The 6180X is kind of robust but the most common issues are:
- Poor power.
- noise on the GPIO0 (Shutdown line) - this puts the sensor into reset and makes mess - a good sized pull-up is recommended.
- -miss-configured I2C. This is easy to do. Always check the status on all your calls. An i2C failure will show up as a timeout.
But do look at the chip, if it's running you will see the laser - unless you are a bit old. Then use a laptop camera to view the laser.
Good luck,
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