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Reading a Potentiometer — SIK Circuit 2
Ed

Nilikha ni

Ed

17. Marso 2026FI
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Reading a Potentiometer — SIK Circuit 2

Learn to read analog input from a potentiometer and use it to control LED blink speed. Turn the knob to make the LED blink faster or slower — your first step into analog sensors!

Mga Tagubilin

1

Parts & Introduction

In this experiment you'll use a potentiometer (a variable resistor with a knob) to control how fast an LED blinks. This introduces analogRead() — reading voltage levels between 0 and 5V as values from 0 to 1023.

Parts Needed

  • 1x Arduino Uno + USB cable
  • 1x Breadboard
  • 1x Potentiometer (10K)
  • 1x LED (any color)
  • 1x 330Ω Resistor
  • 6x Jumper Wires

Materials for this step:

SparkFun Inventors Kit - V3.2SparkFun Inventors Kit - V3.21 kit
Arduino Uno R3Arduino Uno R31 piece
BreadboardBreadboard1 piece
Potentiometer (10K)Potentiometer (10K)1 piece
5mm LED5mm LED1 piece
330 Ohm Resistor330 Ohm Resistor1 piece
Jumper WiresJumper Wires6 pieces

Tools needed:

Computer with Arduino IDE
2

Hardware Hookup

Wiring Instructions

  1. Place the potentiometer in the breadboard. It has three pins.
  2. Connect the left pin to GND and the right pin to 5V (or vice versa).
  3. Connect the middle pin (wiper) to Analog Pin A0.
  4. Place an LED in the breadboard. Connect the positive leg (longer) to Digital Pin 13.
  5. Connect the negative leg (shorter) through a 330Ω resistor to GND.
  6. Connect the 5V and GND rails on the breadboard to the Arduino.

Materials for this step:

Potentiometer (10K)Potentiometer (10K)1 piece
5mm LED5mm LED1 piece
330 Ohm Resistor330 Ohm Resistor1 piece
BreadboardBreadboard1 piece
Jumper WiresJumper Wires6 pieces
3

Arduino Code

Open the Arduino IDE and upload the following sketch to your Arduino board.

potentiometer.inoarduino
/*
SparkFun Inventor's Kit
Example sketch 02 — POTENTIOMETER

Measure the position of a potentiometer and use it to
control the blink rate of an LED. Turn the knob to make
it blink faster or slower!

This code is completely free for any use.
Visit http://learn.sparkfun.com/products/2 for SIK information.
*/

int sensorPin = 0;    // Potentiometer on analog pin 0
int ledPin = 13;      // LED on digital pin 13

void setup()
{
  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
}

void loop()
{
  int sensorValue;

  sensorValue = analogRead(sensorPin);

  digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
  delay(sensorValue);

  digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
  delay(sensorValue);
}

Materials for this step:

Arduino Uno R3Arduino Uno R31 piece

Tools needed:

Computer with Arduino IDE
4

Test & Experiment

What You Should See

The LED blinks faster or slower as you turn the potentiometer knob. At one extreme it blinks very fast, at the other it blinks slowly.

Troubleshooting

  • Sporadically working: The potentiometer pins may not be making good contact. Press it firmly into the breadboard.
  • Not working: Make sure the wiper (middle pin) goes to Analog pin 0, not Digital pin 0.
  • LED not lighting: LEDs only work in one direction. Flip it around.

Experiments to Try

  • Open the Serial Monitor and print the sensorValue to see the raw numbers (0-1023).
  • Use map() to convert the sensor range to a brightness range and control LED brightness with analogWrite().

Mga Materyales

7

Mga Kinakailangang Kasangkapan

1
  • 13
    Computer with Arduino IDE
Estimated Total
$138.00

You can swap these in

Can't get one of the materials? Swap it for an equivalent — these work just as well.

Recommended for this build

Products makers often use with builds like this one.

Resistor 10K Ohm 1/6th Watt PTH - 20 packUsed together and in similar builds
Push Button - 33mmFrequently used with this build's materials
PhotoresistorUsed in similar builds
SoftPot Membrane Potentiometer - 50mmUsed in similar builds
LED - RGB Diffused Common Cathode - 5mmUsed together and in similar builds
BC547 NPN Transistor (50-Pack)Frequently used with this build's materials
Diode KitFrequently used with this build's materials
Piezo ElementFrequently used with this build's materials

Related blueprints

Other builds that share materials, tools, or techniques with this one.

Reading a Soft Potentiometer — SIK Circuit 10electronics/passive1 shared material
Reading a Photoresistor — SIK Circuit 6electronics/passive1 shared material
Driving a Servo Motor — SIK Circuit 8electronics/electromech1 shared material
Driving a Motor — SIK Circuit 12electronics/electromech1 shared material
Reading a Temperature Sensor — SIK Circuit 7electronics/electromech1 shared material
Using a Flex Sensor — SIK Circuit 9electronics/electromech1 shared material

CC0 Pampublikong Domain

Ang blueprint na ito ay inilabas sa ilalim ng CC0. Malaya kang kumopya, magbago, mamahagi, at gumamit nang walang pahintulot.

Suportahan ang Maker sa pamamagitan ng pagbili ng mga produkto sa kanilang Blueprint Komisyon ng Maker itinakda ng mga Vendor, o lumikha ng bagong bersyon ng Blueprint na ito at isama bilang koneksyon sa iyong Blueprint upang ibahagi ang kita.

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