BME680 Temperature, Humidity, Pressure and Gas Environmental Sensor

Overview

The BME680 Environmental Sensor with Arduino support combines Bosch Sensortec’s multi-sensor BME680 on a compact breakout board to measure gas, temperature, humidity and barometric pressure. It is designed for makers and engineers building air quality monitors, weather stations and IoT projects that need reliable environmental data and easy Arduino compatibility.

Key Features

• Single sensor measures gas resistance (VOC sensitive), temperature, relative humidity and pressure
• Interfaces: I2C and SPI for flexible connectivity with Arduino boards
• Compact, breadboard friendly breakout with 3.3V logic level compatibility
• Supports Bosch BSEC library for indoor air quality (IAQ) estimation and advanced signal processing
• Low power operation and sleep modes for battery applications

Specifications and Performance

• Sensor: Bosch BME680 multi-parameter environmental sensor
• Measurements: gas resistance (VOC related), temperature, humidity, barometric pressure
• Typical measurement ranges: temperature up to -40 to 85 C, humidity 0 to 100 %RH, pressure 300 to 1100 hPa
• Interfaces: I2C (default address 0x76 or 0x77 depending on board) and SPI
• Logic voltage: 3.3V (many breakouts include level shifting or voltage regulator; check board label)

Arduino Compatibility and Libraries

The BME680 works well with common Arduino boards such as Uno, Nano, Mega and Leonardo. Several open source libraries make integration quick:

• Adafruit BME680 library for temperature, humidity and pressure readings
• Bosch BSEC library for air quality index and advanced gas processing (proprietary BSEC license applies)
• Numerous example sketches and community projects to get you started immediately

Getting Started with Arduino

• Connect VIN to 3.3V (or 5V if the breakout has a regulator), GND to ground
• I2C: connect SDA and SCL to your board’s I2C pins (Uno/Nano SDA=A4, SCL=A5). Confirm the I2C address (0x76 or 0x77)
• SPI: connect SCK, MOSI, MISO and CS if using SPI mode; refer to the breakout pinout for exact labels
• Install the chosen library in the Arduino IDE, load an example sketch and open Serial Monitor to view readings

Typical Applications

• Indoor air quality monitors and IAQ dashboards
• Home automation and smart HVAC control
• Portable weather stations and environmental loggers
• IoT sensor nodes requiring multiple environmental measurements from a single sensor

Tips and Best Practices

• Allow the sensor to stabilize for a few minutes after power-up for accurate gas readings
• For reliable IAQ values, use the Bosch BSEC library which compensates and fuses sensor signals
• Avoid placing the sensor directly next to heat sources or vents to prevent biased temperature readings

Support and Resources

Sample code, wiring diagrams and library links are available from the library repositories and community forums. If you need help integrating the BME680 with your Arduino project, refer to the Adafruit examples or the Bosch Sensortec documentation for detailed guidance.