Temperature and light on one I2C bus, on an Arduino Uno
A TMP117 temperature sensor and a VEML7700 light sensor share the Uno’s SDA and SCL at their own addresses, and the serial monitor prints both every second. The whole build, an Arduino Uno and 2 more parts, runs here in your browser on the firmware below; open it in the editor to change the wiring or the code and run it again.
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Beginner About 15 minutes to build and run. Runs in your browser. Free, and no account needed.
The parts retail for about $44. On Mokxi they're free.
What you'll learn
- Sharing one I2C bus between two devices
- I2C addresses
- Using sensor libraries from Adafruit
- Reading temperature and light in real units
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Time: About 15 minutes
- Board: Arduino Uno R3
- Parts: 4
How it works
Two sensors share the same two wires. The TMP117 measures temperature and the VEML7700 measures light. Both connect to SDA and SCL, which on the Uno are A4 and A5.
I2C lets many parts share a bus as long as each answers at its own address. The TMP117 is at 0x48 and the VEML7700 at 0x10. The sketch starts each one, and stops with a message if either does not answer.
After that, every second it prints the temperature to two decimals and the light in lux.
Parts list
4 parts, plus the jumper wires. They retail for about $44; on Mokxi they're free.
- 1 × Arduino Uno R3In Starter Kit, Claw Machine Kit, Vending Machine Kit.
- 1 × Temperature sensor, TMP117
- 1 × Power, 5 V
- 1 × Ambient light, VEML7700
Wiring table
Every connection, pin by pin, read from the circuit itself. Each row joins the pin on the left to the pin on the right, by a jumper wire or a breadboard strip.
| Part and pin | Connects to |
|---|---|
| Temperature sensor, TMP117 pin SCL | Arduino Uno R3 pin SCL |
| Temperature sensor, TMP117 pin SDA | Arduino Uno R3 pin SDA |
| Temperature sensor, TMP117 pin GND | Arduino Uno R3 pin GND |
| Ambient light, VEML7700 pin VIN | Arduino Uno R3 pin 5V |
| Ambient light, VEML7700 pin GND | Arduino Uno R3 pin GND |
| Ambient light, VEML7700 pin SDA | Arduino Uno R3 pin A4 |
| Ambient light, VEML7700 pin SCL | Arduino Uno R3 pin A5 |
| Temperature sensor, TMP117 pin VIN | 5 V |
The code
The firmware exactly as the editor opens it. Change a line there and press Run: it compiles in the browser.
// A TMP117 and a VEML7700 on one I2C bus.
//
// Two sensors, two addresses, one pair of wires: the TMP117 (0x48) reads
// temperature to a hundredth of a degree, the VEML7700 (0x10) reads light in
// lux. I2C lets any number of parts share SDA and SCL as long as each answers
// at its own address.
//
// TMP117 SDA, SCL -> SDA, SCL (A4, A5) VIN -> 5V, GND -> GND
// VEML7700 SDA, SCL -> SDA, SCL (A4, A5) VIN -> 5V, GND -> GND
//
// Every second the sketch prints both readings on the serial monitor. Move
// the temperature and lux sliders while it runs.
//
// THINGS TO TRY. Wire the TMP117's ADD0 to VIN: it moves to 0x49, begin()
// finds nothing at 0x48, and the sketch says so.
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_TMP117.h>
#include <Adafruit_VEML7700.h>
Adafruit_TMP117 tmp117;
Adafruit_VEML7700 veml;
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
if (!tmp117.begin()) {
Serial.println("No TMP117 at 0x48: check SDA, SCL and ADD0.");
while (1) {}
}
if (!veml.begin()) {
Serial.println("No VEML7700 at 0x10: check SDA and SCL.");
while (1) {}
}
Serial.println("TMP117 at 0x48 and VEML7700 at 0x10 on one bus");
}
void loop() {
sensors_event_t temp;
tmp117.getEvent(&temp);
float lux = veml.readLux();
Serial.print("temperature ");
Serial.print(temp.temperature, 2);
Serial.print(" C, light ");
Serial.print(lux, 1);
Serial.println(" lux");
delay(1000);
}
Code walkthrough
The key functions of the sketch, and what each one does.
setup sketch.ino
Starts serial at 9600 baud, then calls begin() on each sensor. If the TMP117 or the VEML7700 does not answer, it prints which one is missing and stops in a while (1) loop. If both answer, it prints a confirmation.
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
if (!tmp117.begin()) {
Serial.println("No TMP117 at 0x48: check SDA, SCL and ADD0.");
while (1) {}
}
if (!veml.begin()) {
Serial.println("No VEML7700 at 0x10: check SDA and SCL.");
while (1) {}
}
Serial.println("TMP117 at 0x48 and VEML7700 at 0x10 on one bus");
}loop sketch.ino
Asks the TMP117 for an event with getEvent and reads its temperature. It gets the lux from readLux. It prints both on one line, then waits a second.
void loop() {
sensors_event_t temp;
tmp117.getEvent(&temp);
float lux = veml.readLux();
Serial.print("temperature ");
Serial.print(temp.temperature, 2);
Serial.print(" C, light ");
Serial.print(lux, 1);
Serial.println(" lux");
delay(1000);
}Troubleshooting
The usual mistakes with this circuit, and the fix for each.
- The sketch says No TMP117 at 0x48 This project
Check SDA, SCL and power. If the ADD0 pin is wired to VIN, the chip moves to 0x49 and the sketch will not find it. - Both sensors fail to answer This project
SDA and SCL may be swapped. SDA goes to A4 and SCL to A5. - The sensor is not found. Temperature sensor
The TMP117 address is 0x48, set by the ADD0 pin, and it can be 0x49, 0x4A or 0x4B. It is a 3.3 V part with I2C, so use level shifting on 5 V boards and add pull-ups. - The temperature reads wrong or is slow to settle. Temperature sensor
Each count is 7.8125 millidegrees C, so multiply the raw 16-bit signed value by 0.0078125. Heat from nearby parts and your fingers changes it. Use averaging and allow time for a conversion. - The sensor is not found or the reading is zero. Ambient light
The I2C address is fixed at 0x10, so only one fits on a bus. Power it at 3.3 V and use pull-ups. The library must enable it, since it can start in shutdown. - Lux is clipped, noisy or wrong in bright or dim light. Ambient light
Set gain and integration time for the light level. Low gain and short integration for sunlight, high gain and long for dim rooms. At the extremes the lux conversion is nonlinear, so use the library's correction. - Upload fails or nothing runs after wiring pins 0 and 1 to a module. Arduino Uno R3
Pins 0 and 1 are the USB serial port. Move the module to other pins, or unplug it while uploading. Also check the right board is selected. - Pins misbehave or the board resets when you power motors or servos from it. Arduino Uno R3
Each I/O pin gives about 20 mA, 40 mA max. Power motors and servos from their own supply and join its ground to the Uno's GND.
Change it and keep it
Open it in the editor, change the circuit or the code, and keep your version in a free account.