
Overview
The RCWL-0516 is particularly suitable as an alternative to using a PIR motion sensor.
When it detects a moving object, the output changes from a low logic level to a high level (3.3 volts). Appropriately interfaced (Arduino, Fishino or other), it can be used for the automatic opening of electric doors and gates, automatic lighting.
Detection range is about 9 meters.
Tech specs
- Power supply: from 4 volts to 28 volts
- Consumption: typical 2.8 mA; max. 3 mA
- Detection distance: from 5 to 9 meters
- Transmission power: typical 20 mW; max. 30 mW
- Output voltage and current: 3.2-3.4 volts - 100 mA
- Operating temperature: from -20°C to +80°C
- Pin definition: 3V3: 3.3 volt output voltage
- GND: negative power supply
- OUT: when it detects a moving object, it changes from a low level to a high level (3.3 volts)
- VIN: positive power supply from 4 volts to 28 volts
- CDS: if kept low, less than 0.7 volts, the output will always be low even in the presence of motion
Conformities
Get Inspired

Launching today at CES 2025, the Arduino Pro Portenta Proto Kit is here to revolutionize how professionals approach prototyping. Designed to empower engineers, designers, and innovators from all walks of life, this kit provides everything you need to turn your ideas into functional prototypes quickly, efficiently, and without conventional limitations. Available in two variants – Portenta Proto Kit ME (Motion Environment) and VE (Vision Environment, available later this month) – the kit equips you with advanced tools to tackle any challenge, from environmental sensing to machine vision to vibration detection, accelerating the prototyping phase from weeks to days and days to hours. Whether you’re developing predictive maintenance systems or high-speed test rigs, the flexible and comprehensive Portenta Proto Kit has you covered. What’s inside the Portenta Proto Kit? At the heart of the kit is the powerful Portenta H7, paired with the versatile Portenta Mid Carrier. These components support advanced processing and edge machine learning, ensuring your prototypes are as future-ready as they are functional. The kit also includes the full set of our innovative Modulino nodes for rapid sensing and actuation, 4G GNSS Module Global for connectivity, and an Arduino Cloud for Business Voucher for your first three months of seamless cloud integration – so you can store, display, and analyze data remotely. Depending on your chosen configuration, you’ll also find everything you need for motion, vision, and environmental sensing in one kit: Nicla Vision and Nicla Sense Env for machine vision and environmental monitoring (Vision Environment variant) Nicla Sense ME for motion detection and predictive maintenance (Motion Environment variant) You'll easily integrate all of these hardware tools with the new Proto Shield included, and leverage the Arduino IDE on the software side to develop quick, scalable, IoT-enabled prototypes. Go from concept