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Using the Raspberry Pi Pico's Built-in Temperature Sensor

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Introduction to the Raspberry Pi Pico and MicroPython
Understanding the Built-in Temperature Sensor
Writing Your First Temperature Sensor Script
Enhancing Your Temperature Monitoring Project
Project Challenges and Next Steps

Enhancing Temperature Readings

Improve the readability of temperature readings by formatting them with custom labels and adding visual enhancements.

By Kevin McAleer,    2 Minutes

Introduction

In this lesson, we’ll further enhance the readability and presentation of temperature readings by adding labels, visual separators, and conditional formatting to highlight certain temperature ranges.

Step 1: Adding Visual Separators

To make the output visually appealing, you can add a simple separator line:

print("-" * 30)

Updated Code

import machine
import time

# Initialize the ADC for the temperature sensor
sensor_adc = machine.ADC(4)

while True:
    # Read the raw ADC value
    raw_value = sensor_adc.read_u16()
    
    # Convert the ADC value to voltage
    voltage = raw_value * 3.3 / 65535

    # Convert voltage to temperature
    temperature = 27 - (voltage - 0.706) / 0.001721

    # Get the current time
    timestamp = time.localtime()

    # Print formatted output
    print("-" * 30)
    print(f"Time: {timestamp.tm_hour:02}:{timestamp.tm_min:02}:{timestamp.tm_sec:02}")
    print(f"Temperature: {temperature:.2f}°C")
    print("-" * 30)
    time.sleep(1)

Step 2: Conditional Formatting for Temperature Ranges

You can highlight specific temperature ranges by adding conditional formatting to the output:

if temperature > 30:
    status = "High"
elif temperature < 20:
    status = "Low"
else:
    status = "Normal"

Updated Code

while True:
    # Read the raw ADC value
    raw_value = sensor_adc.read_u16()
    
    # Convert the ADC value to voltage
    voltage = raw_value * 3.3 / 65535

    # Convert voltage to temperature
    temperature = 27 - (voltage - 0.706) / 0.001721

    # Determine the status
    if temperature > 30:
        status = "High"
    elif temperature < 20:
        status = "Low"
    else:
        status = "Normal"

    # Get the current time
    timestamp = time.localtime()

    # Print formatted output with status
    print("-" * 30)
    print(f"Time: {timestamp.tm_hour:02}:{timestamp.tm_min:02}:{timestamp.tm_sec:02}")
    print(f"Temperature: {temperature:.2f}°C - Status: {status}")
    print("-" * 30)
    time.sleep(1)

Step 3: Testing the Enhanced Script

  1. Save the updated script as enhanced_temp_readings.py.
  2. Run the script in Thonny.
  3. Observe how the temperature readings are formatted and how the status changes based on the temperature range.

Example Output

------------------------------
Time: 15:34:21
Temperature: 28.45°C - Status: Normal
------------------------------
Time: 15:34:22
Temperature: 32.10°C - Status: High
------------------------------

What You’ve Learned

  • How to use separators and labels for better readability.
  • How to implement conditional formatting for dynamic feedback.
  • How to present clean, user-friendly output.

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