Sensors / Temperature

Thermocouples are very sensitive, requiring a good amplifier with a cold-compensation reference. We have a couple digital thermocouple amplifiers in the shop already from Maxim. Now we're happy to introduce an excellent analog-output amplifier. This is a very simple sensor to use, and if your microcontroller has analog input capability, you'll be ready to go really fast! The AD8495 K-type thermocouple amplifier from Analog Devices is so...

You can now add affordable heat-vision to your project and with an Adafruit MLX90640 Thermal Camera Breakout. This sensor contains a 24x32 array of IR thermal sensors. When connected to your microcontroller (or Raspberry Pi) it will return an array of 768 individual infrared temperature readings over I2C. It's like those fancy thermal cameras, but compact and simple enough for easy integration. This version has a wide 110°x70° field...

This is a pre-wired and waterproofed version of the DS18B20 sensor made with a PTFE wire cable. Handy for when you need to measure something far away, or in wet conditions. This sensor is a little more expensive than the other waterproof version we have with a PVC cable because this one can be used up to 125°C - the limit of the sensor itself. That said, it's still not recommended for salt-water or corrosive environments since the...

Thermocouples are very sensitive, requiring a good amplifier with a cold-compensation reference. The Adafruit MCP9600 does all that for you, and can be easily interfaced with any microcontroller or single-board-computer with I2C. Inside, the chip handles all the analog stuff for you, and can interface with just about any thermocouple type: K, J, T, N, S, E, B and R type are all supported! You can also set various alerts for over/under...

This I2C digital temperature sensor is one of the more accurate/precise we've ever seen, with a typical accuracy of ±0.25°C over the sensor's -40°C to +125°C range and precision of +0.0625°C. They work great with any microcontroller using standard i2c. There are 3 address pins so you can connect up to 8 to a single I2C bus without address collisions. Best of all, a wide voltage range makes it usable with 2.7V to...

The long-awaited BME688 from Bosch gives you  all the environmental sensing you want  in one small package. This little sensor contains  temperature ,  humidity ,  barometric pressure,  and  VOC gas  sensing capabilities. All over SPI or I2C at a great price! The BME688 is a 'drop in' replacement for the BME680 - it adds a method of programming the gas-sensor heater for controlled odor-analysis but...

Take your next outdoor sensor project to the next level with this SHT-30 based temperature/humidity sensor. The sensor includes a dual-use sensor module from Sensirion in a sintered metal mesh encasing. The casing is weatherproof and will keep water from seeping into the body of the sensor and damaging it, but allows air to pass through so that it can measure the humidity outside. While it is designed to be submersible in water, it's always...

Sensirion Temperature/Humidity sensors are some of the finest & highest-accuracy devices you can get. And finally, we have some that have a true I2C interface for easy reading. The  SHT40 sensor is the fourth generation (started at the SHT10 and worked its way up to the top!). The SHT40 has an excellent ±1.8% typical relative humidity accuracy from 25 to 75% and ±0.2 °C typical accuracy from 0 to 75 °C. Unlike...

Need to measure something damp? This epoxy-coated precision 1% 10K thermistor is an inexpensive way to measure temperature in weather or liquids. The resistance in 25 °C is 10K (+- 1%). The resistance goes down as it gets warmer and goes up as it gets cooler. For specific temperature-to-resistance, check the lookup table. These are often used for air conditioners, water lines, and other places where they can get damp. The PVC coating of the...

Thermocouples are very sensitive, requiring a good amplifier with a cold-compensation reference, as well as calculations to handle any non-linearities. For a long time we've suggested our MAX31855K breakout, which works great but is only for K-type thermocouples. Now we're happy to offer a great new thermocouple amplifier/converter that can handle just about any type of thermocouple, and even has the ability to give you notification when...

Most low cost soil sensors are resistive style, where there's two prongs and the sensor measures the conductivity between the two. These work OK at first, but eventually start to oxidize because of the exposed metal. Even if they're gold plated! The resistivity measurement goes up and up, so you constantly have to re-calibrate your code. Also, resistive measurements don't always work in loose soil. This design is superior with a...

The long awaited BME680 from Bosch gives you  all the environmental sensing you want  in one small package. This little sensor contains  temperature ,  humidity ,  barometric pressure,  and  VOC gas  sensing capabilities. All over SPI or I2C at a great price! Like the BME280 & BMP280, this precision sensor from Bosch can measure humidity with ±3% accuracy, barometric pressure with ±1...

The AHT20 is a nice but inexpensive temperature and humidity sensor from the same folks that brought us the DHT22. You can take sensor readings as often as you like, and it uses standard I2C so its super easy to use with any Arduino or Linux/Raspberry Pi board. This sensor has a typical accuracy of +- 2% relative humidity, and +-0.3 °C at 20-80% RH and 20-60 °C. There is only one I2C address so it's not a good option when you need...

This is a pre-wired and waterproofed (with heat shrink) version of a 1 Wire DS18B20-compatible sensor. Handy for when you need to measure something far away, or in wet conditions. While the sensor is good up to 125°C the cable is jacketed in PVC so we suggest keeping it under 100°C. Because they are digital, you don't get any signal degradation even over long distances! These 1-wire digital temperature sensors are fairly precise...

Thermocouples are very sensitive, requiring a good amplifier with a cold-compensation reference. The MAX31855K does everything for you, and can be easily interfaced with any microcontroller, even one without an analog input. This breakout board has the chip itself, a 3.3V regulator with 10uF bypass capacitors and level shifting circuitry, all assembled and tested. Comes with a 2 pin terminal block (for connecting to the thermocouple) and pin...

Bosch has been a leader in barometric pressure sensors, from the BMP085. BMP180, and BMP280... now we've got the next generation, the Adafruit BMP388 Precision Barometric Pressure sensor . As you would expect, this sensor is similar to its earlier versions but even better . The BMP388 has better precision than ever, which makes it excellent for environmental sensing or as a precision altimeter . It can even be used in either I2C and SPI...

Bosch has stepped up their game with their new BMP280 sensor, an environmental sensor with temperature, barometric pressure that is the next generation upgrade to the BMP085/BMP180/BMP183. This sensor is great for all sorts of weather sensing and can even be used in both I2C and SPI! This precision sensor from Bosch is the best low-cost, precision sensing solution for measuring barometric pressure with ±1 hPa absolute accuracy, and...

Wide range, low power temperature sensor outputs an analog voltage that is proportional to the ambient temperature. To use, connect pin 1 (left) to power (between 2.7 and 5.5V), pin 3 (right) to ground, and pin 2 to analog in on your microcontroller. The voltage out is 0V at -50°C and 1.75V at 125°C. You can easily calculate the temperature from the voltage in millivolts: Temp °C = 100*(reading in V) - 50 See the webpage for...

Sensirion Temperature/Humidity sensors are some of the finest & highest-accuracy devices you can get. And, finally we have some that have a true I2C interface for easy reading. The SHT31-D  sensor has an excellent ±2% relative humidity and ±0.3°C accuracy for most uses. We now use the version with a PTFE filter, it'll stay clean while still allowing humidity measurements to work Unlike earlier SHT...

You can now add affordable heat-vision to your project and with an Adafruit MLX90640 Thermal Camera Breakout. This sensor contains a 24x32 array of IR thermal sensors. When connected to your microcontroller (or Raspberry Pi) it will return an array of 768 individual infrared temperature readings over I2C. It's like those fancy thermal cameras, but compact and simple enough for easy integration. This version has a narrow 55°x35° field...

The MCP9808 digital temperature sensor is one of the more accurate/precise we've ever seen, with a typical accuracy of ±0.25°C over the sensor's -40°C to +125°C range and precision of +0.0625°C. They work great with any microcontroller using standard I2C. With three address jumpers on the back, you can connect up to 8 to a single I2C bus without address collisions. Best of all, a wide voltage range makes it usable...

Need to measure something with a very slim sensor? This precision 10K thermistor is an inexpensive way to measure temperature in a small gap, or taped to a flat surface, it's only 0.2mm wide! The resistance in 25°C is 10K (+- 1%). The resistance goes down as it gets warmer and goes up as it gets cooler. For specific temperature-to-resistance, check the lookup table. We have a great detailed tutorial on how thermistors work and how...

For precision temperature sensing, nothing beats a Platinum RTD. Resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) are temperature sensors that contain a resistor that changes resistance value as its temperature changes, basically a kind of thermistor. In this resistance sensor, the resistor is actually a small strip of Platinum with a resistance of 100 ohms at 0°C, thus the name PT100. You can also use this sensor to measure any kind of variable...

For precision temperature sensing, nothing beats a Platinum RTD. Resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) are temperature sensors that contain a resistor that changes resistance value as its temperature changes, basically a kind of thermistor. In this sensor, the resistor is actually a small strip of Platinum with a resistance of 100 ohms at 0°C, thus the name PT100. Compared to most NTC/PTC thermistors, the PT type of RTD is much most stable...

It's summer and you're sweating and your hair's all frizzy and all you really want to know is why the weatherman said this morning that today's relative humidity would max out at a perfectly reasonable 42% when it feels more like 77%. Enter the  Si7021 Temperature + Humidity Sensor  - the best way to prove the weatherman wrong! This lovely sensor for Silicon labs has ± 3% relative humidity measurements with a...

The Adafruit PCT2075 Temperature Sensor is a 'code compatible' drop-in replacement for a very common I2C temperature sensor, the LM75. Compared to the LM75, however, the 11-bit ADC in the PCT2075 provides more precise measurements when compared to the LM75's 9-bit ADC. Additionally, because the PCT2075 allows the address pins to work in three states (high, low, floating), you can have 27 PCT2075s on the same bus as opposed to only 8...

The AM2302 is a wired version of the DHT22, in a large plastic body. It is a basic, low-cost digital temperature and humidity sensor. It uses a capacitive humidity sensor and a thermistor to measure the surrounding air, and spits out a digital signal on the data pin (no analog input pins needed). Its fairly simple to use, but requires careful timing to grab data. The only real downside of this sensor is you can only get new data from it once...

Add heat-vision to your project with an Adafruit AMG8833 Grid-EYE Breakout! This sensor from Panasonic is an 8x8 array of IR thermal sensors. When connected to your microcontroller (or raspberry Pi) it will return an array of 64 individual infrared temperature readings over I2C. It's like those fancy thermal cameras, but compact and simple enough for easy integration. This part will measure temperatures ranging from 0°C to 80°C...

For precision temperature sensing, nothing beats a Platinum RTD. Resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) are temperature sensors that contain a resistor that changes resistance value as its temperature changes, basically a kind of thermistor. In this sensor, the resistor is actually a small strip of Platinum with a resistance of 1000 ohms at 0°C, thus the name PT1000. Compared to most NTC/PTC thermistors, the PT type of RTD is much most...

The DHT22 is a basic, low-cost digital temperature and humidity sensor. It uses a capacitive humidity sensor and a thermistor to measure the surrounding air, and spits out a digital signal on the data pin (no analog input pins needed). It's fairly simple to use, but requires careful timing to grab data. The only real downside of this sensor is you can only get new data from it once every 2 seconds, so when using our library, sensor readings...

Cooling fans...They're everywhere, and they serve the important purpose of keeping things cool, generally electronics. One might rightfully think: "these fans are pretty good at moving air to keep things cool; maybe I can use one of these neat computer fans to keep my widget frosty" followed closely by throwing up one's hands in confusion at the sight of a 3 or even 4-pin connector. OK, power takes two pins but what are these...

For precision temperature sensing, nothing beats a Platinum RTD. Resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) are temperature sensors that contain a resistor that changes resistance value as its temperature changes, basically a kind of thermistor. In this resistance sensor, the resistor is actually a small strip of Platinum with a resistance of 1000 ohms at 0°C, thus the name PT1000. You can also use this sensor to measure any kind of variable...

Sensirion Temperature/Humidity sensors are some of the finest & highest-accuracy devices you can get. And finally, we have some that have a true I2C interface for easy reading. The  SHTC3  sensor has an excellent ±2% relative humidity and ±0.2 °C accuracy for most uses. Unlike some earlier SHT sensors, this sensor has a true I2C interface on address 0x70. Unlike some earlier SHT sensors, this sensor...

The DHT11 is a basic, ultra low-cost digital temperature and humidity sensor. It uses a capacitive humidity sensor and a thermistor to measure the surrounding air, and spits out a digital signal on the data pin (no analog input pins needed). Its fairly simple to use, but requires careful timing to grab data. The only real downside of this sensor is you can only get new data from it once every 2 seconds, so when using our library, sensor readings...

The TMP117 Precision Temperature Sensor is an I2C temperature sensor that will help you easily add temperature measurement and adjustment to your project. In addition to the obvious support for reading the temperature, the TMP117 can also monitor the temperature and alert you when corrective action needs to be taken. We use the TMP117 (not N or M) variant, which has 16-bit / 0.0078°C measurement resolution, wide operating range of -55 to...

These 1-wire digital temperature sensors are fairly precise (±0.5°C over much of the range) and can give up to 12 bits of precision from the onboard digital-to-analog converter. They work great with any microcontroller using a single digital pin, and you can even connect multiple ones to the same pin, each one has a unique 64-bit ID burned in at the factory to differentiate them. Usable with 3.0-5.0V systems. The only downside is they...

Thermocouples are best used for measuring temperatures that can go above 100 °C. This is a bare wires bead-probe which can measure air or surface temperatures. Most inexpensive thermocouples have a vinyl covering which can melt at around 200 °C, this one uses a fiberglass braid so it can be used in high temperature measurements such as heaters and ovens. There's a small piece of heat shrink on the end to keep the fiberglass from...

This little sensor looks an  awful lot  like the popular DHT11/DHT22 temperature and humidity sensors, but unlike classic DHT sensors, it has an I2C interface! That's right, you do not need to use a bit-bang timing-specific protocol to talk to the AM2320, it uses plain-old-I2C. Whew, that makes things a little easier, doesn't it? But!  We'll let you know, this sensor is not well documented like our other, fancier I2C...

Thermocouples are best used for measuring temperatures that can go above 100°C. This is a bare wires stainless-steel tip probe which can measure air or surface temperatures. Most inexpensive thermocouples have a vinyl covering which can melt at around 200°C, this one uses a fiberglass braid so it can be used in high temperature measurements such as heaters and ovens. There's a small piece of heat shrink on the connector ends of the...

This cyber-tronic looking sensor hides a secret behind it's glimmering eye. Unlike most temperature sensors, this sensor measures infrared light bouncing off of remote objects so it can sense temperature without having to touch them physically. Simply point the sensor towards what you want to measure and it will detect the temperature by absorbing IR waves emitted. Because it doesn't have to touch the object it's measuring, it can...

For fans of the TMP36, we now have a very similar analog temperature sensor with a 3-pin JST connector (we call these STEMMA connectors). Unlike many of our temperature sensors, this one is analog output, not I2C, so its best used by a microcontroller with an analog input, as most microcontrollers do. These sensors are very simple to use, no libraries or complex configurations required. Plug this board into any of our 3-pin JST PH cables (we...

This is a pre-wired and waterproofed version of the DS18B20 sensor made with a PTFE wire cable. Handy for when you need to measure something far away, or in wet conditions. This sensor is a little more expensive than the other waterproof version we have with a PVC cable because this one can be used up to 125°C - the limit of the sensor itself. That said, it's still not recommended for salt-water or corrosive environments since the...

Thermocouples are very sensitive, requiring a good amplifier with a cold-compensation reference. So far we've carried the very nice MAX31855 which is an SPI interface thermocouple amplifier. The '855 is great but if you have a lot of thermocouples to measure it isn't terribly easy to use. That's why we are also carrying the new '850 model from Maxim - it's a "1-Wire" thermocouple amp which can have any number of...

Here is a jolly cute, palm-sized, Bluetooth-enabled sensor to monitor your room's temperature and humidity. Only 43mm x 43mm, we dig its small form factor and minimal design.  The shell is made of durable ABS material. Up front you get a   1.5" (28x28mm) LCD display. These sensors are sold to work with the Mijia "Mi Home" App (iOS and Android) and are a low cost way to add environmental sensing up to...

This pressure sensor from Freescale is a great low-cost sensing solution for measuring barometric pressure. At 1.5 hPa resolution, it's not as precise as our favorite pressure sensor, the BMx280 series, which has up to 0.03 hPa resolution so we don't suggest it as a precision altimeter. However, it's great for basic barometric pressure sensing. The sensor is soldered onto a PCB with 10K pull-up resistors on the I2C pins. This chip is...

Thermocouples are best used for measuring temperatures that can go above 100°C. This is a bare-wire bead-probe which can measure air or surface temperatures. Most inexpensive thermocouples have a vinyl covering which can melt at around 200°C, this one uses a fiberglass braid so it can be used in high temperature measurements such as heaters and ovens. There's a small piece of heat shrink on the end to keep the fiberglass from...

We decided to stock this food-safe heat shrink specifically for people who were building beer-brewing or sous-vide projects using our waterproof DS18B20+ digital temperature sensors. This heat shrink is FDA Compliant for contact with food. The end of the sensor is stainless steel, but the jacketing is PVC, not good for dunking into your food or drink! But this heat shrink makes it easy - simply slip it on, allowing about 1 cm of the stainless...

This cyber-tronic looking sensor hides a secret behind its glimmering eye. Unlike most temperature sensors, this sensor measures infrared light bouncing off of remote objects so it can sense temperature without having to touch them physically. Simply point the sensor towards what you want to measure and it will detect the temperature by absorbing IR waves emitted. Because it doesn't have to touch the object it's measuring, it can sense a...

An assortment of the most common sensors used in electronics. 9 sensors and 3 additional components to interface with the 'analog world'. We have some tutorials here, to get you started. Includes Triple-axis analog accelerometer - for measuring motion and tiltForce sensitive resistor - for sensing pressure/forceTemperature sensor - for measuring from -40 to over +125 degrees C10K breadboard potentiometerHall effect sensor - for sensing a...

Analog Devices, known for their reliable and well-documented sensor chips - has a high precision and high resolution temperature sensor on the market, and we've got a breakout to make it easy to use! The  Analog Devices ADT7410  gets straight to the point - it's an I2C temperature sensor, with 16-bit 0.0078°C temperature resolution and 0.5°C temperature tolerance. Wire it up to your microcontroller or single-board...

The thirst is real! Keep your flora (plants, not the board *wink*) happy and hydrated with the Circuit Playground Express Soil Sensor Mini Kit . This kit will teach you all about how to keep your plants in good condition, by measuring the soil moisture content using a nail and alligator clip, then display red or green LEDs on the Circuit Playground Express to tell you the state of your plant Kit contains: 1 x Circuit Playground Express1 x...

Sometimes you need to sense pressure in a damp environment. And sometimes you need to know the relative changes in pressure as well as the absolute pressure. For the times you need to do both (or either), the LPS35HW is the pressure sensor for you. Combining protection from water intrusion with support for high precision relative and absolute measurements, this sensor will do what you need. With drivers for CircuitPython, Arduino, and Raspberry...

It's rare to see breadboard friendly I2C sensors, but this TO-220 package with 5 pins is, in fact, such a thing! It's a basic temperature sensor, not the highest precision in the world, only ±2°C but it will get the job done when you need simple temperature logging or monitoring. Wiring it up is easy, pin 2 is SDA, middle pin is GND, pin 4 is SCL and the rightmost pin 5 is VDD. You can power it with 3.3 or 5V logic so it's...

When you don't need non-contact or thermal imagery, this basic digital thermometer in  Fahrenheit  will serve your temperature-checking needs. Stick under the tongue or armpit and hold for about 40 seconds until the thermometer beeps and displays the temperature. The thermometer will automatically turn off if no longer in use.   Normal human temperature range is 97.7°F~99.5°F  (36.5°C~37.5°C). If...

This video camera takes photos of temperatures! This camera is specifically tuned to work in the 30˚C~45˚C / 86˚F~113˚ F range with 0.5˚C / 1˚ F accuracy, so it's excellent for human temperature & fever detection. In fact, this thermal camera is often used by companies/airports/hotels/malls to do a first-pass fever check: If any person has a temperature of over 99˚F an alarm goes off so you can do a secondary check with an...

Worried about spreading germs around the house? No worries with this super-sleek no-contact forehead digital thermometer in Fahrenheit . Just hover the thermometer over the forehead, hold the button for about 5 seconds until you feel the thermometer vibrate as it displays the temperature.  Features: High-precision infrared sensor technology:  Ultra-sensitive infrared sensors measure IR energy emitted from...

Take your next outdoor sensor project to the next level with a SHT-10 based temperature/humidity sensor. The sensor includes a dual-use sensor module from Sensirion in a sintered metal mesh encasing. The casing is weatherproof and will keep water from seeping into the body of the sensor and damaging it, but allows air to pass through so that it can measure the humidity outside. While it is designed to be submersible in water, it's always...

This video camera takes photos of temperatures! This camera is specifically tuned to work in the 30˚C~45˚C / 86˚F~113˚ F range with 0.5˚C / 1˚ F accuracy, so it's excellent for human temperature & fever detection. In fact, this thermal camera is often used by companies/airports/hotels/malls to do a first-pass fever check: If any person has a temperature of over 99˚F an alarm goes off so you can do a secondary check with an...

T ​​​​​​ his handheld digital thermometer with built-in infrared remote temperature sensor is perfect for quickly and easily checking folk's temperatures. There is no skin contact and no need to worry about disinfecting or sticking under your tongue, ear, or elsewhere. It's super fast, get a reading in a second! Excellent for human temperature & fever detection. The accuracy of your measurements may be affected by...

Unlike all the other temperature sensors we have, this breakout has a really cool IR sensor from TI that can measure the temperature of an object without touching it! Simply point the sensor towards what you want to measure and it will detect the temperature by absorbing IR waves emitted. The embedded thermopile sensor generates a very very small voltage depending on how much IR there is, and using some math, that micro voltage can be used to...

Unlike most of the other temperature sensors we have, this breakout has a really cool IR sensor from TI that can measure the temperature of an object without touching it! Please note: These parts are formally discontinued, they work great but we won't be stocking for a much longer! The TMP007 is the latest thermopile sensor from TI, and is an update of the TMP006. The internal math engine does all the temperature calculations so its easier...

It's summer and you're sweating and your hair's all frizzy and all you really want to know is why the weatherman said this morning that today's relative humidity would max out at a perfectly reasonable 52% when it feels more like 77%. Enter the  HDC1008 Temperature + Humidity Sensor  - the best way to prove the weatherman wrong! This I2C digital humidity sensor is a fairly accurate and intelligent alternative to the...

Humidity is notoriously difficult to measure. Some of the scientific and electronic considerations to measuring humidity include: analog to digital interface and external circuitry which might require op-amps or oscillator circuitry; temperature compensation adjustments to calculate dew point; calibration against a known humidity source; mounting, protection and response time in the real-world. If you're interested in the details see Tracy...

This precision sensor from Bosch is the best low-cost sensing solution for measuring barometric pressure and temperature. Because pressure changes with altitude you can also use it as an altimeter! The sensor is soldered onto a PCB with a 3.3V regulator, I2C level shifter and pull-up resistors on the I2C pins. NEW! We now have a fully 5V compliant version of this board - a 3.3V regulator and a i2c level shifter circuit is included so you can use...

This inertial-measurement-unit combines 3 of the best quality sensors available on the market to give you 11 axes of data: 3 axes of accelerometer data, 3 axes gyroscopic, 3 axes magnetic (compass), barometric pressure/altitude and temperature. We tested many different 'combination' sensors and found these were the best value, with stable and reliable readings. The L3DG20H gyroscope + LSM303DLHC accelerometer compass + BMP180...

The Pax Instruments T400 Temperature Datalogger is an open source four-channel thermocouple temperature datalogger based on the Arduino Leonardo platform. The Pax Instruments T400 datalogger is designed to be out of the box ready for professionals and hobbyists alike. If you need a temperature datalogger that works every time, this is the device for you! Measurements can be logged to the provided microSD card, graphed on screen, and printed...