Gravity: TCS3430 Tristimulus Color Sensor

The Gravity: TCS3430 Tristimulus Color Sensor is an advanced optical sensing breakout built around the AMS TCS3430 IC for ambient light and CIE 1931 XYZ colour detection. It mimics the spectral response of the human eye to deliver accurate illuminance and colour temperature measurements. This board is ideal for makers, students, and engineers developing smart lighting, automated display calibration, and colour-matching systems.

Human-eye spectral response

The onboard AMS TCS3430 IC operates using the CIE 1931 XYZ tristimulus model based on human cone photoreceptor cells. This enables the sensor to measure environmental illumination and colour sensations precisely as human vision perceives them.

Accurate illuminance and colour temperature

The sensor achieves up to plus or minus 10 percent illuminance and correlated colour temperature accuracy across varied lighting conditions. It features a wide dynamic range and high sensitivity, alongside programmable gain and integration time settings.

Display calibration and detection applications

This module is suited for ambient brightness monitoring, white balance detection, and real-time colour temperature adjustment similar to True Tone display technology. It is also well suited for colour-matching tasks in optical inspection and e-commerce setups.

Interface and operating specifications

The breakout runs on a 3.3V to 5V supply with a typical operating current under 5mA, an LED current under 15mA, and communicates via I2C at address 0x39. Measuring 22 mm by 27 mm, it operates across temperatures from -30 degrees Celsius to 85 degrees Celsius and includes a Gravity 4-pin connector cable.

Downloads & documentation

• Product wiki (DFRobot)