It's easy to use the VL53L4CD with Python or CircuitPython, and the Adafruit CircuitPython VL53L4CD module. This module allows you to easily write Python code that reads the distance from the VL53L4CD sensor.
You can use this sensor with any CircuitPython microcontroller board or with a computer that has GPIO and Python thanks to Adafruit_Blinka, our CircuitPython-for-Python compatibility library.
CircuitPython Microcontroller Wiring
First wire up a VL53L4CD to your board exactly as shown below. Here's an example of wiring a Feather M4 to the sensor with I2C using one of the handy STEMMA QT connectors:
- Board 3V to sensor VIN (red wire)
- Board GND to sensor GND (black wire)
- Board SCL to sensor SCL (yellow wire)
- Board SDA to sensor SDA (blue wire)
You can also use the standard 0.100" pitch headers to wire it up on a breadboard:
- Board 3V to sensor VIN (red wire)
- Board GND to sensor GND (black wire)
- Board SCL to sensor SCL (yellow wire)
- Board SDA to sensor SDA (blue wire)
Python Computer Wiring
Since there's dozens of Linux computers/boards you can use, we will show wiring for Raspberry Pi. For other platforms, please visit the guide for CircuitPython on Linux to see whether your platform is supported.
Here's the Raspberry Pi wired to the sensor using I2C and a STEMMA QT connector:
- Pi 3V to sensor VIN (red wire)
- Pi GND to sensor GND (black wire)
- Pi SCL to sensor SCL (yellow wire)
- Pi SDA to sensor SDA (blue wire)
Finally here is an example of how to wire up a Raspberry Pi to the sensor using a solderless breadboard:
- Pi 3V to sensor VIN (red wire)
- Pi GND to sensor GND (black wire)
- Pi SCL to sensor SCL (yellow wire)
- Pi SDA to sensor SDA (blue wire)
Python Installation of VL53L4CD Library
You'll need to install the Adafruit_Blinka library that provides the CircuitPython support in Python. This may also require enabling I2C on your platform and verifying you are running Python 3. Since each platform is a little different, and Linux changes often, please visit the CircuitPython on Linux guide to get your computer ready!
Once that's done, from your command line run the following command:
pip3 install adafruit-circuitpython-vl53l4cd
If your default Python is version 3, you may need to run pip
instead. Make sure you aren't trying to use CircuitPython on Python 2.x, it isn't supported!
CircuitPython Usage
To use with CircuitPython, you need to first install the VL53L4CD library, and its dependencies, into the lib folder on your CIRCUITPY drive. Then you need to update code.py with the example script.
Thankfully, we can do this in one go. In the example below, click the Download Project Bundle button below to download the necessary libraries and the code.py file in a zip file. Extract the contents of the zip file, and copy the entire lib folder and the code.py file to your CIRCUITPY drive.
Your CIRCUITPY/lib folder should contain the following folder and file:
- adafruit_bus_device/
- adafruit_vl53l4cd.mpy

Python Usage
Once you have the library pip3
installed on your computer, copy or download the following example to your computer, and run the following, replacing code.py with whatever you named the file:
python3 code.py
# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2017 Scott Shawcroft, written for Adafruit Industries # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2022 Carter Nelson for Adafruit Industries # # SPDX-License-Identifier: Unlicense # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2017 Scott Shawcroft, written for Adafruit Industries # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2021 Carter Nelson for Adafruit Industries # # SPDX-License-Identifier: Unlicense # Simple demo of the VL53L4CD distance sensor. # Will print the sensed range/distance every second. import board import adafruit_vl53l4cd i2c = board.I2C() # uses board.SCL and board.SDA # i2c = board.STEMMA_I2C() # For using the built-in STEMMA QT connector on a microcontroller vl53 = adafruit_vl53l4cd.VL53L4CD(i2c) # OPTIONAL: can set non-default values vl53.inter_measurement = 0 vl53.timing_budget = 200 print("VL53L4CD Simple Test.") print("--------------------") model_id, module_type = vl53.model_info print("Model ID: 0x{:0X}".format(model_id)) print("Module Type: 0x{:0X}".format(module_type)) print("Timing Budget: {}".format(vl53.timing_budget)) print("Inter-Measurement: {}".format(vl53.inter_measurement)) print("--------------------") vl53.start_ranging() while True: while not vl53.data_ready: pass vl53.clear_interrupt() print("Distance: {} cm".format(vl53.distance))
If running CircuitPython: Once everything is saved to the CIRCUITPY drive, connect to the serial console to see the data printed out!
If running Python: The console output will appear wherever you are running Python.
Now try holding your hand in front of the sensor, and moving it closer and further away to see the values change!
First you import the necessary modules and libraries. Then you instantiate the sensor on I2C.
Then you're ready to read data from the sensor, including the initial information printed to the serial console.
Finally, inside the loop, you check the distance every second.
That's all there is to using the VL53L4CD with CircuitPython!
Page last edited January 21, 2025
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