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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe three-channel wide-field-of-view time-of-flight sensor named for TI-RSLK MAX instruction is Pololu part #3680, built around Texas Instruments’ OPT3101 sensing analog front end. TI’s materials connect the module to the robot’s lab work, but the sensor’s published component specifications and the performance figures for TI’s separate reference design are not confirmed specifications for the Pololu module.
What is the Pololu #3680 OPT3101 sensor?
TI course materials identify the “Pololu 3-Channel, Wide FOV Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor using OPT3101 for TI-RSLK MAX” as Pololu part #3680. TI’s sensor-integration lab lists both the TI-RSLK MAX robot kit and this sensor among the equipment for the work. These sources establish its instructional connection to the robot; they do not, by themselves, establish current retail availability or price.
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The OPT3101 is the time-of-flight (ToF) proximity and distance-sensing analog front end (AFE) at the center of the design. It is a component, not a complete robot-ready sensor module on its own. The finished module and the chip therefore should not be treated as interchangeable when discussing compatibility or performance. TI OPT3101 product page; OPT3101 datasheet; TI sensor-integration lab materials; TI OPT3101EVM product page.
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Continuous-wave ToF sensing uses modulated emitted light and the returning signal to derive depth information. The OPT3101 supports up to three transmitter channels, allowing a system to use multiple emitter positions or directions for multi-zone sensing. The number of channels is a chip capability; it does not by itself specify the assembled sensor’s coverage angle, usable distance, or accuracy.
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TI describes the OPT3101 as supporting I²C control and data and an integrated illumination driver. In a multi-emitter implementation, the AFE works with the optical and electrical design around it; emitter placement, receiver optics, calibration, and the environment all matter to the resulting system.
Which published numbers apply to the chip, and which to a reference design?
The figures below refer to different things. The 4 kHz and 15-meter values are specifications in TI’s OPT3101 datasheet, revised June 2018. The 120° and up-to-1.5-meter values belong to TI’s separate TIDA-010021 reference design materials from 2018—not to Pololu #3680 unless product-specific documentation confirms the same performance.
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| Figure | Applies to | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 4 kHz sample rate | OPT3101 chip; TI datasheet Rev. A, revised June 2018 | Maximum sample-rate specification, not a guaranteed module-level update rate in every system. TI datasheet |
| 15-meter unambiguous range with 16-bit distance output | OPT3101 chip; TI datasheet Rev. A, revised June 2018 | A datasheet range specification; it does not establish usable detection range or accuracy for every assembled sensor. TI datasheet |
| 120° total field of view | TI TIDA-010021 reference design; 2018 materials | Reference-design coverage figure, not a confirmed Pololu #3680 specification. TI TIDA-010021 materials |
| Detection up to 1.5 meters without a lens | TI TIDA-010021 reference design; 2018 materials | Reference-design detection figure under its stated design context; not a confirmed Pololu #3680 range. TI TIDA-010021 materials |
| Three transmitter channels | OPT3101 chip; TI datasheet Rev. A, revised June 2018 | Supports multi-zone designs; does not alone determine field of view. TI datasheet |
TIDA-010021 illustrates how a three-emitter architecture can create wide coverage: TI describes one OPT3101 AFE, three external near-infrared LEDs, and one photodiode in that reference design. Its performance figures are evidence about that design, not a substitute for product-specific specifications for #3680. TI TIDA-010021 reference design.
How does #3680 differ from the OPT3101EVM and TIDA-010021?
These are related to the OPT3101 but serve different purposes. The Pololu item is the named sensor module in TI’s TI-RSLK MAX lab materials. The OPT3101EVM is TI’s evaluation module for the AFE. TIDA-010021 is a reference design with a published wide-field-of-view architecture.
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| Item | Role | What the cited materials establish |
|---|---|---|
| Pololu #3680 | Sensor module named for TI-RSLK MAX lab instruction | TI lab and course materials identify the product and its instructional use; the cited material does not provide a product-specific performance table. TI sensor-integration lab materials |
| OPT3101EVM | Evaluation module for the OPT3101 AFE | TI identifies it as an evaluation module; the cited source does not establish it as a drop-in replacement for #3680. TI OPT3101EVM product page |
| TIDA-010021 | Reference design | TI publishes a three-emitter, one-photodiode architecture and design-specific field-of-view and detection figures. Those are not automatically #3680 specifications. TI TIDA-010021 materials |
What can you conclude about performance and compatibility?
TI’s materials support identifying #3680 as the OPT3101-based sensor used in TI-RSLK MAX educational work. They do not establish exact wiring, measured accuracy, or actual detection range in a particular environment. Nor do the chip’s datasheet values or the separate reference design’s results fill those product-specific gaps.
- Use the OPT3101 datasheet to understand the AFE’s stated capabilities, not as a guarantee for a complete sensor.
- Use TIDA-010021’s figures only when describing that reference design.
- For a robot integration, rely on the instructions and specifications for the specific #3680 module and TI-RSLK MAX setup rather than infer pinouts or operating behavior from the chip alone.
- The cited TI lab materials establish educational context, not current stock or pricing.
In a TI training video dated October 17, 2018, speaker Amy Schnoor characterized the chip’s “up to three independent emitter channels” as offering flexibility for distance-ranging proximity applications. That is TI’s description of the AFE’s design flexibility, not an independent test result. TI training video.
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