SparkFun Sensor Kit

Do you have a good understanding of various sensors or need a variety of them for a project? The SparkFun Sensor Kit includes a sensor for just about every job. With everything included in this kit, you'll be able to sense gesture, humidity, temperature, motion, touch, sound, altitude, acceleration and more! These are some of our favorite sensors from each category. But wait, there's more! The SparkFun Sensor Kit now includes several of our sensor boards that feature the Qwiic Connect System for rapid prototyping!

Check out the Includes section for a complete list of what is included in this kit to find out what has changed. This huge assortment of sensors makes an amazing gift for that very special electronics enthusiast in your life!


The SparkFun Qwiic Connect System is an ecosystem of I2C sensors, actuators, shields and cables that make prototyping faster and less prone to error. All Qwiic-enabled boards use a common 1mm pitch, 4-pin JST connector. This reduces the amount of required PCB space, and polarized connections mean you can’t hook it up wrong.


  • Large Piezo Vibration Sensor - With Mass - A flexible film able to sense for vibration, touch, shock, etc. When the film moves back and forth an AC wave is created, with a voltage of up to ±90.
  • Reed Switch - Senses magnetic fields, makes for a great non-contact switch.
  • 0.25" Magnet Square - Plays nicely with the reed switch. Embed the magnet into stuffed animals or inside a box to create a hidden actuator to the reed switch.
  • 0.5" Force Sensitive Resistor - A force-sensing resistor with a 0.5" diameter sensing area. Great for sensing pressure (i.e., if it's being squeezed).
  • Flex Sensor - 2.2" - As the sensor is flexed, the resistance across the sensor increases. Useful for sensing motion or positioning.
  • SoftPot - These are very thin variable potentiometers. By pressing on various positions along the strip, you vary the resistance.
  • Mini Photocell - The photocell will vary its resistance based on how much light it's exposed to. Will vary from 1kΩ in the light to 10kΩ in the dark.
  • PIR Motion Sensor - Easy-to-use motion detector with an analog interface. Power it with 5-12VDC, and you'll be alerted of any movement.
  • QRD1114 Optical Detector/Phototransistor - An all-in-one infrared emitter and detector. Ideal for sensing black-to-white transitions or can be used to detect nearby objects.
  • IR Diode - This LED can handle up to 50mA of current and outputs in the 940-950nm IR spectrum. Use to send signal to talk to the included IR receiver diode or just turn off your neighbor's TV.
  • IR Receiver Diode - This simple IR receiver will detect an IR signal coming from a standard IR remote control or the IR diode included in the kit.
  • Resistor 1.0M Ohm 1/4 Watt PTH - Two 1/4 Watt, +/- 5% tolerance PTH resistors. Commonly used in breadboards and perf boards. The large resistor helps dampen any voltage spikes when using the large piezo vibration sensor with a microcontroller.
  • Resistor 10K Ohm 1/4 Watt PTH - 20 pack (Thick Leads) - 1/4 Watt, +/- 5% tolerance PTH resistors. Commonly used in breadboards and perf boards, these 10KΩ resistors make excellent pullups, pulldowns, and current limiters.
  • Resistor 330 Ohm 1/4 Watt PTH - 20 pack (Thick Leads) - 1/4 Watt +/- 5% tolerance PTH resistors. Commonly used in breadboards and perf boards, these 330Ω resistors make excellent current-limiting resistors for LEDs.
  • SparkFun 9DoF IMU Breakout - ISM330DHCX, MMC5983MA (Qwiic) - This breakout board includes a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, and 3-axis magnetometer. Connect this board over I2C using a Qwiic cable or solder wires or headers to the SPI pins to get started using one of the three sensors or using all three together to determine 3D orientation.
  • SparkFun Atmospheric Sensor Breakout - BME280 (Qwiic) - The SparkFun BME280 Atmospheric Sensor Breakout is an easy way to measure barometric pressure, humidity, and temperature readings, all without taking up too much space.
  • SparkFun Indoor Air Quality Sensor - ENS160 (Qwiic) - The SparkFun ENS160 Indoor Air Quality Sensor is a digital multi-gas sensor solution with four sensor elements that can be used in a wide range of applications including building automation, smart home, and HVAC.
  • SparkFun Capacitive Touch Slider - CAP1203 (Qwiic) - This little board acts great as a non-mechanical button. Use the three pads on the board or connect your own input for a great touch button or slider with no moving parts.
  • Flexible Qwiic Cable - 100mm - Use these to connect up to four Qwiic boards in your kit.
  • RGB and Gesture Sensor - APDS-9960 - This board does a little bit of everything. You can measure ambient light or color as well as detect proximity and do gesture sensing all over I2C.
  • Soil Moisture Sensor (with screw terminals) - Ever wonder if your plant needs water? This sensor outputs an analog signal based on the resistance of the soil. Since water is conductive, the soil water content will be reflected in the soil resistance.
  • Sound Detector - Ever need to know if there is noise in an area? This board will not only tell you, but it will also output amplitude as well as the full audio signal.
  • Break Away Headers - Straight - Solder these pins to any of the breakouts to prototype on a breadboard. You'll want to solder these to boards that do not have Qwiic connectors such as the gesture sensor and sound detector.

SparkFun Sensor Kit Product Help and Resources

Sensor Kit Resource Hub

May 5, 2016

An overview of each component in the SparkFun Sensor Kit, plus links to tutorials and other resources you'll need to hook them up.

Core Skill: Programming

If a board needs code or communicates somehow, you're going to need to know how to program or interface with it. The programming skill is all about communication and code.

2 Programming

Skill Level: Rookie - You will need a better fundamental understand of what code is, and how it works. You will be using beginner-level software and development tools like Arduino. You will be dealing directly with code, but numerous examples and libraries are available. Sensors or shields will communicate with serial or TTL.
See all skill levels


Core Skill: Electrical Prototyping

If it requires power, you need to know how much, what all the pins do, and how to hook it up. You may need to reference datasheets, schematics, and know the ins and outs of electronics.

2 Electrical Prototyping

Skill Level: Rookie - You may be required to know a bit more about the component, such as orientation, or how to hook it up, in addition to power requirements. You will need to understand polarized components.
See all skill levels


Comments

Looking for answers to technical questions?

We welcome your comments and suggestions below. However, if you are looking for solutions to technical questions please see our Technical Assistance page.

Customer Reviews

No reviews yet.