A bio-sensing device (and method) calibrates a time period used to make bio-physical measurements. The device initiates a light source sense phase followed by a first ambient sense phase and a second ambient sense phase. In the light source sense phase, the device is configured to receive a digital value indicative of current through a photodetector while the light source circuit is enabled and in each of the first and second ambient sense phases, the device is configured to receive digital values while the light source circuit is disabled. The device iteratively varies the time period between the phases until the digital value received during the first ambient sense phase is within a threshold of the digital value received during the second ambient sense phase. It then applies the same time separation between the light source sense phase and the ambient phase thereby equalizing the magnitude of the ambient light in the two phases.
