A VCSEL die is packaged so that its optical axis is at a predetermined non-perpendicular and nonparallel angle relative to the plane of a PCB to which the packaged die will be mounted. The die is packaged to form an emitting component which is shaped to orient the VCSEL optical axis at the predetermined angle when the component is placed onto a PCB. The component can be used in combination with a flip-chip sensor IC located on an opposite side of a PCB from the emitting component. The component can also be used in combination with a CSP sensor IC on the same side of a PCB. A VCSEL die and sensor IC can be contained in a single package. The optical axis of the VCSEL die packaged with a sensor IC may or may not be perpendicular to a plane of an array in the sensor IC.