My Story: DIY Arduino temperature scannerInexpensive DIY might save you an expensive repair bill.By Johnathan Hottell |
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I do a lot of towing with my LB7 Duramax diesel truck. On hot days I kept having an overheating problem, so I built this six channel temperature scanner for around $40. Compared to an expensive commercial scanner, it's worked out to be a great tool. My scanner is built using a Nokia 3310 LCD screen and an Arduino Pro Mini 3V version. The temperature probes are simple thermistors (see below for Jameco parts list). Johnathan walks through his Arduino Temperature Scanner build on this short video: |  |
The sensors were placed around the truck at the intake, after cooler, hood, and grill. The Arduino was programmed so that the temperature sensor refreshed every second. A commercial style temperature scanner can cost hundreds of dollars, this project minimizes that cost. This is a great project to check both outdoor and indoor temperature.
Build Your Own Scanner:We took Johnathan's great idea for this simple Arduino controlled temperature scanner and created a parts lists with some adapted tips. With the parts listed below, you can make a similar temperature scanner.
Parts List:
| Description | Mfr. Part No. | Jameco Part No. |
| Thermistors: 1KΩ (6) | NTC-102-R | 207483 |
| LCD screen shield | DFR0009 | 2144411 |
| Project box | 173-BK | 675542 |
| Resistors: 220Ω (6) | CF1/4W221JRC | 690700 |
| Arduino UNO | A000049 | 2151232 |
| Hook-Up wire | 9313-0-R-25 | 2152876 |
| 9V battery | ALK 9V 522 | 198731 |
| 9V battery snaps | A104-R | 11280 |
| On/Off switch | 1MS2T6B11M1QE | 317332 |
| 2.5mm female jack | G/S(SR2048A)-R | 190538 |
Tools List:
| Description | Mfr. Part No. | Jameco Part No. |
| Soldering Iron | VTS20U | 2131151 |
| Solder | SOLDERDISPLF | 170457 |
| Small Saw |
Temperature Scanner Project Tips:
- Stack the Arduino shield recommended here, onto the Arduino UNO.
- Use the other available pins on the shield to connect your thermistors. Make sure that you connect the resistor to one side of the thermistors and then to the Arduino. The other side of the thermistor connects to the 3 volts on the Arduino.
- Think about where you want to put the temperature sensors and estimate the length of the wires needed.
 Temperature Scanner Schematic |
Arduino powered temperature scanner with LCD screen display |
In place of the thermistors, you could also use Waterproof Temperature Sensors on this project.
The programming code used on the scanner will depend on what LCD you use. A great starting point is the sample code on filears blog as a starting point and adapt for different programs.
We're always interested in what you are working on. If you have a project that you're proud of, send it to us and we'll share it with the Jameco community. Send your contributions to MyStory@Jameco.com.
Johnathan loves electronics, technology and helping others find a love for them too! He wants to make informative videos and projects to help save people time. His day job is a programmer, but he would really rather be in his shop. You can follow him on his Tech Blog, Filear.com.