It's easy to use the MCP9808 sensor with Python or CircuitPython and the Adafruit CircuitPython MCP9808 module.  This module allows you to easily write Python code that reads the temperature from the sensor.

You can use this sensor with any CircuitPython microcontroller board or with a computer that has GPIO and Python thanks to Adafruit_Blinka, our CircuitPython-for-Python compatibility library.

CircuitPython Microcontroller Wiring

First wire up a MCP9808 to your board exactly as shown on the previous pages for Arduino.  Here's an example of wiring a Feather M0 to the sensor:

  • Board 3V to sensor VIN (Vdd) (red wire on STEMMA QT version)
  • Board GND to sensor GND (black wire on STEMMA QT version)
  • Board SCL to sensor SCL (yellow wire on STEMMA QT version)
  • Board SDA to sensor SDA (blue wire on STEMMA QT version)

Python Computer Wiring

Since there's dozens of Linux computers/boards you can use we will show wiring for Raspberry Pi. For other platforms, please visit the guide for CircuitPython on Linux to see whether your platform is supported

Here's the Raspberry Pi wired with I2C:

  • Pi 3V3 to sensor VIN (red wire on STEMMA QT version)
  • Pi GND to sensor GND (black wire on STEMMA QT version)
  • Pi SCL to sensor SCK (yellow wire on STEMMA QT version)
  • Pi SDA to sensor SDA (blue wire on STEMMA QT version)

CircuitPython Installation of MCP9808 Library

Next you'll need to install the Adafruit CircuitPython MCP9808 library on your CircuitPython board.

First make sure you are running the latest version of Adafruit CircuitPython for your board.

Next you'll need to install the necessary libraries to use the hardware--carefully follow the steps to find and install these libraries from Adafruit's CircuitPython library bundle.  For example the Circuit Playground Express guide has a great page on how to install the library bundle for both express and non-express boards.

Remember for non-express boards like the Trinket M0, Gemma M0, and Feather/Metro M0 basic you'll need to manually install the necessary libraries from the bundle:

  • adafruit_mcp9808.mpy
  • adafruit_bus_device

Before continuing make sure your board's lib folder or root filesystem has the adafruit_mcp9808.mpy, and adafruit_bus_device files and folders copied over.

Next connect to the board's serial REPL so you are at the CircuitPython >>> prompt.

Python Installation of MCP9808 Library

You'll need to install the Adafruit_Blinka library that provides the CircuitPython support in Python. This may also require enabling I2C on your platform and verifying you are running Python 3. Since each platform is a little different, and Linux changes often, please visit the CircuitPython on Linux guide to get your computer ready!

Once that's done, from your command line run the following command:

  • sudo pip3 install adafruit-circuitpython-mcp9808

If your default Python is version 3 you may need to run 'pip' instead. Just make sure you aren't trying to use CircuitPython on Python 2.x, it isn't supported!

CircuitPython & Python Usage

To demonstrate the usage of the sensor we'll initialize it and read the temperature.  First initialize the I2C connection and library by running:

import board
import busio
import adafruit_mcp9808
i2c = busio.I2C(board.SCL, board.SDA)
mcp = adafruit_mcp9808.MCP9808(i2c)

Now you can read the temperature property to retrieve the temperature from the sensor in degrees Celsius:

print('Temperature: {} degrees C'.format(mcp.temperature))

That's all there is to reading temperature with the MCP9808 and CircuitPython code!

Full Example Code

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2021 ladyada for Adafruit Industries
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import time
import board
import adafruit_mcp9808

i2c = board.I2C()  # uses board.SCL and board.SDA
# i2c = board.STEMMA_I2C()  # For using the built-in STEMMA QT connector on a microcontroller

# To initialise using the default address:
mcp = adafruit_mcp9808.MCP9808(i2c)

# To initialise using a specified address:
# Necessary when, for example, connecting A0 to VDD to make address=0x19
# mcp = adafruit_mcp9808.MCP9808(i2c_bus, address=0x19)

while True:
    tempC = mcp.temperature
    tempF = tempC * 9 / 5 + 32
    print("Temperature: {} C {} F ".format(tempC, tempF))
    time.sleep(2)

This guide was first published on Apr 03, 2014. It was last updated on Mar 28, 2024.

This page (Python & CircuitPython) was last updated on Mar 28, 2024.

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