VL53L0X with Arduino Nano

Wiring for the VL53L0X time-of-flight distance on the Arduino Nano (ATmega328P, 5 V logic), chosen with the same pin rules BoardPilot uses: default buses first, and no pins that are used for flash, USB, the debugger or booting.

Wiring

VL53L0X pin	Role	Arduino Nano pin	Notes
VIN	Power	5V
GND	Ground	GND
SCL	I2C clock (SCL)	A5 (PC5)
SDA	I2C data (SDA)	A4 (PC4)
XSHUT	Input to the part	D2 (PD2)	Shutdown, active LOW. Optional; needed to use several sensors
GPIO1	Interrupt	D3 (PD3)	Interrupt output, optional

Check before you power it on

Supply: 5 V from the 5V pin.
I2C uses the board’s default pins A4 (SDA) and A5 (SCL). Most modules include pull-up resistors; if the part is not found, check them and swap-test SDA/SCL.
To make sure it is the real chip, read register 0xC0: a genuine part answers 0xEE.

Test code (Arduino)

#include <Wire.h>

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  Wire.begin();  // SDA = A4, SCL = A5 (the board's default I2C pins)
  Wire.beginTransmission(0x29);
  bool found = Wire.endTransmission() == 0;
  Serial.println(found ? "VL53L0X time-of-flight distance found at 0x29" : "Not found: check power, GND and SDA/SCL");
}

void loop() {}

Arduino board: arduino:avr:nano. Clones with the old bootloader upload at 57600 baud: choose “ATmega328P (Old Bootloader)” if uploads fail.

Questions

Which Arduino Nano pins do I use for the VL53L0X?

VIN → 5V, GND → GND, SCL → A5 (PC5), SDA → A4 (PC4), XSHUT → D2 (PD2), GPIO1 → D3 (PD3).

Does the VL53L0X work with the Arduino Nano at 5 V?

Yes: the VL53L0X runs at 3.3-5 V and the Arduino Nano uses 5 V signals, so no level shifting is needed.

What is the I2C address of the VL53L0X?

0x29. An I2C scan (BoardPilot does it for you) shows which one your module uses.

BoardPilot checks this wiring in 3D as you build it, and finds crossed or missing wires on the real board.

Download BoardPilot

Full Arduino Nano pinout · VL53L0X time-of-flight distance: all pins and data

The VL53L0X on other boards

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