REV Color Sensor V3

Overview

The REV Color Sensor V3 (REV-31-1557) is a dual-purpose sensor featuring a Broadcom APDS-9151 chip that can:

Detect Colors - Measure red, green, blue, and ambient light intensity (0-255 each)
Measure Distance - Detect objects up to ~10cm away using time-of-flight technology

Hardware Version: The REV Color Sensor V3 is different from the older "REV Color/Range Sensor" (V1/V2). Make sure to select "REV Color Sensor V3" in your robot configuration, not "REV Color/Range Sensor"!

Dual Functionality: This sensor implements both ColorSensor and DistanceSensor interfaces, so you declare it twice in code using the same hardware map name!

Hardware Configuration

In the Robot Configuration

Connect the sensor to an I2C port on your Control Hub or Expansion Hub
In the Driver Station, go to Configure Robot
Select the I2C Bus your sensor is connected to (typically I2C Bus 0 on the Control Hub)
On the desired port (typically Port 0), select "REV Color Sensor V3" (not "REV Color/Range Sensor")
Name it "sensor_color" (or your preferred name, but avoid spaces)
Save the configuration

Configuration Name: Unlike older V1/V2 sensors configured as "REV Color/Range Sensor", the V3 has its own dedicated configuration option: "REV Color Sensor V3"

Basic Setup

Initializing the Sensor

Since the sensor acts as both a color and distance sensor, you need to declare it twice:

import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.ColorSensor;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.DistanceSensor;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedColorSensor;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedRGBA;
import org.firstinspires.ftc.robotcore.external.navigation.DistanceUnit;

public class RobotHardware {
    private ColorSensor colorSensor;
    private DistanceSensor distanceSensor;
    private NormalizedColorSensor normalizedColorSensor;
    
    public void init(HardwareMap hwMap) {
        // Same name for all - the sensor implements multiple interfaces
        colorSensor = hwMap.get(ColorSensor.class, "sensor_color");
        distanceSensor = hwMap.get(DistanceSensor.class, "sensor_color");
        normalizedColorSensor = hwMap.get(NormalizedColorSensor.class, "sensor_color");
        
        // Optional: Set the gain for different lighting conditions
        // Higher gain = more sensitive (better for dim lighting)
        // Lower gain = less sensitive (better for bright lighting)
        if (normalizedColorSensor != null) {
            normalizedColorSensor.setGain(2);  // Values typically 1-16
        }
    }
}

import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.ColorSensor
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.DistanceSensor
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedColorSensor
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedRGBA
import org.firstinspires.ftc.robotcore.external.navigation.DistanceUnit

class RobotHardware {
    private lateinit var colorSensor: ColorSensor
    private lateinit var distanceSensor: DistanceSensor
    private lateinit var normalizedColorSensor: NormalizedColorSensor
    
    fun init(hwMap: HardwareMap) {
        // Same name for all - the sensor implements multiple interfaces
        colorSensor = hwMap.get(ColorSensor::class.java, "sensor_color")
        distanceSensor = hwMap.get(DistanceSensor::class.java, "sensor_color")
        normalizedColorSensor = hwMap.get(NormalizedColorSensor::class.java, "sensor_color")
        
        // Optional: Set the gain for different lighting conditions
        normalizedColorSensor.gain = 2f  // Values typically 1-16
    }
}

Reading Color Values

RGB Values

The color sensor returns separate values for red, green, and blue light intensity:

// Get individual color channels (0-255)
int red = colorSensor.red();
int green = colorSensor.green();
int blue = colorSensor.blue();
int alpha = colorSensor.alpha();  // Ambient light/brightness

// Display to driver station
telemetry.addData("Red", red);
telemetry.addData("Green", green);
telemetry.addData("Blue", blue);
telemetry.addData("Alpha (brightness)", alpha);

// Get individual color channels (0-255)
val red = colorSensor.red()
val green = colorSensor.green()
val blue = colorSensor.blue()
val alpha = colorSensor.alpha()  // Ambient light/brightness

// Display to driver station
telemetry.addData("Red", red)
telemetry.addData("Green", green)
telemetry.addData("Blue", blue)
telemetry.addData("Alpha (brightness)", alpha)

Normalized Colors (Recommended)

The V3 supports normalized colors which automatically adjust for lighting conditions:

// Get normalized colors (0.0 - 1.0 range)
NormalizedRGBA colors = normalizedColorSensor.getNormalizedColors();

telemetry.addLine()
    .addData("Red", "%.3f", colors.red)
    .addData("Green", "%.3f", colors.green)
    .addData("Blue", "%.3f", colors.blue);
telemetry.addData("Alpha", "%.3f", colors.alpha);

// Convert to Android color for display
int color = colors.toColor();

// Get normalized colors (0.0 - 1.0 range)
val colors = normalizedColorSensor.normalizedColors

telemetry.addLine()
    .addData("Red", "%.3f", colors.red)
    .addData("Green", "%.3f", colors.green)
    .addData("Blue", "%.3f", colors.blue)
telemetry.addData("Alpha", "%.3f", colors.alpha)

// Convert to Android color for display
val color = colors.toColor()

Adjusting Gain for Lighting Conditions

The V3's Broadcom chip allows adjusting sensitivity via gain:

// Adjust gain based on lighting
// Lower values (1-2): Bright competition lighting
// Medium values (4-8): Normal indoor lighting  
// Higher values (12-16): Dim lighting

normalizedColorSensor.setGain(4);  // Adjust as needed

// Get current gain
float currentGain = normalizedColorSensor.getGain();
telemetry.addData("Sensor Gain", currentGain);

// Adjust gain based on lighting
normalizedColorSensor.gain = 4f  // Adjust as needed

// Get current gain
val currentGain = normalizedColorSensor.gain
telemetry.addData("Sensor Gain", currentGain)

ARGB Format

You can also get all color data as a single integer:

// Get color as a single integer (#aarrggbb)
int argb = colorSensor.argb();

// Extract individual channels
int alpha = (argb >> 24) & 0xFF;
int red = (argb >> 16) & 0xFF;
int green = (argb >> 8) & 0xFF;
int blue = argb & 0xFF;

// Get color as a single integer (#aarrggbb)
val argb = colorSensor.argb()

// Extract individual channels
val alpha = (argb shr 24) and 0xFF
val red = (argb shr 16) and 0xFF
val green = (argb shr 8) and 0xFF
val blue = argb and 0xFF

ColorSensor Methods

Method	Returns	Description
`red()`	`int` (0-255)	Amount of red light detected
`green()`	`int` (0-255)	Amount of green light detected
`blue()`	`int` (0-255)	Amount of blue light detected
`alpha()`	`int` (0-255)	Ambient light level (brightness)
`argb()`	`int`	Color in `#aarrggbb` format
`getNormalizedColors()`	`NormalizedRGBA`	Normalized color values (0.0-1.0)
`setGain(float)`	`void`	Set sensor sensitivity (1-16)
`getGain()`	`float`	Get current sensor gain

Reading Distance

DistanceUnit Class

The SDK provides a DistanceUnit enum to handle unit conversions automatically:

// Get distance in different units
double distanceCm = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM);
double distanceInch = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.INCH);
double distanceMm = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.MM);

telemetry.addData("Distance (cm)", "%.2f", distanceCm);
telemetry.addData("Distance (in)", "%.2f", distanceInch);

// Get distance in different units
val distanceCm = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM)
val distanceInch = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.INCH)
val distanceMm = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.MM)

telemetry.addData("Distance (cm)", "%.2f", distanceCm)
telemetry.addData("Distance (in)", "%.2f", distanceInch)

Available Distance Units

DistanceUnit	Description
`DistanceUnit.MM`	Millimeters
`DistanceUnit.CM`	Centimeters (recommended)
`DistanceUnit.INCH`	Inches
`DistanceUnit.METER`	Meters

Unit Conversion: Store distances internally in one unit (typically CM) and use DistanceUnit methods like toCm() and fromCm() to convert as needed. This prevents unit conversion errors!

Complete Example

Here's a full OpMode demonstrating both color and distance sensing with the V3:

package org.firstinspires.ftc.teamcode;

import com.qualcomm.robotcore.eventloop.opmode.OpMode;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.eventloop.opmode.TeleOp;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.ColorSensor;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.DistanceSensor;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedColorSensor;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedRGBA;
import org.firstinspires.ftc.robotcore.external.navigation.DistanceUnit;

@TeleOp(name = "Color Sensor V3 Demo")
public class ColorSensorV3Demo extends OpMode {
    private ColorSensor colorSensor;
    private DistanceSensor distanceSensor;
    private NormalizedColorSensor normalizedColorSensor;
    
    @Override
    public void init() {
        colorSensor = hardwareMap.get(ColorSensor.class, "sensor_color");
        distanceSensor = hardwareMap.get(DistanceSensor.class, "sensor_color");
        normalizedColorSensor = hardwareMap.get(NormalizedColorSensor.class, "sensor_color");
        
        // Set gain for your lighting conditions
        normalizedColorSensor.setGain(2);
        
        telemetry.addLine("Color Sensor V3 initialized!");
        telemetry.addData("Gain", normalizedColorSensor.getGain());
    }
    
    @Override
    public void loop() {
        // Read normalized colors (recommended)
        NormalizedRGBA colors = normalizedColorSensor.getNormalizedColors();
        
        // Read raw color values
        int red = colorSensor.red();
        int green = colorSensor.green();
        int blue = colorSensor.blue();
        int alpha = colorSensor.alpha();
        
        // Read distance
        double distanceCm = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM);
        
        // Display normalized colors
        telemetry.addLine("=== Normalized Colors (0.0-1.0) ===");
        telemetry.addData("Red", "%.3f", colors.red);
        telemetry.addData("Green", "%.3f", colors.green);
        telemetry.addData("Blue", "%.3f", colors.blue);
        telemetry.addData("Alpha", "%.3f", colors.alpha);
        
        // Display raw values
        telemetry.addLine("\n=== Raw Values (0-255) ===");
        telemetry.addData("Red", red);
        telemetry.addData("Green", green);
        telemetry.addData("Blue", blue);
        telemetry.addData("Alpha", alpha);
        
        // Display distance
        telemetry.addLine("\n=== Distance ===");
        telemetry.addData("Distance (cm)", "%.2f", distanceCm);
        

        // Detect primary color
        String detectedColor = "Unknown";
        if (red > green && red > blue) {
            detectedColor = "Red";
        } else if (green > red && green > blue) {
            detectedColor = "Green";
        } else if (blue > red && blue > green) {
            detectedColor = "Blue";
        }
        
        telemetry.addLine("\n=== Detection ===");
        telemetry.addData("Detected Color", detectedColor);
        telemetry.addData("Object Nearby", distanceCm < 5);
    }
}

package org.firstinspires.ftc.teamcode

import com.qualcomm.robotcore.eventloop.opmode.OpMode
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.eventloop.opmode.TeleOp
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.ColorSensor
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.DistanceSensor
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedColorSensor
import org.firstinspires.ftc.robotcore.external.navigation.DistanceUnit

@TeleOp(name = "Color Sensor V3 Demo")
class ColorSensorV3Demo : OpMode() {
    private lateinit var colorSensor: ColorSensor
    private lateinit var distanceSensor: DistanceSensor
    private lateinit var normalizedColorSensor: NormalizedColorSensor
    
    override fun init() {
        colorSensor = hardwareMap.get(ColorSensor::class.java, "sensor_color")
        distanceSensor = hardwareMap.get(DistanceSensor::class.java, "sensor_color")
        normalizedColorSensor = hardwareMap.get(NormalizedColorSensor::class.java, "sensor_color")
        
        // Set gain for your lighting conditions
        normalizedColorSensor.gain = 2f
        
        telemetry.addLine("Color Sensor V3 initialized!")
        telemetry.addData("Gain", normalizedColorSensor.gain)
    }
    
    override fun loop() {
        // Read normalized colors (recommended)
        val colors = normalizedColorSensor.normalizedColors
        
        // Read raw color values
        val red = colorSensor.red()
        val green = colorSensor.green()
        val blue = colorSensor.blue()
        val alpha = colorSensor.alpha()
        
        // Read distance
        val distanceCm = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM)
        
        // Display normalized colors
        telemetry.addLine("=== Normalized Colors (0.0-1.0) ===")
        telemetry.addData("Red", "%.3f", colors.red)
        telemetry.addData("Green", "%.3f", colors.green)
        telemetry.addData("Blue", "%.3f", colors.blue)
        telemetry.addData("Alpha", "%.3f", colors.alpha)
        
        // Display raw values
        telemetry.addLine("\n=== Raw Values (0-255) ===")
        telemetry.addData("Red", red)
        telemetry.addData("Green", green)
        telemetry.addData("Blue", blue)
        telemetry.addData("Alpha", alpha)
        
        // Display distance
        telemetry.addLine("\n=== Distance ===")
        telemetry.addData("Distance (cm)", "%.2f", distanceCm)
        
        // Detect primary color
        val detectedColor = when {
            red > green && red > blue -> "Red"
            green > red && green > blue -> "Green"
            blue > red && blue > green -> "Blue"
            else -> "Unknown"
        }
        
        telemetry.addLine("\n=== Detection ===")
        telemetry.addData("Detected Color", detectedColor)
        telemetry.addData("Object Nearby", distanceCm < 5)
    }
}

Practical Applications

Game Element Detection

Detect colored game pieces (ARTIFACTS in DECODE):

public enum ArtifactColor {
    PURPLE,
    GREEN,
    UNKNOWN
}

public ArtifactColor detectArtifact() {
    // Use normalized colors for better accuracy
    NormalizedRGBA colors = normalizedColorSensor.getNormalizedColors();
    
    // Check if object is close enough
    if (distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM) > 5) {
        return ArtifactColor.UNKNOWN;
    }
    
    // Purple has high red and blue, low green
    if (colors.red > 0.4 && colors.blue > 0.4 && colors.green < 0.3) {
        return ArtifactColor.PURPLE;
    }
    
    // Green has high green, lower red and blue
    if (colors.green > 0.4 && colors.red < 0.3 && colors.blue < 0.3) {
        return ArtifactColor.GREEN;
    }
    
    return ArtifactColor.UNKNOWN;
}

enum class ArtifactColor {
    PURPLE,
    GREEN,
    UNKNOWN
}

fun detectArtifact(): ArtifactColor {
    // Use normalized colors for better accuracy
    val colors = normalizedColorSensor.normalizedColors
    
    // Check if object is close enough
    if (distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM) > 5) {
        return ArtifactColor.UNKNOWN
    }
    
    // Purple has high red and blue, low green
    if (colors.red > 0.4 && colors.blue > 0.4 && colors.green < 0.3) {
        return ArtifactColor.PURPLE
    }
    
    // Green has high green, lower red and blue
    if (colors.green > 0.4 && colors.red < 0.3 && colors.blue < 0.3) {
        return ArtifactColor.GREEN
    }
    
    return ArtifactColor.UNKNOWN
}

Proximity-Based Motor Control

Control motor speed based on distance:

public void updateMotorBasedOnDistance() {
    double distance = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM);
    
    if (distance < 10) {
        // Object very close - stop motor
        motor.setPower(0);
    } else if (distance < 20) {
        // Object nearby - slow down
        motor.setPower(0.5);
    } else {
        // Clear path - full speed
        motor.setPower(1.0);
    }
}

fun updateMotorBasedOnDistance() {
    val distance = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM)
    
    when {
        distance < 10 -> {
            // Object very close - stop motor
            motor.power = 0.0
        }
        distance < 20 -> {
            // Object nearby - slow down
            motor.power = 0.5
        }
        else -> {
            // Clear path - full speed
            motor.power = 1.0
        }
    }
}

Alliance Color Detection

Detect red vs blue alliance colors:

public boolean isRedAlliance() {
    NormalizedRGBA colors = normalizedColorSensor.getNormalizedColors();
    
    // Red > Blue indicates red alliance
    return colors.red > colors.blue;
}

fun isRedAlliance(): Boolean {
    val colors = normalizedColorSensor.normalizedColors
    
    // Red > Blue indicates red alliance
    return colors.red > colors.blue
}

Tips and Best Practices

Lighting Conditions and Gain

Ambient Light: The V3's Broadcom chip performs better in varying lighting conditions than older sensors, but you should still test under competition lighting and adjust the gain as needed!

White LED on the sensor provides consistent illumination
Adjust gain based on competition venue (bright=lower gain, dim=higher gain)
Use normalized colors (getNormalizedColors()) instead of raw values when possible
Shield sensor from direct overhead lights if possible
Calibrate color thresholds during practice matches

Distance Limitations

Effective Range: 0-10cm (0-4 inches)
Accuracy: Less accurate than dedicated REV 2M Distance Sensor
Best Use: Close-range detection (intake sensors, game piece verification)
Time-of-flight technology works best with solid, non-reflective surfaces

Performance Tips

Use Normalized Colors: getNormalizedColors() provides better consistency across lighting conditions
Set Appropriate Gain: Lower gain for bright environments (1-2), higher for dim (12-16)
Read Only What You Need: Don't call red(), green(), blue() every loop if you only need distance
Alpha Channel for Brightness: Use alpha() or colors.alpha to monitor ambient light
Threshold Testing: Find reliable color thresholds experimentally - don't guess!
Physical Mounting: Mount sensor 1-3cm from expected object position for best detection

V3-Specific Features

The Broadcom APDS-9151 chipset in the V3 offers:

Better normalization of color values
Improved alpha channel calculation (ambient brightness)
Configurable resolution and measurement rate
No IR interference (older sensors had issues with this)

Troubleshooting

"Sensor Not Found"

Check I2C bus number in configuration (typically Bus 0 on Control Hub)
Verify you selected "REV Color Sensor V3", not "REV Color/Range Sensor"
Verify cable connections (4-wire JST PH connector)
Ensure sensor name matches exactly in code and config

Inconsistent Color Readings

Check gain setting: Too high = oversaturated, too low = insufficient sensitivity
Use normalized colors: More reliable than raw values
Check mounting position - sensor should be 1-3cm from objects
Verify lighting conditions are consistent
Average multiple readings to reduce noise (3-5 samples)
Ensure sensor white LED is not blocked

Distance Always Returns 0 or Max

Object may be outside 10cm range
Check that you're using DistanceSensor interface, not just ColorSensor
Verify sensor has clear line of sight
Highly reflective or transparent objects may not read correctly
Very dark objects may not reflect enough light

Colors Seem Washed Out or Too Dark

Adjust gain: normalizedColorSensor.setGain(value)
Start with gain of 2-4 and adjust based on your environment
Higher gain for darker lighting, lower for brighter lighting
Monitor the alpha channel to verify brightness levels

Additional Resources

Overview

The REV Color Sensor V3 (REV-31-1557) is a dual-purpose sensor featuring a Broadcom APDS-9151 chip that can:

Detect Colors - Measure red, green, blue, and ambient light intensity (0-255 each)
Measure Distance - Detect objects up to ~10cm away using time-of-flight technology

Dual Functionality: This sensor implements both ColorSensor and DistanceSensor interfaces, so you declare it twice in code using the same hardware map name!

Hardware Configuration

In the Robot Configuration

Connect the sensor to an I2C port on your Control Hub or Expansion Hub
In the Driver Station, go to Configure Robot
Select the I2C Bus your sensor is connected to (typically I2C Bus 0 on the Control Hub)
On the desired port (typically Port 0), select "REV Color Sensor V3" (not "REV Color/Range Sensor")
Name it "sensor_color" (or your preferred name, but avoid spaces)
Save the configuration

Configuration Name: Unlike older V1/V2 sensors configured as "REV Color/Range Sensor", the V3 has its own dedicated configuration option: "REV Color Sensor V3"

Basic Setup

Initializing the Sensor

Since the sensor acts as both a color and distance sensor, you need to declare it twice:

import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.ColorSensor;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.DistanceSensor;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedColorSensor;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedRGBA;
import org.firstinspires.ftc.robotcore.external.navigation.DistanceUnit;

public class RobotHardware {
    private ColorSensor colorSensor;
    private DistanceSensor distanceSensor;
    private NormalizedColorSensor normalizedColorSensor;
    
    public void init(HardwareMap hwMap) {
        // Same name for all - the sensor implements multiple interfaces
        colorSensor = hwMap.get(ColorSensor.class, "sensor_color");
        distanceSensor = hwMap.get(DistanceSensor.class, "sensor_color");
        normalizedColorSensor = hwMap.get(NormalizedColorSensor.class, "sensor_color");
        
        // Optional: Set the gain for different lighting conditions
        // Higher gain = more sensitive (better for dim lighting)
        // Lower gain = less sensitive (better for bright lighting)
        if (normalizedColorSensor != null) {
            normalizedColorSensor.setGain(2);  // Values typically 1-16
        }
    }
}

import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.ColorSensor
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.DistanceSensor
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedColorSensor
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedRGBA
import org.firstinspires.ftc.robotcore.external.navigation.DistanceUnit

class RobotHardware {
    private lateinit var colorSensor: ColorSensor
    private lateinit var distanceSensor: DistanceSensor
    private lateinit var normalizedColorSensor: NormalizedColorSensor
    
    fun init(hwMap: HardwareMap) {
        // Same name for all - the sensor implements multiple interfaces
        colorSensor = hwMap.get(ColorSensor::class.java, "sensor_color")
        distanceSensor = hwMap.get(DistanceSensor::class.java, "sensor_color")
        normalizedColorSensor = hwMap.get(NormalizedColorSensor::class.java, "sensor_color")
        
        // Optional: Set the gain for different lighting conditions
        normalizedColorSensor.gain = 2f  // Values typically 1-16
    }
}

Reading Color Values

RGB Values

The color sensor returns separate values for red, green, and blue light intensity:

// Get individual color channels (0-255)
int red = colorSensor.red();
int green = colorSensor.green();
int blue = colorSensor.blue();
int alpha = colorSensor.alpha();  // Ambient light/brightness

// Display to driver station
telemetry.addData("Red", red);
telemetry.addData("Green", green);
telemetry.addData("Blue", blue);
telemetry.addData("Alpha (brightness)", alpha);

// Get individual color channels (0-255)
val red = colorSensor.red()
val green = colorSensor.green()
val blue = colorSensor.blue()
val alpha = colorSensor.alpha()  // Ambient light/brightness

// Display to driver station
telemetry.addData("Red", red)
telemetry.addData("Green", green)
telemetry.addData("Blue", blue)
telemetry.addData("Alpha (brightness)", alpha)

Normalized Colors (Recommended)

The V3 supports normalized colors which automatically adjust for lighting conditions:

// Get normalized colors (0.0 - 1.0 range)
NormalizedRGBA colors = normalizedColorSensor.getNormalizedColors();

telemetry.addLine()
    .addData("Red", "%.3f", colors.red)
    .addData("Green", "%.3f", colors.green)
    .addData("Blue", "%.3f", colors.blue);
telemetry.addData("Alpha", "%.3f", colors.alpha);

// Convert to Android color for display
int color = colors.toColor();

// Get normalized colors (0.0 - 1.0 range)
val colors = normalizedColorSensor.normalizedColors

telemetry.addLine()
    .addData("Red", "%.3f", colors.red)
    .addData("Green", "%.3f", colors.green)
    .addData("Blue", "%.3f", colors.blue)
telemetry.addData("Alpha", "%.3f", colors.alpha)

// Convert to Android color for display
val color = colors.toColor()

Adjusting Gain for Lighting Conditions

The V3's Broadcom chip allows adjusting sensitivity via gain:

// Adjust gain based on lighting
// Lower values (1-2): Bright competition lighting
// Medium values (4-8): Normal indoor lighting  
// Higher values (12-16): Dim lighting

normalizedColorSensor.setGain(4);  // Adjust as needed

// Get current gain
float currentGain = normalizedColorSensor.getGain();
telemetry.addData("Sensor Gain", currentGain);

// Adjust gain based on lighting
normalizedColorSensor.gain = 4f  // Adjust as needed

// Get current gain
val currentGain = normalizedColorSensor.gain
telemetry.addData("Sensor Gain", currentGain)

ARGB Format

You can also get all color data as a single integer:

// Get color as a single integer (#aarrggbb)
int argb = colorSensor.argb();

// Extract individual channels
int alpha = (argb >> 24) & 0xFF;
int red = (argb >> 16) & 0xFF;
int green = (argb >> 8) & 0xFF;
int blue = argb & 0xFF;

// Get color as a single integer (#aarrggbb)
val argb = colorSensor.argb()

// Extract individual channels
val alpha = (argb shr 24) and 0xFF
val red = (argb shr 16) and 0xFF
val green = (argb shr 8) and 0xFF
val blue = argb and 0xFF

ColorSensor Methods

Method	Returns	Description
`red()`	`int` (0-255)	Amount of red light detected
`green()`	`int` (0-255)	Amount of green light detected
`blue()`	`int` (0-255)	Amount of blue light detected
`alpha()`	`int` (0-255)	Ambient light level (brightness)
`argb()`	`int`	Color in `#aarrggbb` format
`getNormalizedColors()`	`NormalizedRGBA`	Normalized color values (0.0-1.0)
`setGain(float)`	`void`	Set sensor sensitivity (1-16)
`getGain()`	`float`	Get current sensor gain

Reading Distance

DistanceUnit Class

The SDK provides a DistanceUnit enum to handle unit conversions automatically:

// Get distance in different units
double distanceCm = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM);
double distanceInch = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.INCH);
double distanceMm = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.MM);

telemetry.addData("Distance (cm)", "%.2f", distanceCm);
telemetry.addData("Distance (in)", "%.2f", distanceInch);

// Get distance in different units
val distanceCm = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM)
val distanceInch = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.INCH)
val distanceMm = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.MM)

telemetry.addData("Distance (cm)", "%.2f", distanceCm)
telemetry.addData("Distance (in)", "%.2f", distanceInch)

Available Distance Units

DistanceUnit	Description
`DistanceUnit.MM`	Millimeters
`DistanceUnit.CM`	Centimeters (recommended)
`DistanceUnit.INCH`	Inches
`DistanceUnit.METER`	Meters

Unit Conversion: Store distances internally in one unit (typically CM) and use DistanceUnit methods like toCm() and fromCm() to convert as needed. This prevents unit conversion errors!

Complete Example

Here's a full OpMode demonstrating both color and distance sensing with the V3:

package org.firstinspires.ftc.teamcode;

import com.qualcomm.robotcore.eventloop.opmode.OpMode;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.eventloop.opmode.TeleOp;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.ColorSensor;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.DistanceSensor;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedColorSensor;
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedRGBA;
import org.firstinspires.ftc.robotcore.external.navigation.DistanceUnit;

@TeleOp(name = "Color Sensor V3 Demo")
public class ColorSensorV3Demo extends OpMode {
    private ColorSensor colorSensor;
    private DistanceSensor distanceSensor;
    private NormalizedColorSensor normalizedColorSensor;
    
    @Override
    public void init() {
        colorSensor = hardwareMap.get(ColorSensor.class, "sensor_color");
        distanceSensor = hardwareMap.get(DistanceSensor.class, "sensor_color");
        normalizedColorSensor = hardwareMap.get(NormalizedColorSensor.class, "sensor_color");
        
        // Set gain for your lighting conditions
        normalizedColorSensor.setGain(2);
        
        telemetry.addLine("Color Sensor V3 initialized!");
        telemetry.addData("Gain", normalizedColorSensor.getGain());
    }
    
    @Override
    public void loop() {
        // Read normalized colors (recommended)
        NormalizedRGBA colors = normalizedColorSensor.getNormalizedColors();
        
        // Read raw color values
        int red = colorSensor.red();
        int green = colorSensor.green();
        int blue = colorSensor.blue();
        int alpha = colorSensor.alpha();
        
        // Read distance
        double distanceCm = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM);
        
        // Display normalized colors
        telemetry.addLine("=== Normalized Colors (0.0-1.0) ===");
        telemetry.addData("Red", "%.3f", colors.red);
        telemetry.addData("Green", "%.3f", colors.green);
        telemetry.addData("Blue", "%.3f", colors.blue);
        telemetry.addData("Alpha", "%.3f", colors.alpha);
        
        // Display raw values
        telemetry.addLine("\n=== Raw Values (0-255) ===");
        telemetry.addData("Red", red);
        telemetry.addData("Green", green);
        telemetry.addData("Blue", blue);
        telemetry.addData("Alpha", alpha);
        
        // Display distance
        telemetry.addLine("\n=== Distance ===");
        telemetry.addData("Distance (cm)", "%.2f", distanceCm);
        

        // Detect primary color
        String detectedColor = "Unknown";
        if (red > green && red > blue) {
            detectedColor = "Red";
        } else if (green > red && green > blue) {
            detectedColor = "Green";
        } else if (blue > red && blue > green) {
            detectedColor = "Blue";
        }
        
        telemetry.addLine("\n=== Detection ===");
        telemetry.addData("Detected Color", detectedColor);
        telemetry.addData("Object Nearby", distanceCm < 5);
    }
}

package org.firstinspires.ftc.teamcode

import com.qualcomm.robotcore.eventloop.opmode.OpMode
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.eventloop.opmode.TeleOp
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.ColorSensor
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.DistanceSensor
import com.qualcomm.robotcore.hardware.NormalizedColorSensor
import org.firstinspires.ftc.robotcore.external.navigation.DistanceUnit

@TeleOp(name = "Color Sensor V3 Demo")
class ColorSensorV3Demo : OpMode() {
    private lateinit var colorSensor: ColorSensor
    private lateinit var distanceSensor: DistanceSensor
    private lateinit var normalizedColorSensor: NormalizedColorSensor
    
    override fun init() {
        colorSensor = hardwareMap.get(ColorSensor::class.java, "sensor_color")
        distanceSensor = hardwareMap.get(DistanceSensor::class.java, "sensor_color")
        normalizedColorSensor = hardwareMap.get(NormalizedColorSensor::class.java, "sensor_color")
        
        // Set gain for your lighting conditions
        normalizedColorSensor.gain = 2f
        
        telemetry.addLine("Color Sensor V3 initialized!")
        telemetry.addData("Gain", normalizedColorSensor.gain)
    }
    
    override fun loop() {
        // Read normalized colors (recommended)
        val colors = normalizedColorSensor.normalizedColors
        
        // Read raw color values
        val red = colorSensor.red()
        val green = colorSensor.green()
        val blue = colorSensor.blue()
        val alpha = colorSensor.alpha()
        
        // Read distance
        val distanceCm = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM)
        
        // Display normalized colors
        telemetry.addLine("=== Normalized Colors (0.0-1.0) ===")
        telemetry.addData("Red", "%.3f", colors.red)
        telemetry.addData("Green", "%.3f", colors.green)
        telemetry.addData("Blue", "%.3f", colors.blue)
        telemetry.addData("Alpha", "%.3f", colors.alpha)
        
        // Display raw values
        telemetry.addLine("\n=== Raw Values (0-255) ===")
        telemetry.addData("Red", red)
        telemetry.addData("Green", green)
        telemetry.addData("Blue", blue)
        telemetry.addData("Alpha", alpha)
        
        // Display distance
        telemetry.addLine("\n=== Distance ===")
        telemetry.addData("Distance (cm)", "%.2f", distanceCm)
        
        // Detect primary color
        val detectedColor = when {
            red > green && red > blue -> "Red"
            green > red && green > blue -> "Green"
            blue > red && blue > green -> "Blue"
            else -> "Unknown"
        }
        
        telemetry.addLine("\n=== Detection ===")
        telemetry.addData("Detected Color", detectedColor)
        telemetry.addData("Object Nearby", distanceCm < 5)
    }
}

Practical Applications

Game Element Detection

Detect colored game pieces (ARTIFACTS in DECODE):

public enum ArtifactColor {
    PURPLE,
    GREEN,
    UNKNOWN
}

public ArtifactColor detectArtifact() {
    // Use normalized colors for better accuracy
    NormalizedRGBA colors = normalizedColorSensor.getNormalizedColors();
    
    // Check if object is close enough
    if (distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM) > 5) {
        return ArtifactColor.UNKNOWN;
    }
    
    // Purple has high red and blue, low green
    if (colors.red > 0.4 && colors.blue > 0.4 && colors.green < 0.3) {
        return ArtifactColor.PURPLE;
    }
    
    // Green has high green, lower red and blue
    if (colors.green > 0.4 && colors.red < 0.3 && colors.blue < 0.3) {
        return ArtifactColor.GREEN;
    }
    
    return ArtifactColor.UNKNOWN;
}

enum class ArtifactColor {
    PURPLE,
    GREEN,
    UNKNOWN
}

fun detectArtifact(): ArtifactColor {
    // Use normalized colors for better accuracy
    val colors = normalizedColorSensor.normalizedColors
    
    // Check if object is close enough
    if (distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM) > 5) {
        return ArtifactColor.UNKNOWN
    }
    
    // Purple has high red and blue, low green
    if (colors.red > 0.4 && colors.blue > 0.4 && colors.green < 0.3) {
        return ArtifactColor.PURPLE
    }
    
    // Green has high green, lower red and blue
    if (colors.green > 0.4 && colors.red < 0.3 && colors.blue < 0.3) {
        return ArtifactColor.GREEN
    }
    
    return ArtifactColor.UNKNOWN
}

Proximity-Based Motor Control

Control motor speed based on distance:

public void updateMotorBasedOnDistance() {
    double distance = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM);
    
    if (distance < 10) {
        // Object very close - stop motor
        motor.setPower(0);
    } else if (distance < 20) {
        // Object nearby - slow down
        motor.setPower(0.5);
    } else {
        // Clear path - full speed
        motor.setPower(1.0);
    }
}

fun updateMotorBasedOnDistance() {
    val distance = distanceSensor.getDistance(DistanceUnit.CM)
    
    when {
        distance < 10 -> {
            // Object very close - stop motor
            motor.power = 0.0
        }
        distance < 20 -> {
            // Object nearby - slow down
            motor.power = 0.5
        }
        else -> {
            // Clear path - full speed
            motor.power = 1.0
        }
    }
}

Alliance Color Detection

Detect red vs blue alliance colors:

public boolean isRedAlliance() {
    NormalizedRGBA colors = normalizedColorSensor.getNormalizedColors();
    
    // Red > Blue indicates red alliance
    return colors.red > colors.blue;
}

fun isRedAlliance(): Boolean {
    val colors = normalizedColorSensor.normalizedColors
    
    // Red > Blue indicates red alliance
    return colors.red > colors.blue
}

Tips and Best Practices

Lighting Conditions and Gain

Ambient Light: The V3's Broadcom chip performs better in varying lighting conditions than older sensors, but you should still test under competition lighting and adjust the gain as needed!

White LED on the sensor provides consistent illumination
Adjust gain based on competition venue (bright=lower gain, dim=higher gain)
Use normalized colors (getNormalizedColors()) instead of raw values when possible
Shield sensor from direct overhead lights if possible
Calibrate color thresholds during practice matches

Distance Limitations

Effective Range: 0-10cm (0-4 inches)
Accuracy: Less accurate than dedicated REV 2M Distance Sensor
Best Use: Close-range detection (intake sensors, game piece verification)
Time-of-flight technology works best with solid, non-reflective surfaces

Performance Tips

Use Normalized Colors: getNormalizedColors() provides better consistency across lighting conditions
Set Appropriate Gain: Lower gain for bright environments (1-2), higher for dim (12-16)
Read Only What You Need: Don't call red(), green(), blue() every loop if you only need distance
Alpha Channel for Brightness: Use alpha() or colors.alpha to monitor ambient light
Threshold Testing: Find reliable color thresholds experimentally - don't guess!
Physical Mounting: Mount sensor 1-3cm from expected object position for best detection

V3-Specific Features

The Broadcom APDS-9151 chipset in the V3 offers:

Better normalization of color values
Improved alpha channel calculation (ambient brightness)
Configurable resolution and measurement rate
No IR interference (older sensors had issues with this)

Troubleshooting

"Sensor Not Found"

Check I2C bus number in configuration (typically Bus 0 on Control Hub)
Verify you selected "REV Color Sensor V3", not "REV Color/Range Sensor"
Verify cable connections (4-wire JST PH connector)
Ensure sensor name matches exactly in code and config

Inconsistent Color Readings

Check gain setting: Too high = oversaturated, too low = insufficient sensitivity
Use normalized colors: More reliable than raw values
Check mounting position - sensor should be 1-3cm from objects
Verify lighting conditions are consistent
Average multiple readings to reduce noise (3-5 samples)
Ensure sensor white LED is not blocked

Distance Always Returns 0 or Max

Object may be outside 10cm range
Check that you're using DistanceSensor interface, not just ColorSensor
Verify sensor has clear line of sight
Highly reflective or transparent objects may not read correctly
Very dark objects may not reflect enough light

Colors Seem Washed Out or Too Dark

Adjust gain: normalizedColorSensor.setGain(value)
Start with gain of 2-4 and adjust based on your environment
Higher gain for darker lighting, lower for brighter lighting
Monitor the alpha channel to verify brightness levels

REV Color Sensor V3

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REV Color Sensor V3

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