Sometimes you need to know what temperature something is, but you don’t quite want to touch it. At times like these, you might want a temp gun on hand to get a good reading, like the one [Arnov Sharma] built.
The build is a relatively simple one, and is based around an Waveshare ESP32 C6 development module that comes with a small LCD screen out of the box. The microcontroller is set up to read an MLX90614 infrared temperature sensor. This device picks up the infrared energy that is emitted by objects relative to their temperature. The sensor has a great range—from -70 C to 380 C. The readouts from this sensor are then displayed on the screen. Battery power is from a small 600 mAh LiPo cell, which is managed by a IP5306 charge module.
It’s worth noting that these infrared temperature sensors aren’t infallible devices. The temperature they perceive is based on certain assumptions about factors like an objects emissivity. Thus, they don’t always give accurate readings on metallic or shiny objects, for example. It’s also important to understand the sensor’s field of view. Despite many commercial versions featuring a laser pointer for aiming, many of these infrared temperature sensors tend to average their reading over a small spot that gets larger the farther away they are from the object being measured.
Tools like portable temp guns are pretty cheap, but sometimes it’s just fun to build your own. Plus, you usually learn something along the way. Video after the break.
