The SparkFun Tristimulus Color Sensor is built around the Texas Instruments OPT4048DTSR — a high-speed, high-precision four-channel colour sensor. Three channels closely match the CIE 1931 tristimulus XYZ spectra with excellent IR rejection, while a fourth wide-band channel provides broad spectral response.

From these measurements, you can extract light intensity (lux), colour coordinates (CIE XY, LUV), and correlated colour temperature (CCT). Two Qwiic connectors and broken-out 0.1″ headers provide flexible I2C connectivity. An Arduino library is available via the Library Manager (search "SparkFun OPT4048").

Key Features

• OPT4048DTSR Sensor – Four-channel tristimulus colour sensor matching CIE 1931 spectra
• 26-Bit Dynamic Range – 2.15 mlux to 144 klux with semi-logarithmic output
• High Precision – 12 configurable conversion times from 600 μs to 800 ms per channel
• Qwiic / I2C Interface – Two horizontal Qwiic connectors, plus 0.1″ headers
• Selectable I2C Address – 0x44 (default), 0x45, or 0x46
• Ultra-Low Power – 24 μA operating, 2 μA standby
• Hardware Interrupt – External pin for synchronised triggers
• Automatic Range Selection – Seven binary logarithmic full-scale ranges with excellent gain matching

Specifications

• Sensor – OPT4048DTSR (Texas Instruments)
• Channels – 4 (XYZ tristimulus + wide-band)
• Dynamic Range – 2.15 mlux to 144 klux
• Supply Voltage – 1.71–3.6 V
• Operating Current – 24 μA (2 μA standby)
• I2C Address – 0x44 (default), 0x45, 0x46
• Board Size – 1″ × 1″ (standard SparkFun footprint)
• Operating Temperature – -40°C to +85°C

Ideal For

• Display brightness and colour temperature adjustment
• Camera colour temperature correction
• True colour recognition and sorting
• Ambient light measurement and lux sensing
• Medical and scientific colour analysis

Package Contents

• 1× SparkFun Tristimulus Color Sensor – OPT4048DTSR (Qwiic)

Resources

• Hookup Guide
• OPT4048 Datasheet (PDF)
• Schematic (PDF)
• Arduino Library (GitHub)
• Hardware Design Files (GitHub)