Raspberry Pi Pico Temperature Sensor: A Complete Guide
In this article, we’ll guide you on how to use the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller to create a temperature sensor. We’ll cover the basics of the Pico, the components needed, and the code required to make it all work. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, you’ll find everything you need to get started.
What is Raspberry Pi Pico?
The Raspberry Pi Pico is a microcontroller board designed by the Raspberry Pi foundation. It’s based on the RP2040 microcontroller chip and has 2MB of onboard flash memory, as well as 26 multifunction GPIO pins. The Pico is a great choice for building simple, low-cost, and energy-efficient devices like temperature sensors.
What You’ll Need
- Raspberry Pi Pico board
- Breadboard
- Thermistor (NTC, 10KΩ)
- Resistor (10KΩ)
- Jumper wires
Wiring Guide
Connect the thermistor to the breadboard, with one leg on row 1 and the other on row 2. Connect the resistor across the same row as the thermistor’s second leg. Then connect the Pico’s 3.3V pin to row 1 and the Pico’s GP26 pin to the same row as the resistor’s second leg. Finally, connect the Pico’s GND pin to row 2.
Programming the Pico
First, you’ll need to install the Raspberry Pi Pico Python library. Once that’s done, open up your preferred code editor and create a new Python file. Import the necessary libraries and define the pins to be used. Then, use the Steinhart-Hart equation to calculate the temperature from the thermistor’s resistance. Finally, print the temperature to the console or display it on an LED screen.
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