SparkFun

Qwiic Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensor

Name: Qwiic Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensor
Brand: SparkFun
SKU: SF-SEN-30480
Price: 18.35 AUD
Availability: InStock

· MPN: SEN-30480

Breakouts Humidity Sensors Sensors Sensors & Modules Arduino Sensors SparkFun Qwiic Ecosystem

$18.35 |

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This capacitive soil moisture breakout is designed for plant monitoring projects where exposed metal probes can corrode after time in the dirt. It measures m...

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This capacitive soil moisture breakout is designed for plant monitoring projects where exposed metal probes can corrode after time in the dirt. It measures moisture using a capacitive plate embedded in the board, managed by a CY8CMBR3102 Capsense® Express™ controller for improved durability in connected garden and agriculture builds.

A ruler is printed directly on the PCB with Imperial and Metric units, so you can place the sensor at a repeatable depth and compare readings more consistently between pots or after replanting.

For quick visual feedback, the board includes a blue STAT LED connected to a general-purpose output pin, which can be programmed to indicate when moisture drops below your chosen threshold. Communication is handled over I2C through the Qwiic Connect System, with two Qwiic connectors for solderless integration.

Code packages are provided for both the Arduino IDE and MicroPython, including examples that help you calibrate the sensor for different soil compositions.

Features:

Capacitive sensing: Capacitive sensing over I2C
Controller: CY8CMBR3102 Controller
I2C address: Software Configurable I2C Address (Default: 0x37)
Ruler: On Board Ruler (Imperial and Metric units)
Connectors: 2x Qwiic Connectors
STAT LED: Blue STAT LED (Connects to general-purpose output pin)
Power LED: Red Power LED

Specifications:

Sensing/interface: Capacitive sensing over I2C
Controller: CY8CMBR3102 Controller
I2C address: Software Configurable I2C Address (Default: 0x37)
Ruler: On Board Ruler (Imperial and Metric units)
Qwiic connectors: 2x Qwiic Connectors
STAT LED: Blue STAT LED (Connects to general-purpose output pin)
Power LED: Red Power LED

A handy choice for automated watering, plant health logging, classroom experiments and other Qwiic-based environmental sensing projects.

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

breakout: A breakout board carries a small or fine-pitched component and brings its connections out to standard, breadboard- and header-friendly pins. Describing a part as a breakout means it can be wired into a project without soldering directly to the component's tiny contacts.
capacitive sensing: Capacitive sensing detects changes in electrical capacitance caused by a nearby object or material, such as a finger, water, or moisture in soil. It is used for touch buttons, proximity detection, and liquid or moisture-level sensing, and it matters because it can work without exposed metal contacts, avoiding the corrosion that bare probes suffer in damp conditions.
CY8CMBR3102: The CY8CMBR3102 is a Cypress (now Infineon) CapSense capacitive-sensing controller chip that detects capacitive touch or proximity inputs and reports them to a host microcontroller, usually over I2C. Knowing the exact part number helps when looking up the datasheet, libraries, and register or configuration options.
I2C: I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
I2C address: An I2C address is the number a device uses so a microcontroller can tell it apart from other devices on the same I2C bus. It matters because two devices with the same fixed address may conflict if used together.
IDE: Short for Integrated Development Environment, a program used to write, run and manage code. It matters because some learners prefer a traditional coding workspace instead of a guided notebook-style lesson.
LED: A light-emitting diode (LED) is a small electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction. Because it only conducts one way, its polarity matters, and a through-hole LED must be soldered the correct way around to light up.
MicroPython: A version of the Python programming language made to run on microcontrollers. It matters because it lets beginners write readable code to control LEDs, sensors, motors and displays without needing to start with lower-level languages.
PCB: A printed circuit board (PCB) is a board, usually rigid, with etched copper tracks that connect electronic components together without loose wiring. Components are mounted on the board and signals route between them through the copper layout.
Qwiic: Qwiic is a plug-in connector system for I2C devices that uses small 4-pin cables, so you can connect compatible sensors without soldering. It matters because your controller or adapter also needs Qwiic, or you will need a cable or breakout to wire it up.