SHT20 Temperature and Humidity Sensor Comprehensive Guide: Performance, Specifications and Use Cases
Temperature and humidity sensor is a device specially used to measure ambient temperature and humidity. It usually consists of two parts: a sensor and a data processing unit, which can monitor and record changes in temperature and humidity in real time. Its working principle is based on specific physical or chemical effects, allowing accurate measurement of temperature and humidity. Temperature and humidity sensors are widely used in many fields, such as meteorological monitoring, environmental monitoring, agricultural production, and industrial automation. Next, this article will introduce in detail the relevant knowledge of the SHT20 temperature and humidity sensor. Let’s find out together!Catalog
Description of SHT20
The SHT20 digital temperature and humidity sensor is an extremely cost-effective product in the SHT21 temperature and humidity sensor series. Its sales volume reaches millions and its application fields are very wide. This type of sensor is particularly suitable for high-volume production industries that are both cost-sensitive and quality-conscious. As a new generation of Sensirion humidity and temperature sensors, SHT20 sets new standards in terms of size and intelligence. It is packaged in a dual-in-line flat leadless DFN package suitable for reflow soldering, with bottom dimensions of 3 x 3mm and a height of only 1.1mm. The sensor outputs a precisely calibrated digital signal in standard I2C format. In addition, the resolution of SHT20 can be flexibly adjusted by inputting commands (such as 8/12bit or even 12/14bit RH/T). The sensor is also able to detect low battery conditions and output a checksum, which greatly improves communication reliability. Thanks to improvements and miniaturization of the sensor, its price or performance ratio has been further improved, and all devices will benefit from its cutting-edge energy-saving operating modes. To facilitate testing, we have launched a new test package EK-H4, specially used to test SHT20. SHT20 temperature and humidity sensor is popular for its low power consumption, high accuracy and fast response. It is commonly used in agriculture, meteorological observation, indoor environment monitoring and other fields.
Manufacturer of SHT20 Temperature and Humidity Sensor
The manufacturer of SHT20 is Sensirion. This is a Swiss-based company focused on the manufacturing and development of sensor technology and solutions. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Staefa, Switzerland. Sensirion is committed to the R&D and manufacturing of sensors and solutions to meet the needs of different industries. Its core products include temperature sensors, humidity sensors, environmental sensors, air flow sensors, biosensors and micro sensor modules. These sensors can be used to measure and monitor various environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, liquid flow, gas concentration, air flow velocity and carbon dioxide concentration, etc. Its products and solutions are widely used around the world, providing high-performance sensor technology to many industries.
SHT20 Temperature and Humidity Sensor Principle
The SHT20 temperature and humidity sensor is a digital temperature and humidity sensor based on CMOSens technology, used to monitor temperature and humidity in environmental conditions. The sensor integrates a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor. Among them, the temperature sensor uses the thermistor principle to indirectly measure temperature by measuring changes in resistance value; while the humidity sensor is based on the principle of capacitance change and indirectly measures humidity by measuring changes in capacitance value. In terms of temperature measurement, the SHT20 sensor uses a thermistor to sense the ambient temperature, and its resistance value changes as the temperature changes. By converting the resistance value into a digital signal, we can get the corresponding temperature value. In terms of humidity measurement, the SHT20 sensor uses a capacitive humidity sensor to sense ambient humidity. Changes in humidity will affect the capacitance of the medium surrounding the sensor, causing changes in the capacitance value. By measuring the capacitance value and converting it into a digital signal, we can get the corresponding humidity value.
SHT20 Temperature and Humidity Sensor Specifications
• Manufacturer: Sensirion
• Length: 3 mm
• Width: 3 mm
• Height: 1.1 mm
• Package / Case: DFN-6
• Packaging: Tape & Reel (TR)
• RH Range: 0% to 100%
• Resolution: 12 bit, 14 bit
• Supply Voltage: 2.1V ~ 3.6V
• Operating Temperature: -40°C ~ 125°C
• Operating Supply Current: 150 nA
• Mounting Style: SMD/SMT
• Product Category: Board Mount Humidity Sensors
SHT20 Storage Conditions and Handling Instructions
Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) is 1, according to IPC/JEDEC J-STD-020. At the same time, it is recommended to further process the sensors within 1 year after date of delivery. It is of great importance to understand that a humidity sensor is not a normal electronic component and needs to be handled with care. Chemical vapors at high concentration in combination with long exposure times may offset the sensor reading. For this reason, it is recommended to store the sensors in original packaging including the sealed ESD bag at following conditions: Temperature shall be in the range of 10°C to 50°C and humidity at 20 to 60 percent RH (sensors that are not stored in ESD bags). For sensors that have been removed from the original packaging we recommend storing them in ESD bags made of metal-in PE-HD12. In manufacturing and transport the sensors shall be prevented of high concentration of chemical solvents and long exposure times. Out-gassing of glues, adhesive tapes and stickers or out-gassing packaging material such as bubble foils, foams, etc. shall be avoided. Manufacturing area shall be well ventilated.
SHT20 Temperature and Humidity Sensor Dimensions
Drawing of SHT20 sensor package, dimensions are given in mm (1 mm = 0.039 inch), tolerances are +0.1 mm. The die pad (center pad) is internally connected to VSS. The NC pads must be left floating. VSS = GND, SDA = DATA. Numbering of E/O pads starts at lower right corner (indicated by notch in die pad) and goes clockwise (compare Table 2).
How to Connect SHT20 to the Device?
Hardware connection
Determine the interface type: SHT20 sensors usually use the I2C interface for communication. We need to make sure that the device supports I2C communication and has the corresponding pins for connecting to the sensor.
Connection pins: The SHT20 sensor has multiple pins, including VDD (power supply), GND (ground wire), SCL (clock line) and SDA (data line). While connecting, we need to connect the VDD pin to the power pin of the device and the GND pin to the ground pin of the device. At the same time, we also need to connect the SCL pin to the device's I2C clock pin and the SDA pin to the device's I2C data pin. Through these connections, the SHT20 sensor can function normally and transmit data to and from the device.
Supply voltage: SHT20 sensor usually works at 3.3V voltage. We need to make sure that the voltage supplied by the device to the SHT20 meets its specifications.
Circuit protection: We can consider adding appropriate circuit protection measures, such as power supply filter capacitors and circuit isolation, to the circuit to protect the SHT20 sensor from electrical interference and overvoltage.
Software configuration
Enable I2C bus: We enable I2C bus on the device to support communication with the SHT20 sensor. This usually involves enabling the I2C bus in the device's operating system or hardware abstraction layer.
Set the sensor address: The I2C address of the SHT20 sensor is fixed, usually 7-bit address 0x40 (or 0x80 as an 8-bit address). In the software, we need to configure the corresponding I2C address in order to communicate with the sensor.
Write communication code: We use the corresponding programming language (such as C, Python, etc.) to write the code that communicates with the SHT20 sensor. We need to implement the I2C communication protocol, send commands to the sensor to obtain temperature and humidity data, and parse the returned data.
Driver or library: If available, we can use the driver or library of the SHT20 sensor to simplify the communication process. These drivers or libraries are usually provided by the sensor manufacturer and can be found on the official website or in the developer documentation.
Test communication: Finally, we perform a communication test to ensure that the device can communicate with the SHT20 sensor correctly. We will send some commands to the sensor and read the data returned to verify that the communication is working properly.
What is the Difference Between SHT20 and DHT11?
SHT20 and DHT11 are both digital temperature and humidity sensors used to measure temperature and humidity in the environment. Although they are both based on different technologies, each has some significant differences. First of all, SHT20 is based on on-chip capacitive humidity sensor and digital temperature sensor technology, showing higher accuracy and stability. Its wide measurement range covers the temperature range from -40°C to 125°C and the humidity range from 0 to 100 percent, with an accuracy of ±0.3°C and ±2 percent RH. In addition, the SHT20 features fast response time and low power consumption, making it suitable for application scenarios that require high accuracy and long-term deployment. In contrast, DHT11 uses a single temperature and humidity sensing element and outputs temperature and humidity values through digital signals. Its measurement range is relatively narrow, with a temperature range of 0°C to 50°C and a humidity range of 20 percent to 90 percent, with an accuracy of ±2°C and ±5 percent RH. Although DHT11 is slightly inferior to SHT20 in terms of accuracy and response time, its simplicity, ease of use and low cost make it still attractive in certain applications.
Therefore, when choosing between SHT20 and DHT11, you need to weigh the specific application requirements and cost. For application scenarios that require high accuracy and long-term stability, SHT20 is undoubtedly a better choice; and if low cost and low measurement accuracy requirements are required, DHT11 can meet the needs.
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]
1. What is a temperature/humidity sensor?
Temperature and humidity sensor (or rh temp sensor) is devices that can convert temperature and humidity into electrical signals that can easily measure temperature and humidity.
2. What is the principle of operation for SHT20?
SHT20 operates on the principle of capacitive sensing for measuring humidity and a band-gap temperature sensor for measuring temperature.
3. What is the temperature sensor SHT20?
The SHT20 features advanced CMOSens technology, which delivers precise and stable readings across a wide temperature range (-40C to 125C). Additionally, the SHT20 is fully digital and multi-point calibrated, which ensures consistent and accurate measurements over time.