M0177 Starling 2 ToF Flex Cable
Short 40-pin Molex flex that carries the lower CSI group and 5 V from an M0172 or M0173 adapter to the M0178 ToF module.
Table of contents
Overview
The M0177 is the short flex cable that ships in Starling 2 and in the VOXL 2 ToF developer bundles to connect the M0178 PMD IRS2975C Time of Flight (ToF) module to VOXL 2. It is a straight, one-to-one flex on the ModalAI 40-pin Molex SSB RP connector format: one end plugs into the 40-pin ToF connector on an M0173 Starling 2 front end or an M0172 ToF + hi-res adapter, and the other end accepts the M0178 (or M0171) ToF adapter board.
The cable is built for exactly one job, so only the signals the ToF module uses are routed: the lower camera group’s two-lane MIPI CSI interface, its CCI I2C bus and MCLK, RESET_N, 1.8 V DOVDD, 3.3 V, and the 5 V power nails that feed the module’s illuminator regulator. Every other position on the 40-pin connector is left unconnected. For a general-purpose 40-pin extension that passes all signals, see the M0170.
Connection chain:
VOXL 2 / VOXL 2 Mini <-> M0173 (J3) or M0172 (J1L) <-> M0177 <-> M0178 <-> IRS2975C ToF sensor
Do not chain an M0177 and an M0170 back to back to gain length. See the guidance on extending image sensor cable lengths. If the M0177 is too short for your installation, use the M0170 70 mm flex in its place.
Specification
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Part Number | M0177-1 |
| Function | 40-pin to 40-pin ToF flex, straight (pin 1 to pin 1) |
| Connector Family | Molex Slimstack SSB RP, 40 signal positions plus 4 power nails, 0.35 mm pitch |
| VOXL 2 Side, P1 | Molex 5052744012 plug. Mates with the 40-pin receptacle on M0173 (J3) or M0172 (J1L) |
| Sensor Side, J1 | Molex 5054134010 receptacle, 0.9 mm mate height. Accepts the M0178 or M0171 P1 plug |
| Signals Routed | Lower-group CSI clock and lanes 0 and 1, CCI I2C, MCLK, RESET_N, DOVDD 1.8 V, 3.3 V, 5 V |
| Length | About 43 mm connector to connector, per the 3D model |
| Power Rating | 3 A on the power nail pair (Molex SSB RP power contacts) |
| Passive Components | None |
| Schematic Revision | SCH-M0177 Rev A, March 2024 |
Pinout
The flex is straight through: pin N on P1 connects to pin N on J1. Pins marked N.C. are not routed on this cable. The VOXL 2 side net names come from the M0173 schematic (the lower camera group); the M0178 side names are given in the M0178 datasheet.
| Pin # | Signal (VOXL 2 side) | Notes | Pin # | Signal (VOXL 2 side) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | GND (NAIL_1A) | Power nail, ground | 42 | GND (NAIL_1B) | Power nail, ground |
| 1 | N.C. | 2 | N.C. | ||
| 3 | DOVDD_1P8 | 1.8 V I/O supply (VREG_L7_1P8 on M0178) | 4 | VREG_3P3V_LOCAL | 3.3 V |
| 5 | N.C. | 6 | N.C. | ||
| 7 | N.C. | 8 | GND | ||
| 9 | GND | 10 | N.C. | ||
| 11 | LWR_CSI_CLK_P | MIPI CSI clock, lower camera group | 12 | N.C. | |
| 13 | LWR_CSI_CLK_N | MIPI CSI clock, lower camera group | 14 | N.C. | |
| 15 | LWR_CSI_LANE0_P | MIPI CSI data lane 0 | 16 | N.C. | |
| 17 | LWR_CSI_LANE0_N | MIPI CSI data lane 0 | 18 | GND | |
| 19 | LWR_CSI_LANE1_P | MIPI CSI data lane 1 | 20 | LWR_RST_N | Sensor reset (pulled high on M0178, unused) |
| 21 | LWR_CSI_LANE1_N | MIPI CSI data lane 1 | 22 | N.C. | |
| 23 | GND | 24 | LWR_CCI_I2C_SDA | CCI I2C data, 1.8 V | |
| 25 | N.C. | 26 | LWR_CCI_I2C_SCL | CCI I2C clock, 1.8 V | |
| 27 | N.C. | 28 | N.C. | ||
| 29 | N.C. | 30 | N.C. | ||
| 31 | N.C. | 32 | GND | ||
| 33 | GND | 34 | LWR_MCLK | Sensor master clock, 1.8 V | |
| 35 | N.C. | 36 | N.C. | ||
| 37 | VREG_3P3V_LOCAL | 3.3 V | 38 | N.C. | |
| 39 | N.C. | 40 | N.C. | ||
| 43 | VDC_5V_LOCAL (NAIL_2A) | Power nail, 5 V to the ToF illuminator supply | 44 | VDC_5V_LOCAL (NAIL_2B) | Power nail, 5 V |
The power nails are numbered 41 through 44 and sit at both ends of the connector, with 41 and 42 nearest pin 1. When mating, confirm pin 1 lines up with pin 1 on both ends. The M0178 datasheet has a labeled connector drawing.
Schematic
Compatibility
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| VOXL 2 adapters | M0173 J3 (Starling 2 front end), M0172 J1L (ToF + hi-res adapter) |
| ToF modules | M0178 (Starling 2 ToF adapter with mounting tab), M0171 (same without the tab) |
| Camera group | Lower camera group on the host adapter |
| Sensor type in voxl-camera-server | pmd-tof-liow2 |
| Longer alternative | M0170 70 mm straight 40-pin flex |