have it auto-range for you.
Interfacing is easy - this sensor uses plain, universal I2C. We put this sensor on a breakout board with a 3.3V regulator and logic level shifter so you can use it with 3.3V or 5V power/logic microcontrollers. We have written libraries for Arduino (C/C++) as well as CircuitPython (Python 3) so you can use this sensor with just about any kind of device, even a Raspberry Pi!
As if that weren't enough, we've also added SparkFun qwiic compatible STEMMA QT connectors for the I2C bus so you don't even need to solder. Just wire up to your favourite micro with a plug-and-play cable to get lux data ASAP. For a no-solder experience, just wire up to your favourite micro, like the ESP32 V2 Feather using a STEMMA QT adapter cable. The Stemma QT connectors also mean the MAX44009 can be used with our various associated accessories.
