Raspberry Pi Ltd
Raspberry Pi Sense Hat
The Raspberry Pi Sense HAT is an add-on board that attaches to the Raspberry Pi via the 40-pin GPIO header, adding a suite of environmental and motion sensor...
The Raspberry Pi Sense HAT is an add-on board that attaches to the Raspberry Pi via the 40-pin GPIO header, adding a suite of environmental and motion sensors, an 8×8 RGB LED matrix, and a mini joystick. It's the same board used aboard the International Space Station in the Astro Pi programme.
With built-in support in the Sense HAT Python library, it's straightforward to read sensor data, display text and images on the LED matrix, and detect joystick input — making it ideal for experiments, data logging, and interactive projects.
Key Features
- 8×8 RGB LED Matrix – Programmable display for text, images, and animations
- 5-Button Joystick – Compact input for navigation and games
- Gyroscope – Angular rate sensor: ±245/500/2000 dps
- Accelerometer – Linear acceleration sensor: ±2/4/8/16 g
- Magnetometer – Magnetic sensor: ±4/8/12/16 gauss
- Barometer – Absolute pressure range: 260–1260 hPa
- Temperature Sensor – Accurate to ±2 °C in the 0–65 °C range
- Relative Humidity Sensor – Integrated humidity measurement
- 40-Pin GPIO Connection – Plugs directly onto any Raspberry Pi with a 40-pin header
Ideal For
- Environmental monitoring and data logging
- Education and STEM projects
- Interactive games using the LED matrix and joystick
- Sensor experimentation and prototyping
Package Contents
- 1× Raspberry Pi Sense HAT
Resources
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- GPIO
- General-purpose input/output pins are microcontroller pins you can set in software to read signals, switch devices on and off, or connect to peripherals. The number of GPIO pins matters because it limits how many buttons, LEDs, sensors, and other parts you can wire directly to the board.
- Gyroscope
- A gyroscope measures rotation, such as how fast a board is turning around its X, Y, and Z axes. This matters for projects like gesture controls, balancing robots, and motion tracking where tilt or rotation changes need to be detected.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode is a small electronic component that lights up when current flows through it in the correct direction. In this kit, LEDs create the flashing effect, so polarity and correct soldering matter for the project to work.
- magnetometer
- A sensor that measures magnetic fields, often used to work out compass direction. It matters because nearby magnets, motors, or metal objects can affect readings and may require calibration.
- RGB
- Short for red, green and blue, usually referring to an LED that can mix those three colours. It matters because controlling an RGB LED teaches how separate outputs combine to create different colours.
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