The MAX44009 and MAX44007 digital ambient light sensors from Maxim are ideal for display brightness control of portable applications such as smartphones, tablets, and notebooks. They are also suitable for industrial applications such as light management systems in buildings and asset tracking sensor systems.

At less than 1 μA operating current, they are some of the lowest power ambient light sensors in the industry and feature an ultra-wide, 22-bit dynamic range. The MAX44009 ranges from 0.045 lux to 188,000 lux and the MAX44007 ranges from 0.025 lux to 104,444 lux. These two features provide longer battery life and reduce the software coding often used to change the light intensity measurement range.

The on-chip photodiode's spectral response is optimized to mimic the human eye's perception of ambient light and incorporates IR and UV blocking capability. The adaptive gain block automatically selects the correct lux range to optimize the counts/lux. All of these features are provided in a tiny, 2 mm x 2 mm x 0.6 mm UTDFN-opto package.