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Using the scale factor above, this means we can detect changes of 0.488☌, or about 0.87☏!
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If we use an input voltage of 5V, the smallest change in temperature that we can detect is 4.88mV (5V/1024 steps). In our case, the ATmega’s analogRead() function has a 10-bit resolution (1024 steps). It’s a combination of the sensor’s innate resolution and the resolution of the reading device. The resolution of a sensor is the smallest change that it can detect. The TMP36 will accurately read temperatures between -40☌ to 125☌.Īnother important parameter of the temperature sensor is its scale factor, the change in voltage signal per degree Celsius.
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The sensor’s operating range is the range in which it’ll record accurate data. This means 0☌ won’t correspond to 0V, and in the case of the TMP36, 500mV corresponds to 0☌. Typically, temperature sensors include a voltage offset to account for negative temperatures. It has a few important specs that you should get familiar with: The higher the temperature, the higher the returned signal. The TMP36 in your Kit is a standard linear sensor.
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