ESP32 With DHT11 - DHT22 Temperature and Humidity Sensor Using Arduino IDE - Random Nerd Tutorials

21/3/2021 ESP32 with DHT11/DHT22 Temperature and Humidity Sensor using Arduino IDE | Random Nerd Tutorials
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ESP32 with DHT11/DHT22 Temperature and

Humidity Sensor using Arduino IDE
This tutorial shows how to use the DHT11 and DHT22 temperature and humidity
sensors with the ESP32 using Arduino IDE. We’ll go through a quick introduction
to these sensors, pinout, wiring diagram, and nally the Arduino sketch.
Learn how to display temperature and humidity readings on a web server using
the ESP32 or ESP8266 boards:
ESP32 DHT11/DHT22 Web Server using Arduino IDE

ESP8266 DHT11/DHT22 Web Server using Arduino IDE
DHT11 and DHT22 Temperature and Humidity

Sensors
https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-dht11-dht22-temperature-humidity-sensor-arduino-ide/ 1/28
The DHT11 and DHT22 sensors are used to measure temperature and relative
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humidity. These are very popular among makers and electronics hobbyists.
These sensors contain a chip that does analog to digital conversion and spit out a
digital signal with the temperature and humidity. This makes them very easy to
use with any microcontroller.
If you’re looking to use these sensors with the Arduino board, you can read the
following tutorial:
Guide for DHT11/DHT22 Humidity and Temperature Sensor with Arduino
DHT11 vs DHT22
The DHT11 and DHT22 are very similar, but di er in their speci cations. The
following table compares some of the most important speci cations of the
DHT11 and DHT22 temperature and humidity sensors. For a more in-depth
analysis of these sensors, please check the sensors’ datasheet.
DHT11 DHT22
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Temperature range 0 to 50 ºC +/-2 ºC -40 to 80 ºC +/-0.5ºC
Humidity range 20 to 90% +/-5% 0 to 100% +/-2%
Humidity: 1% Humidity: 0.1%

Resolution
Temperature: 1ºC Temperature: 0.1ºC
Operating voltage 3 – 5.5 V DC 3 – 6 V DC
Current supply 0.5 – 2.5 mA 1 – 1.5 mA
Sampling period 1 second 2 seconds
Price $1 to $5 $4 to $10
Where to buy Check prices Check prices
The DHT22 sensor has a better resolution and a wider temperature and humidity
measurement range. However, it is a bit more expensive, and you can only
request readings with 2 seconds interval.
The DHT11 has a smaller range and it’s less accurate. However, you can request
sensor readings every second. It’s also a bit cheaper.
Despite their di erences, they work in a similar way, and you can use the same
code to read temperature and humidity. You just need to select in the code the
sensor type you’re using.
DHT Pinout
DHT sensors have four pins as shown in the following gure. However, if you get
your DHT sensor in a breakout board, it comes with only three pins and with an
internal pull-up resistor on pin 2.
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The following table shows the DHT22/DHT11 pinout. When the sensor is facing
you, pin numbering starts at 1 from left to right
DHT pin Connect to
1 3.3V
2 Any digital GPIO; also connect a 10k Ohm pull-up resistor
3 Don’t connect
4 GND
Parts Required
To follow this tutorial you need to wire the DHT11 or DHT22 temperature sensor
to the ESP32. You need to use a 10k Ohm pull-up resistor.
Here’s a list of parts you need to build the circuit:
ESP32 (read Best ESP32 development boards)

DHT11 or DHT22 temperature and humidity sensor
10k Ohm resistor
Breadboard
Jumper wires
You can use the preceding links or go directly to MakerAdvisor.com/tools to nd

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all the parts for your projects at the best price!
Schematic Diagram
Wire the DHT22 or DHT11 sensor to the ESP32 development board as shown in
the following schematic diagram.
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In this example, we’re connecting the DHT data pin to GPIO 4 . However, you can
use any other suitable digital pin.
Learn how to use the ESP32 GPIOs with our guide: ESP32 Pinout Reference:
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Which GPIO pins should you use?
Installing Libraries
To read from the DHT sensor, we’ll use the DHT library from Adafruit. To use this
library you also need to install the Adafruit Uni ed Sensor library. Follow the next
steps to install those libraries.
Open your Arduino IDE and go to Sketch > Include Library > Manage Libraries.
The Library Manager should open.
Search for “DHT” on the Search box and install the DHT library from Adafruit.
After installing the DHT library from Adafruit, type “Adafruit Uni ed Sensor” in
the search box. Scroll all the way down to nd the library and install it.
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After installing the libraries, restart your Arduino IDE.
ESP32 Reading Temperature and Humidity Sketch

To read temperature and humidity from the DHT sensor, we’ll use an example
based on the Adafruit DHT library. Copy the following code to your Arduino IDE.
// Example testing sketch for various DHT humidity/temperature sensors written

// REQUIRES the following Arduino libraries:
// - DHT Sensor Library: https://github.com/adafruit/DHT-sensor-library
// - Adafruit Unified Sensor Lib: https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Sensor
#include "DHT.h"
#define DHTPIN 4 // Digital pin connected to the DHT sensor

// Feather HUZZAH ESP8266 note: use pins 3, 4, 5, 12, 13 or 14 --
// Pin 15 can work but DHT must be disconnected during program upload.
// Uncomment whatever type you're using!

//#define DHTTYPE DHT11 // DHT 11
#define DHTTYPE DHT22 // DHT 22 (AM2302), AM2321
de e // ( 30 ), 3
//#define DHTTYPE DHT21 // DHT 21 (AM2301)
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// Connect pin 1 (on the left) of the sensor to +5V

// NOTE: If using a board with 3.3V logic like an Arduino Due connect pin 1
// to 3.3V instead of 5V!
// Connect pin 2 of the sensor to whatever your DHTPIN is
// Connect pin 4 (on the right) of the sensor to GROUND
// Connect a 10K resistor from pin 2 (data) to pin 1 (power) of the sensor
// Initialize DHT sensor.

// Note that older versions of this library took an optional third parameter t
// tweak the timings for faster processors. This parameter is no longer neede
// as the current DHT reading algorithm adjusts itself to work on faster procs
View raw code
There are many comments throughout the code with useful information. So, you
might want to take a look at the comments. Continue reading to learn how the
code works.
How the Code Works

First, you need to import the DHT library:
#include "DHT.h"
Then, de ne the digital pin that the DHT sensor data pin is connected to. In this
case, it’s connected to GPIO 4 .
#define DHTPIN 4 // Digital pin connected to the DHT sensor
Then, you need to select the DHT sensor type you’re using. The library supports
DHT11, DHT22, and DHT21. Uncomment the sensor type you’re using and
comment all the others. In this case, we’re using the DHT22 sensor.
//#define DHTTYPE DHT11 // DHT 11  Menu 

Create a DHT object called dht on the pin and with the sensor type you’ve
speci ed previously.
DHT dht(DHTPIN, DHTTYPE);
In the setup() , initialize the Serial debugging at a baud rate of 9600, and print a
message in the Serial Monitor.
Serial.begin(9600);
Serial.println(F("DHTxx test!"));
Finally, initialize the DHT sensor.
dht.begin();
The loop() starts with a 2000 ms (2 seconds) delay, because the DHT22
maximum sampling period is 2 seconds. So, we can only get readings every two
seconds.
delay(2000);
The temperature and humidity are returned in oat format. We create oat
variables h , t , and f to save the humidity, temperature in Celsius and
temperature in Fahrenheit, respectively.
Getting the humidity and temperature is as easy as using the readHumidity()

and readTemperature() methods on the dht object, as shown below:
float h = dht.readHumidity();  Menu 

// Read temperature as Celsius (the default)
float t = dht.readTemperature();
If you want to get the temperature in Fahrenheit degrees, you need to pass the
true parameter as argument to the readTemperature() method.
float f = dht.readTemperature(true);
There’s also an if statement that checks if the sensor returned valid temperature
and humidity readings.
if (isnan(h) || isnan(t) || isnan(f)) {

Serial.println(F("Failed to read from DHT sensor!"));
return;
After getting the humidity and temperature, the library has a method that
computes the heat index. You can get the heat index both in Celsius and
Fahrenheit as shown below:
// Compute heat index in Fahrenheit (the default)

float hif = dht.computeHeatIndex(f, h);
// Compute heat index in Celsius (isFahreheit = false)
float hic = dht.computeHeatIndex(t, h, false);
Finally, print all the readings on the Serial Monitor with the following commands:
Serial.print(F("Humidity: "));
Serial.print(h);
Serial.print(F("% Temperature: "));
Serial.print(t);
Serial.print(F("°C "));
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Serial.print(f);
Serial.print(F("°F Heat index: "));
Serial.print(hic);
Serial.print(F("°C "));
Serial.print(hif);
Serial.println(F("°F"));
Demonstration
Upload the code to your ESP32 board. Make sure you have the right board and
COM port selected in your Arduino IDE settings.
After uploading the code, open the Serial Monitor at a baud rate of 9600. You
should get the latest temperature and humidity readings in the Serial Monitor
every two seconds.
Troubleshooting – Failed to read from DHT sensor

If you’re trying to read the temperature and humidity from the DHT11/DHT22
sensor and you get an error message in your Serial Monitor, follow the next
steps to see if you can make your sensor work (or read our dedicated DHT
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Troubleshooting Guide).
“Failed to read from DHT sensor!” or Nan readings

If your DHT sensor returns the error message “Failed to read from DHT sensor!”
or the DHT readings return “Nan”:
Try one of the following troubleshooting tips:
Wiring: when you’re building an electronics project, you need to double-

check the wiring or pin assignment. After checking and testing that your
circuit is properly connected, if it still doesn’t work, continue reading the
next troubleshooting tips.
Power: the DHT sensor has an operating range of 3V to 5.5V (DHT11) or 3V
to 6V (DHT22). If you’re powering the sensor from the ESP32 3.3V pin, in
some cases powering the DHT with 5V solves the problem.
Bad USB port or USB cable: sometimes powering the ESP32 directly from
a PC USB port is not enough. Try to plug it to a USB hub powered by an
external power source. It might also help replacing the USB cable with a
better or shorter one. Having a USB port that supplies enough power or
using a good USB cable often xes this problem.
Power source: as mentioned in the previous tip, your ESP might not be
supplying enough power to properly read from the DHT sensor. In some
cases, you might need to power the ESP with a power source that provides
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more current.
Sensor type: double-check that you’ve uncommented/commented in your
code the right sensor for your project. In this project, we were using the
DHT22:
//#define DHTTYPE DHT11 // DHT 11

Sampling rate: the DHT sensor is very slow getting the readings (the
sensor readings may take up to 2 seconds). In some cases, increasing the
time between readings solves the problem.
DHT sensor is fried or broken: unfortunately, these cheap sensors
sometimes look totally ne, but they are fried/broken. So, even though
you assembled the right circuit and code, it will still fail to get the readings.
Try to use a di erent sensor to see if it xes your problem.
Wrong baud rate or failed to upload code: if you don’t see anything in
your Arduino IDE Serial Monitor double-check that you’ve selected the
right baud rate, COM port or that you’ve uploaded the code successfully.
While building our projects, we’ve experienced similar issues with the DHT and it
was always solved by following one of the methods described earlier.
Fatal error: Adafruit_Sensor.h: No such le or directory

There’s also a common error that happens when you try to compile the code. If
you receive the following error:
fatal error: Adafruit_Sensor.h: No such file or directory

#include <Adafruit_Sensor.h>
You need to install the Adafruit Uni ed Sensor driver library. In your Arduino IDE,
type in the search box “Adafruit Uni ed Sensor“, scroll all the way down to nd
the library and install it.
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After installing the library, restart your Arduino IDE and the code should compile
without the error message.
Wrapping Up
With this tutorial you’ve learned how to get temperature and humidity readings
from a DHT11 or DHT22 sensor using the ESP32 with Arduino IDE. Getting
temperature and humidity readings with the Adafruit DHT library is very simple,
you just use the readTemperature() and readHumidity() methods on a DHT
object.
Now, you can take this project to the next level and display your sensor readings
in a web server that you can consult using your smartphone’s browser. Learn
how to build a web server with the ESP32 to display your sensor readings: ESP32
DHT11/DHT22 Web Server – Temperature and Humidity using Arduino IDE.
If you like ESP32, you may also like the following resources:
Learn ESP32 with Arduino IDE (eBook + Video course)

ESP32 Web Server – Arduino IDE
ESP32 Web Server with BME280 – Mini Weather Station
20+ ESP32 Projects and Tutorials
We hope you’ve found this guide useful.

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Thanks for reading.
[eBook] Build Web Servers with ESP32 and

ESP8266 (2nd Edition)
Build Web Server projects with the ESP32 and ESP8266 boards to control outputs
and monitor sensors remotely. Learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript and client-server
communication protocols DOWNLOAD »
Recommended Resources
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17 thoughts on “ESP32 with DHT11/DHT22 Temperature

and Humidity Sensor using Arduino IDE”
Alan Miller
October 28, 2019 at 6:48 pm
What version of Arduino IDE are you using? I’m using 1.8.9 and I get the
following error when compiling your code which I copied and pasted.
‘class DHT’ has no member named ‘computeHeatIndex’
Help please
Reply
Sara Santos
October 29, 2019 at 10:59 am
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Hi Alan.
Did you install the Adafruit DHT library?
Regards,
Sara
Reply
Qiangjian Feng
October 29, 2019 at 2:14 am
Hi, thanks. With this tutorial, it saves much time.
Reply
Sara Santos
October 29, 2019 at 11:18 am
Thanks
Reply
Bruce MacIntyre
October 30, 2019 at 3:28 pm
I tested a DHT22 with a WROOM ESP32 for several days with not much
success, just getting a lot of nan’s. I thought the sensors(2) were bad, but
they worked ne installed on a nano. Then I thought the ESP32 was bad
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and I tried two with the same results. THEN, I nally followed your tutorial
to a “T” including updating the adafruit dht library and INSTALLING the
sensor uni ed library. Bazinga! everything works perfectly. I can’t tell you
how much I appreciate you taking the time to put such a great tutorial
online. I know it is a lot of work. Thanks again.
Reply
Sara Santos
November 5, 2019 at 6:23 pm
Hi Bruce!
Thank you so much for you nice words!
I’m really glad that you got your sensors working with our tutorial.
We always try to write our tutorials as complete and as easy to follow as
possible, so that our readers can have their projects working on the rst
try.
Regards,
Sara
Reply
Luis
January 3, 2020 at 6:18 am
I coded one following this tutorial, working on the rst upload. Great!!!
Thank You.
Reply
Sara Santos  Menu 

January 3, 2020 at 11:43 am
Great!
Regards,
Sara
Reply
A Lee
April 16, 2020 at 5:09 pm
If you have problems reading the DHT sensors with the ESP 32 board,
read my experience below.
I played with DHT sensors in the past with ESP 32. I do not remember I
ran into any issues – except lately. I have no luck getting several of my
ESP 32 boards to get a reading from the sensor. I didn’t try to nd out
what caused the problem.
Then I came across the DHTesp library – https://github.com/beegee-
tokyo/DHTesp
The example is very complex because it utilizes the multi-core feature of
the ESP 32. If you have an ESP 32 board, you only need to change the
input PIN and the DHT type,
dht.setup(dhtPin, DHTesp::DHT22);
then you should be good.
Reply
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Jarda
July 8, 2020 at 6:05 am
I bust how the code should change when using two dht22 sensors
connected to D2 and D4 thank you
Reply
A Lee
April 17, 2020 at 4:11 am
Update: After I updated the “DHT-sensor-library” library. I am able to read

the DHT sensor with ESP 32 with no issues. The current version of this
library is 1.3.7.
Regards,
Reply
An
April 17, 2020 at 9:19 am
Hi, do you have this code also for Zerynth (Python language)?
Reply
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Sara Santos
April 17, 2020 at 11:23 am
Hi.
No.
We have for MicroPython: https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-
esp8266-dht11-dht22-micropython-temperature-humidity-sensor/
Regards,
Sara
Reply
Kurt Ca ni
April 29, 2020 at 4:51 pm
Worked perfectly!
Thank you Sara…..
Reply
Sara Santos
April 29, 2020 at 5:47 pm
Great
Reply
Larry Turner  Menu 

December 3, 2020 at 7:20 am
Thanks for this great tutorial. It is a lot easier to follow than the Arduino
samples.
Reply
Sara Santos
December 3, 2020 at 6:47 pm
Thanks
Reply
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21/3/2021 ESP32 with DHT11/DHT22 Temperature and Humidity Sensor using Arduino IDE | Random Nerd Tutorials

ESP32 with DHT11/DHT22 Temperature and

ESP32 DHT11/DHT22 Web Server using Arduino IDE

DHT11 and DHT22 Temperature and Humidity

Guide for DHT11/DHT22 Humidity and Temperature Sensor with Arduino

Temperature range 0 to 50 ºC +/-2 ºC -40 to 80 ºC +/-0.5ºC

Humidity range 20 to 90% +/-5% 0 to 100% +/-2%

Humidity: 1% Humidity: 0.1%

Operating voltage 3 – 5.5 V DC 3 – 6 V DC

Current supply 0.5 – 2.5 mA 1 – 1.5 mA

Sampling period 1 second 2 seconds

Where to buy Check prices Check prices

DHT pin Connect to

2 Any digital GPIO; also connect a 10k Ohm pull-up resistor

Here’s a list of parts you need to build the circuit:

ESP32 (read Best ESP32 development boards)

You can use the preceding links or go directly to MakerAdvisor.com/tools to nd

After installing the libraries, restart your Arduino IDE.

ESP32 Reading Temperature and Humidity Sketch

// Example testing sketch for various DHT humidity/temperature sensors written

#define DHTPIN 4 // Digital pin connected to the DHT sensor

// Uncomment whatever type you're using!

// Connect pin 1 (on the left) of the sensor to +5V

// Initialize DHT sensor.

View raw code

How the Code Works

#define DHTPIN 4 // Digital pin connected to the DHT sensor

//#define DHTTYPE DHT11 // DHT 11  Menu 

DHT dht(DHTPIN, DHTTYPE);

Finally, initialize the DHT sensor.

Getting the humidity and temperature is as easy as using the readHumidity()

float h = dht.readHumidity();  Menu 

if (isnan(h) || isnan(t) || isnan(f)) {

// Compute heat index in Fahrenheit (the default)

Troubleshooting – Failed to read from DHT sensor

“Failed to read from DHT sensor!” or Nan readings

Try one of the following troubleshooting tips:

Wiring: when you’re building an electronics project, you need to double-

//#define DHTTYPE DHT11 // DHT 11

Fatal error: Adafruit_Sensor.h: No such le or directory

fatal error: Adafruit_Sensor.h: No such file or directory

Learn ESP32 with Arduino IDE (eBook + Video course)

We hope you’ve found this guide useful.

Thanks for reading.

[eBook] Build Web Servers with ESP32 and

Build a Home Automation System from Scratch » With Raspberry Pi,

Arduino Step-by-Step Projects » Build 25 Arduino projects with our course,

What to Read Next…

ESP32 Bluetooth Classic with Arduino IDE – Getting Started

ESP32 Data Logging Temperature to MicroSD Card

ESP32 Save Data Permanently using Preferences Library

Build an All-in-One ESP32 Weather Station Shield

How to Display Images in ESP32 and ESP8266 Web Server

Enjoyed this project? Stay updated by subscribing our weekly

Your Email Address

17 thoughts on “ESP32 with DHT11/DHT22 Temperature

Hi, thanks. With this tutorial, it saves much time.

Sara Santos  Menu 

then you should be good.

Update: After I updated the “DHT-sensor-library” library. I am able to read

Larry Turner  Menu 

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.