Infrared distance sensor

This sensor from Sharp is a long-distance IR module; for IR this description is accurate, though at other wavelengths it could act as a mid-distance module. The distance that is easily sensed is 0.2–1.5 m. The output of the sensor is an analogue signal of 2.7–0.5 V (corresponding to the distance). The connection of the sensor is seen in Figures 1 and 2. One interesting feature is the output of the module (see figure). The output of the sensor module will be the same for 9 and 30 cm. This means that it is necessary to consider both the slope of the signal and the direction of motion, to be sure of which side of the peak you are on.