Little Bird
Automation pHAT
The Automation pHAT is a compact home monitoring and automation controller for Raspberry Pi in the smaller pHAT form factor. With a relay, three analogue cha...
The Automation pHAT is a compact home monitoring and automation controller for Raspberry Pi in the smaller pHAT form factor. With a relay, three analogue channels, buffered inputs, and sinking outputs — all 24V tolerant — it packs serious control capability into a minimal footprint.
Uses the same Python library as the full-size Automation HAT, with automatic board detection. The library includes examples for reading analogue and digital inputs, switching outputs, and controlling the relay. Female header and broken-out pins require soldering.
Key Features
- 1× 24V @ 2A Relay – NC and NO terminals for high-side load switching
- 3× 12-bit ADC (0–24V) – ADS1015 with ±2% accuracy
- 3× Buffered Inputs – 24V tolerant digital inputs
- 3× Sinking Outputs – 24V tolerant, up to 500 mA total across all three
- 3.5 mm Screw Terminals – Secure, tool-friendly connections
- SPI Pins Broken Out – For additional peripheral connectivity
- pHAT Form Factor – Compact size ideal for Pi Zero builds
Compatibility
- Raspberry Pi 3B+, 3, 2, B+, A+, Zero, and Zero W
Important Notes
- Buffered outputs switch on the ground side: 12/24V (supply) → load → output terminal → ground (supply)
- Relay should be switched on the high side (up to 2A)
- Sinking outputs share a 500 mA total budget — a single channel can use the full 500 mA
- Software does not support Raspbian Wheezy
Ideal For
- Compact smart home automation
- Greenhouse and garden monitoring
- Pi Zero-based sensor and relay control
- Industrial monitoring prototypes
Resources
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- ADC
- An analogue-to-digital converter reads a changing voltage and turns it into a number the microcontroller can use. It matters when connecting analogue sensors such as light, sound, or variable-resistor sensors.
- pHAT
- A smaller add-on board format for Raspberry Pi, similar in idea to a HAT but usually not full-sized. It matters because pHAT compatibility can affect how neatly a board stacks or fits into a Raspberry Pi project.
- SPI
- A fast serial communication bus often used for displays, memory cards, and sensors. It matters because SPI devices need specific pins for clock and data, plus a separate chip-select line for each device.
Find this product in
Brands
Raspberry Pi
Sensors & Input
Related Tutorials
Free guides on learn.littlebird.com.au