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Lesson 13: Potentiometer Module

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use a potentiometer with the Raspberry Pi Pico W to measure analog values. The potentiometer, which is a variable resistor, lets you adjust the voltage that the Raspberry Pi Pico W reads on one of its analog input pins. By turning the knob of the potentiometer, you’ll observe changes in the input value. This project offers a basic grasp of analog inputs and their application in electronic projects, making it an ideal entry point for beginners in electronics and MicroPython programming.

Required Components

In this project, we need the following components.

It’s definitely convenient to buy a whole kit, here’s the link:

Name	ITEMS IN THIS KIT	LINK
Universal Maker Sensor Kit	94	Universal Maker Sensor Kit

You can also buy them separately from the links below.

Component Introduction	Purchase Link
Raspberry Pi Pico W	BUY
Potentiometer Module	BUY
Breadboard	BUY

Wiring

../_images/Lesson_13_potentiometer_module_bb.png

Code

import machine  # Hardware control library
import time  # Time control library

potentiometer = machine.ADC(26)  # Initialize ADC on pin 26

while True:
    value = potentiometer.read_u16()  # Read analog value
    print(value)  # Print the value

    time.sleep_ms(200)  # Delay of 200 ms between reads

Code Analysis

Import Libraries

First, the necessary libraries are imported. machine is for hardware control, and time is for managing delays.
```
import machine  # Hardware control library
import time     # Time control library
```
Initialize ADC (Analog to Digital Converter)

The photoresistor is connected to pin 26 of the Pico W. This pin is initialized as an ADC pin to read analog values.
```
potentiometer = machine.ADC(26)  # Initialize ADC on pin 26
```
Reading and Printing the Analog Value The code enters an infinite loop (while True:) where it continually reads the analog value from the photoresistor using potentiometer.read_u16() and prints it.
```
while True:
    value = potentiometer.read_u16()  # Read analog value
    print(value)                      # Print the value
```
Adding a Delay

To prevent the loop from running too fast, a delay of 200 milliseconds is introduced using time.sleep_ms(200). This gives a readable output and reduces processor load.
```
time.sleep_ms(200)                # Delay of 200 ms between reads
```