Can't get Optical Tracking Odometry Sensor - PAA5160E1 to work

samuelwhiskeyjohnson · February 2, 2026, 6:32am

I hooked it up like this:

I’m trying to run this example on GitHub, but it seems it hangs on myOtos.begin(). Any idea why?

github.com/sparkfun/SparkFun_Qwiic_OTOS_Arduino_Library

examples/Example1_BasicReadings/Example1_BasicReadings.ino

main

/*
    SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
    
    Copyright (c) 2024 SparkFun Electronics
*/

/*******************************************************************************
    Example 1 - Basic Readings

    This example demonstrates how to read the position and heading from the
    SparkFun Qwiic Optical Tracking Odometry Sensor (OTOS).

    This example should be used to verify that the OTOS is connected and
    functioning correctly. It will just print the position and heading tracked
    by the OTOS to the serial monitor. It is recommended that you check out the
    other examples before using the OTOS in your own project.
*******************************************************************************/

#include "SparkFun_Qwiic_OTOS_Arduino_Library.h"
#include "Wire.h"

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loveforcircuits · February 2, 2026, 12:29pm

You can try to run the I2C scanner code. If the Odometry Sensor - PAA5160E1 is functional, you’ll be able to see its I2C address.

samuelwhiskeyjohnson · February 2, 2026, 1:44pm

Ok I’ll try that. But I’m also wondering if it have to do with logic voltage levels?

TS-Russell · February 3, 2026, 10:33am

The Uno uses 5v I/O, the sensor uses 3.3v…you’ll need to either use a 3.3v MCU or a logic level shifter in between them to allow interfacing

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Can't get Optical Tracking Odometry Sensor - PAA5160E1 to work

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