STEMMA QT AS7343 14-Channel Light/Color Sensor - AS7343 light/color sensor module

Description

Adafruit AS7343 14-Channel Light/Color Sensor is an advanced multi-channel light and color sensor in the form of a compact module designed for integration with microcontrollers as well as educational and prototyping platforms. The device operates as a miniature spectrometer that, in addition to measuring light intensity, can analyze its spectral composition across multiple wavelength ranges. This enables much more precise color detection than traditional RGB sensors, even exceeding the accuracy of human visual perception in some cases.

The core of the module is the AS7343 chip, which in a tiny 3 × 2 mm package integrates as many as 25 photodiodes capable of detecting 11 overlapping bands of visible light, one near-infrared channel, a clear (unfiltered) channel, and a light flicker detection channel. In total, this provides 14 measurement channels. Compared to the earlier AS7341 sensor, the AS7343 offers four additional measurement channels, enabling even more detailed spectral analysis.

The sensor can analyze both light emitted directly by a source and light reflected from surfaces. This makes it suitable for applications such as lighting color analysis, material analysis, lighting control systems, light quality monitoring, precision agriculture, and scientific experiments. Data from the photodiodes is processed by a 16-bit ADC with six channels, which converts analog measurements into digital values accessible through the I²C interface.

Because the number of sensing elements exceeds the number of ADC channels, the chip uses a dedicated Super MUX (SMUX) multiplexer, which dynamically assigns signals from any sensor element to the ADC channels. The device also includes GPIO lines and an interrupt output, allowing the sensor to communicate directly with microcontrollers or other systems.

The module is built on a STEMMA QT breakout board equipped with logic-level shifting circuitry and connectors compatible with the Qwiic ecosystem. This allows quick connection to a microcontroller without soldering. The module can work with platforms such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and boards supporting CircuitPython. The manufacturer provides libraries for Arduino and CircuitPython that simplify configuration and access to all measurement channels. Thanks to its compact design, large number of spectral channels, and easy integration with popular hardware platforms, the module is a versatile tool for research projects, education, and prototyping of light analysis systems.

Features

• Sensor IC: AS7343
• Device type: multi-channel light sensor / miniature spectrometer
• Number of measurement channels: 14
• Detection range: 11 overlapping visible light bands
• Additional channels: 1 × near infrared (NIR), 1 × clear (unfiltered) channel, 1 × light flicker detection
• Number of photodiodes: 25
• Analog-to-digital converter: 16-bit, 6-channel ADC
• Signal multiplexing system: Super MUX (SMUX) allowing any sensor to be mapped to an ADC channel
• Communication interface: I²C
• Additional signals: GPIO and interrupt line
• Board format: STEMMA QT
• Connectors: 2 × STEMMA QT / Qwiic
• Logic level shifting circuit enabling compatibility with 3.3 V and 5 V systems
• Compatible platforms: Arduino, Raspberry Pi, CircuitPython-compatible boards
• Available software libraries: Arduino and CircuitPython
• Solderless connection support using STEMMA QT / Qwiic cables