The OPT3004 has an automatic full-scale-range setting mode that eliminates the need for a user to predict and set the optimal range for the device. This mode is entered when the configuration register range number field (RN[3:0]) is set to 1100b.

The first measurement that the device takes in auto-range mode is a 10-ms range assessment measurement. The device then determines the appropriate full-scale range to take its first full measurement.

For subsequent measurements, the full-scale range is set by the result of the previous measurement. If a measurement is towards the low side of full-scale, the full-scale range is decreased by one or two settings for the next measurement. If a measurement is towards the upper side of full-scale, the full-scale range is increased by one setting for the next measurement.

If the measurement exceeds the full-scale range, resulting from a fast increasing optical transient event, the current measurement is aborted. This invalid measurement is not reported. A 10-ms measurement is taken to assess and properly reset the full-scale range. Then, a new measurement is taken with this proper full-scale range. Therefore, during a fast increasing optical transient in this mode, a measurement can possibly take longer to complete and report than indicated by the configuration register conversion time field (CT).