Adafruit BMP388 - Precision Barometric Pressure and Altimeter (STEMMA QT)

Bosch has been a leader in barometric pressure sensors, from the BMP085 to the BMP180 and BMP280. Now, they’ve introduced the next-generation Adafruit BMP388 Precision Barometric Pressure Sensor. This updated sensor offers improved precision, making it ideal for environmental sensing and precision altimetry. It supports both I2C and SPI configurations, giving you flexibility depending on your project needs.

The BMP388 is the upgraded version of the BMP280, offering lower altitude noise (as low as 0.1m) and the same fast conversion time. It boasts a relative accuracy of 8 Pascals, which translates to about ±0.5 meters of altitude precision—improving on the BMP280’s 12 Pascal/ ±1 meter accuracy. It's perfect for drones, quadcopters, wearables, or any project that tracks height above sea level. Note that for accurate absolute altitude readings, you will need to enter the local barometric pressure at sea level, a requirement for all pressure-based altimeters.

Additionally, the BMP388 sensor can measure temperature with an accuracy of ±0.5°C. It’s easy to integrate into your projects, as the sensor is pre-soldered onto a PCB with a 3.3V regulator and level shifting, making it compatible with both 3V and 5V logic microcontrollers. The accompanying Arduino library ensures you can get data in under 10 minutes.

For those who wish to avoid soldering, the sensor now includes Stemma QT connectors (SparkFun Qwiic compatible). This means you can easily plug the sensor into your project without any soldering, though a QT cable is not included. The sensor comes with the option of black or tan connectors, and both work identically.

Technical Details:

• Revision History:
  • As of November 21, 2022, the PCB was updated with a new, clearer silkscreen design called Adafruit Pinguin. The sensor may come with either the updated silkscreen or the older version with vector fonts—both are functionally identical.
  • As of February 23, 2021, the sensor was updated to be STEMMA QT compatible, allowing for easy plug-and-play connections without soldering. The physical shape of the sensor has changed, but the pinout remains identical to the previous version.