Recipe

Check a sensor against your board and your project

Use when: you are choosing a sensor, or about to wire one you already have

Goal: a yes or no for this board and this job, with the reason

Taught in Reading a sensor datasheet

1. 1

   Find the supply range and the absolute maximum. Compare them with the rail you will power it from.

   Example

   BME280 chip, 1.71 to 3.6 V: fine on the ESP32-S3's 3V3, not on the Uno R4's 5 V without a module.

   Why: running outside the supply range voids every other number in the datasheet, and past the absolute maximum it can destroy the part.

2. 2

   Find the interface and the voltage its output swings to. Compare it with the input pin's limit.

   Example

   A sensor powered at 5 V that drives its own output HIGH puts 5 V on the pin: too much for an ESP32-S3.

   Why: the sensor's output becomes your pin's input, and a 3.3 V pin can't take 5 V (Chapter 6 §4).

3. 3

   Use the max column if there is one, over the range you will measure.

   Example

   Need ±1 °C between 0 and 40 °C: BME280 ±0.5 °C over 0 to 65 °C passes.

   Why: resolution only says how fine the steps are; the requirement is about the truth.

4. 4

   Find the measurement time and the minimum interval between readings.

   Example

   DHT22: no faster than once every 2 s.

   Why: asking faster than the sensor can measure returns stale values or errors.

5. 5

   List the failure modes and conditions the maker warns about.

   • a warning matches your project (condensation, dust, chemicals, safety use) — choose another sensor or design around it.
   • none applies — the sensor fits.

   Why: the warnings are the failure modes the maker has already seen.