This cool-looking sensor has a secret behind its shiny eye. Unlike ordinary temperature sensors, it measures infrared light reflected from remote objects to sense temperature without physical contact. Just point it at what you want to measure, and it'll detect the temperature by absorbing emitted IR waves. Since it doesn't touch the object, it can sense a wider temperature range, from -70°C to +380°C. It measures over a 90-degree field of view, great for finding the average temperature of an area.
This sensor comes in a user-friendly metal can. You can easily solder it or plug it into a breadboard. The four pins are for power, ground, i2c clock, and i2c data. There are two versions, one for 3V and one for 5V power and logic levels. This is the 3V version, suitable for most modern microcontrollers. We also include two 10K pull-up resistors for the I2C data lines.
We've written an easy-to-use tutorial and Arduino library with an example. You'll be up and running in just 5 minutes, and the code can be ported to any microcontroller with i2c support.
Using this Melexis non-contact infrared temperature sensor is a breeze. First, decide if you need the 3V version, which works well with most modern microcontrollers. Make sure to use the two 10K pull - up resistors we provided for the I2C data lines.
To take a measurement, simply point the sensor towards the object or area you want to measure. It'll detect the temperature by absorbing the IR waves emitted from the object. You can get an average temperature of an area thanks to its 90 - degree field of view.
When it comes to installation, you can either solder the sensor or plug it into a breadboard using the four pins for power, ground, i2c clock, and i2c data.
For maintenance, keep the sensor clean and free from dust. Avoid exposing it to extreme conditions outside its - 70°C to +380°C temperature range. If you're using it with a microcontroller, refer to our easy - to - use tutorial and Arduino library. It'll have you up and running in 5 minutes, and you can even port the code to other microcontrollers with i2c support.
