SKU: TH2036
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Adafruit BH1750 Light Sensor - STEMMA QT / Qwiic is a handy ambient light sensor breakout built around Rohm's BH1750. It measures light directly in lux, making it easy to log room brightness, detect day/night conditions, react to indicator LEDs, or build automatic display dimming and lighting projects.
The sensor provides 16-bit light measurements and can typically measure from 0 to 65K+ lux. With calibration and advanced measurement-time adjustment, the BH1750 can be pushed further for higher-brightness applications.
Adafruit packages the sensor on a user-friendly PCB with an onboard voltage regulator, level shifting, 0.1 inch header breakout, and STEMMA QT / SparkFun Qwiic compatible I2C connectors. That means quick solderless setup with supported boards, while still giving you standard pins for breadboard or permanent builds.
Technical details for the BH1750 ambient light sensor breakout.
| Brand | Adafruit |
|---|---|
| Sensor IC | Rohm BH1750 |
| Measurement Output | 16-bit ambient light reading in lux |
| Typical Range | 0 to 65K+ lux |
| Interface | I2C |
| Logic Support | Works with 3.3V and 5V systems via onboard regulator and level shifting |
| Connectors | STEMMA QT / Qwiic compatible I2C connectors, plus 0.1 inch header breakout |
| I2C Address | 0x23 default, changeable to 0x5C via address jumper |
The board uses I2C, so wiring is straightforward whether you use a QT cable or standard header pins.
| Pin | Name | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | VIN | Power input for the board |
| 2 | GND | Ground reference |
| 3 | SCL | I2C clock line |
| 4 | SDA | I2C data line |
| 5 | 3Vo | 3.3V output from onboard regulator |
It works with microcontrollers and single-board computers such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Feather boards, ESP32-based boards, and PyPortal. Library support is available for CircuitPython and Python, and Arduino users can use the hp_BH1750 library.
Please note: a STEMMA QT / Qwiic cable is not included.
This sensor is a good fit for ambient light logging, smart lighting control, display brightness adjustment, robotics, and appliance status sensing. In Adafruit's project guides, it is even used to detect the light from a power LED by mounting the sensor over the indicator with tape for focused readings.
It measures ambient light in lux, using a 16-bit BH1750 sensor from Rohm. The stated measurement range is 0 to 65K+ lux, and with calibration plus measurement-time adjustment it can reach up to about 100,000 lux.
Yes. The board includes an onboard voltage regulator and level shifting, so it can be used with 3.3V boards like Raspberry Pi or Feather M4 as well as 5V boards such as Arduino.
It uses I2C and includes STEMMA QT / SparkFun Qwiic compatible connectors for solderless hookup. The pins are also broken out to a standard 0.1 inch / 2.54mm header if you prefer wired connections.
The default I2C address is 0x23. It can be changed to 0x5C by pulling the address pin high or bridging the ADDR/AD0 solder jumper on the back.
No. The supplier notes that the QT cable is not included, so a compatible cable is needed for solderless STEMMA QT / Qwiic connection.
Yes. Adafruit provides support notes for CircuitPython and Python, including Raspberry Pi via PyPI, and Arduino users can use the hp_BH1750 library referenced in the guide.
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