VOXL 2 Mini Tof

[Jetson Nano]

Hello @Alex-Kushleyev and @Eric-Katzfey,

I hope you are doing well.

I recently came across the updates regarding the M0189 VOXL 2 Mini ToF sensor, and I am interested in evaluating it for integration into our UAV platform based on VOXL2 mini.

We are currently planning to work on VOXL2 mini-based system and are exploring additional sensing solutions for obstacle detection, terrain following, and navigation-related applications. The Mini ToF sensor appears to be a promising option, and I would like to gather some additional information regarding its integration and availability.

Could you please provide guidance on the following:

1. Integration Guidelines

   • Recommended hardware connections and interfacing requirements with VOXL2 mini.
   • Software and SDK support available for the sensor.
   • Any required drivers, services, or configuration steps within the VOXL SDK.
   • Best practices for mounting, calibration, and deployment on UAV platforms.
   • Available documentation, reference designs, or example projects demonstrating integration with VOXL2 mini.

2. Sensor Performance and Use Cases

   *Typical operating range and field-of-view specifications.

   • Expected performance in outdoor environments and varying lighting conditions.
   • Any known limitations or considerations for autonomous flight applications.
   • Whether the Mini ToF sensor provides 2D ranging data (single-point or multi-zone distance measurements) or a 3D depth map / point cloud output. If 3D depth information is available, could you please provide details regarding the depth resolution, output format, field of view, and any supported visualization or processing tools within the VOXL ecosystem?

3. Availability and Purchasing

   • Current availability status of the M0189 VOXL 2 Mini ToF sensor board.
   • Recommended purchasing channels and lead times.
   • Whether the sensor is available as a standalone module or requires additional interface hardware.

We are currently evaluating sensors for integration into our UAV platform and would appreciate any documentation, recommendations, or resources that could help us better understand the capabilities and integration process of the Mini ToF sensor with VOXL2 mini.

Thank you for your time and support.

I look forward to your guidance.

[Jetson Nano]

@Alex-Kushleyev @Eric-Katzfey

I would appreciate any updates or recommendations regarding the integration and availability of the M0189 VOXL 2 Mini ToF sensor.

Thank you for your continued support.

[Moderator]

Hi, thanks for the detailed questions on the M0189. Answering below — full specs are on the datasheet at https://docs.modalai.com/M0189/ and the product/ordering page at https://www.modalai.com/products/m0189.

1. Integration Guidelines

The M0189 doesn't plug directly into VOXL 2 Mini — it connects to a M0188 or M0195 carrier board (which itself mounts on VOXL 2 Mini), via one of four ToF ports (J01/J23/J45/J67) using an MCBL-00128 cable. The module is hardware-strapped for I2C, so only power, ground, and I2C are routed through the connector — no host-side mode-pin configuration needed.

On the software side, it's managed by voxl-mini-tof-server (see docs.modalai.com/M0189/ for the link, or search "mini-tof-server" on docs.modalai.com

• Reads a JSON config from /etc/modalai/voxl-mini-tof-server.conf (or multiple files in .conf.d/ if you're running sensors across separate I2C buses)
• Publishes point cloud data over MPA on the rangefinder_pc pipe
• Ships with a config wizard (voxl-configure-mini-tofs -i) for known hardware setups, plus non-interactive list/set commands
• Supports multiple sensors via a TCA9548A I2C mux
• Output is inspectable with voxl-inspect-points or viewable live as a point cloud in VOXL Portal

Sensor location/orientation relative to the vehicle's center of gravity has to be set manually and precisely in the config — there's no auto-calibration step. I didn't find a dedicated worked example/reference design specifically for VOXL 2 Mini + M0189 beyond the datasheet and server docs, but the mounting/connector details and full pinout are on the datasheet page.

2. Sensor Performance and Use Cases

Per the datasheet and product page:

• FOV: 45° × 45° (65° diagonal)
• Range: up to 400 cm, target- and lighting-dependent
• Resolution: up to 8×8 (64 zones) — this is genuine multizone depth, output as a 3D point cloud over MPA (not single-point, and not a dense depth image)
• 940 nm Class 1 eye-safe VCSEL, direct-ToF (dToF)

Neither page gives quantified outdoor/bright-sunlight derating numbers or flight-tested obstacle-avoidance performance data — that's probably worth a direct follow-up if you need hard numbers before committing to a platform design.

3. Availability and Purchasing

Currently listed as an active, in-stock product at $44.99 (MPN MDK-M0189-2-00, board only) — see https://www.modalai.com/products/m0189. You'll also need the M0188 or M0195 carrier and the MCBL-00128 cable, both sold separately. Per the compatibility table on that page, it works with VOXL 2 Mini (via the carrier) and VOXL 2 (with additional cabling), but not VOXL or VOXL Flight. No lead-time info is posted, so I'd check with sales directly on that.