SparkFun Electronics
SparkFun Electronics Soil Moisture Sensor with Screw Terminals
Measures soil moisture via exposed probes and includes a pre-soldered screw terminal for simple wiring
- TypeSensors
- Simple soil moisture measurement with two exposed probe pads
- Gold-plated PCB resists corrosion in wet conditions
- Pre-soldered 3-pin screw terminal enables quick wiring
- Variable resistance output signals water content level
- Compatible with Arduino and similar development boards
Soil Moisture Breakout
The SparkFun Soil Moisture Sensor is a simple breakout board designed to measure moisture levels in soil and similar materials. It functions as a variable resistor where conductivity between two exposed pads increases with water content, producing a higher signal output. This sensor suits hobbyists, educators, and developers building automated watering or environmental monitoring projects.
Pre-Soldered Screw Terminal
The board includes a 3-pin screw terminal pre-soldered for power, ground, and signal connections, removing the need to solder header pins or wires directly to the PCB. This terminal allows quick, secure wiring with a small screwdriver and supports rapid prototyping or permanent installation in field deployments.
Arduino-Compatible Integration
Connect the VCC and GND pins to an Arduino-compatible development board to read the analog SIG output, which varies with soil moisture. The gold-finished PCB (ENIG) resists corrosion in damp conditions, extending operational life compared to bare copper pads. No additional components are required for basic operation.
Highlights
- Simple soil moisture measurement with two exposed probe pads
- Gold-plated PCB resists corrosion in wet conditions
- Pre-soldered 3-pin screw terminal enables quick wiring
- Variable resistance output signals water content level
- Compatible with Arduino and similar development boards
Specifications
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Questions about this item
What does the SIG output voltage represent when the sensor is powered and inserted in soil?
The SIG pin outputs a voltage between ground and the supply voltage; wetter soil lowers the resistance between the probe pads, raising the SIG voltage toward VCC.
What interface does the sensor use to communicate the moisture reading?
It provides a single-ended analogue voltage on the SIG pin; no digital protocol such as I2C or SPI is implemented on the board.
How do I connect wires to the board without soldering?
A 3-pin screw terminal is pre-soldered to the PCB, accepting stripped wires for VCC, GND and SIG connections.
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