How to Use DHT11 with Arduino

Using a DHT11 with an Arduino

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to use the popular DHT11 sensor with an Arduino microcontroller. The DHT11 is an inexpensive temperature and humidity sensor that can be used to measure the environment in your home or office. We'll walk through the hardware setup, code setup and the testing of the system.

Hardware Setup

To get started, you will need the following components:

• Arduino board (any model will do)
• DHT11 sensor
• Breadboard
• Jumper wires

First, place the DHT11 into the breadboard leaving two rows of space between it and either side. Connect one of the wires from the power rail (the longest line) to pin 1 of the DHT11. Then connect one of the long jumper wires from ground to pin 2. Finally, connect a second longer jumper wire from digital pin 2 on the Arduino to pin 3 on the DHT11.

Software Setup

Next, we’ll need to install the required software libraries for our project. Download the “DHT Sensor Library” and ensure it is installed into your Arduino IDE. Once installed, open the example sketch “DHTtester” from within the library. This sketch will allow us to test the DHT11 and view the temperature and humidity values on our serial monitor.

Once the code is open, adjust the following code lines to the correct pin, depending on which pin you connected the DHT11 too.

#define DHTPIN 2
#define DHTTYPE DHT11

Testing the System

Finally, upload the code to your Arduino board and open the serial monitor. You should begin to see temperature and humidity readings. You can then begin to experiment with the data output and create your own applications!

Congratulations! You have successfully set up the DHT11 temperature and humidity sensor to work with your Arduino board. With this setup, you can now create your own projects with an accurate temperature and humidity sensor.