Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Detect Alcohol Vapors with Arduino | MQ-3 Gas Sensor Tutorial

Gas sensors play a vital role in various applications, from breathalyzers to industrial gas detection systems. The MQ-3 gas sensor is widely used to detect alcohol vapors, making it ideal for breathalyzer projects and ethanol-based gas detection. In this blog, we will explore how to interface the MQ-3 gas sensor with an Arduino, covering wiring, coding, and real-time monitoring.

MQ-3 gas sensor with Arduino

What is the MQ-3 Gas Sensor?

The MQ-3 gas sensor is designed to detect alcohol vapors in the air. It has high sensitivity to ethanol and can be used for applications like breathalyzer systems and alcohol level detection in industrial environments. The sensor provides both analog and digital outputs, making it easy to integrate with Arduino and other microcontrollers.

MQ-3 gas sensor specifications

Components Required

To get started, you will need the following components:
Components required for this tutorial
✅ Arduino UNO board
✅ MQ-3 Gas Sensor Module
✅ Jumper Wires
✅ USB cable for Arduino

Components Required

Follow this simple connection guide:
Connection MQ-3 gas sensor

The connection between the MQ-2 gas sensor and Arduino

Wiring diagram

VCC → 5V (Arduino)
GND → GND (Arduino)
A0 → A0 (Arduino) (for analog readings)
D0 (Digital Output, optional) → Any digital pin on Arduino (not used in this example)

Components Required

Using the Arduino IDE, upload the following Arduino sketch to read sensor values and display them on the Serial Monitor or you can download the code HERE.
const int sensorPin = A0;  // Analog pin connected to MQ-3
int sensorValue = 0;       // Variable to store sensor readings

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);      // Start serial communication
}

void loop() {
  sensorValue = analogRead(sensorPin); // Read alcohol concentration
  Serial.print("Alcohol Sensor Value: ");
  Serial.println(sensorValue);
  delay(1000); // Wait for a second before next reading
}

Open Arduino IDE and copy-paste the code

Testing the Sensor

After uploading the code to your Arduino, open the Serial Monitor in the Arduino IDE.

Observe the sensor values. In clean air, the values will be relatively low.

Introduce a gas source near the sensor and observe the increase in values.

Conclusion

The MQ-3 gas sensor is a useful component for detecting alcohol vapors in the air, making it ideal for breathalyzer projects and ethanol monitoring. By integrating it with an Arduino, you can build a simple yet effective alcohol detection system. This project is great for learning about gas sensors and how they work in real-world applications.

Video


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#arduino  #gassensor  #mq3  #arduinoprojects  #gasdetector

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Arduino Gas Sensor Tutorial: Integrating MQ-2 for Gas Detection

Gas sensors play a crucial role in safety and environmental monitoring applications. One of the most popular sensors for detecting flammable gases and smoke is the MQ-2 gas sensor. In this blog, we will explore how to interface the MQ-2 gas sensor with an Arduino to detect gases like LPG, methane, hydrogen, and smoke. We will also cover the wiring, coding, and real-time monitoring of gas concentrations using the Serial Monitor in Arduino IDE.

MQ-2 gas sensor with Arduino

What is the MQ-2 Gas Sensor?

The MQ-2 gas sensor is a versatile electronic module designed to detect combustible gases. It has high sensitivity to LPG, propane, hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, and even alcohol fumes. The sensor provides both analog and digital outputs, making it easy to integrate with microcontrollers like Arduino.
MQ-2 gas sensor specifications

Components Required

To get started, you will need the following components:
Components required for this tutorial
✅ Arduino UNO board
✅ MQ-2 Gas Sensor Module
✅ Jumper Wires
✅ USB cable for Arduino

Components Required

Follow this simple connection guide:
Connection MQ-2 gas sensor

The connection between the MQ-2 gas sensor and Arduino

Wiring diagram

VCC → 5V (Arduino)
GND → GND (Arduino)
A0 → A0 (Arduino) (for analog readings)
D0 (Digital Output, optional) → Any digital pin on Arduino (not used in this example)

Components Required

Using the Arduino IDE, upload the following Arduino sketch to read sensor values and display them on the Serial Monitor or you can download the code HERE.
const int sensorPin = A0;  // Analog pin connected to MQ-2
int sensorValue = 0;       // Variable to store sensor readings

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);      // Start serial communication
}

void loop() {
  sensorValue = analogRead(sensorPin); // Read gas concentration
  Serial.print("Gas Sensor Value: ");
  Serial.println(sensorValue);
  delay(1000); // Wait for a second before next reading
}
Open Arduino IDE and copy-paste the code

Testing the Sensor

After uploading the code to your Arduino, open the Serial Monitor in the Arduino IDE.
Observe the sensor values. In clean air, the values will be relatively low.


Introduce a gas source near the sensor and observe the increase in values.

Conclusion

The MQ-2 gas sensor is a powerful tool for detecting various combustible gases, making it ideal for home safety and industrial applications. By integrating it with an Arduino, you can create a gas leakage detection system that provides real-time monitoring. This simple yet effective project is a great starting point for anyone interested in sensor technology and IoT applications.

Video


🔔 If you found this guide helpful, share it with fellow makers! For more tutorials, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on social media. 🚀

#arduino #gassensor #mq2 #arduinoprojects #gasdetector