BMP180 Calibration

Hello, I have a BMP180 from Amazon,
BMP180

and I want to use it with my Arduino Intel Curie 101.

I am running this program:

/* SFE_BMP180 library example sketch

This sketch shows how to use the SFE_BMP180 library to read the
Bosch BMP180 barometric pressure sensor.
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11824

Like most pressure sensors, the BMP180 measures absolute pressure.
This is the actual ambient pressure seen by the device, which will
vary with both altitude and weather.

Before taking a pressure reading you must take a temparture reading.
This is done with startTemperature() and getTemperature().
The result is in degrees C.

Once you have a temperature reading, you can take a pressure reading.
This is done with startPressure() and getPressure().
The result is in millibar (mb) aka hectopascals (hPa).

If you'll be monitoring weather patterns, you will probably want to
remove the effects of altitude. This will produce readings that can
be compared to the published pressure readings from other locations.
To do this, use the sealevel() function. You will need to provide
the known altitude at which the pressure was measured.

If you want to measure altitude, you will need to know the pressure
at a baseline altitude. This can be average sealevel pressure, or
a previous pressure reading at your altitude, in which case
subsequent altitude readings will be + or - the initial baseline.
This is done with the altitude() function.

Hardware connections:

- (GND) to GND
+ (VDD) to 3.3V

(WARNING: do not connect + to 5V or the sensor will be damaged!)

You will also need to connect the I2C pins (SCL and SDA) to your
Arduino. The pins are different on different Arduinos:

Any Arduino pins labeled:  SDA  SCL
Uno, Redboard, Pro:        A4   A5
Mega2560, Due:             20   21
Leonardo:                   2    3

Leave the IO (VDDIO) pin unconnected. This pin is for connecting
the BMP180 to systems with lower logic levels such as 1.8V

Have fun! -Your friends at SparkFun.

The SFE_BMP180 library uses floating-point equations developed by the
Weather Station Data Logger project: http://wmrx00.sourceforge.net/

Our example code uses the "beerware" license. You can do anything
you like with this code. No really, anything. If you find it useful,
buy me a beer someday.

V10 Mike Grusin, SparkFun Electronics 10/24/2013
*/

// Your sketch must #include this library, and the Wire library.
// (Wire is a standard library included with Arduino.):

#include <SFE_BMP180.h>
#include <Wire.h>

// You will need to create an SFE_BMP180 object, here called "pressure":

SFE_BMP180 pressure;

#define ALTITUDE 1655.0 // Altitude of SparkFun's HQ in Boulder, CO. in meters

void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("REBOOT");

  // Initialize the sensor (it is important to get calibration values stored on the device).

  if (pressure.begin())
    Serial.println("BMP180 init success");
  else
  {
    // Oops, something went wrong, this is usually a connection problem,
    // see the comments at the top of this sketch for the proper connections.

    Serial.println("BMP180 init fail\n\n");
    while(1); // Pause forever.
  }
}

void loop()
{
  char status;
  double T,P,p0,a;

  // Loop here getting pressure readings every 10 seconds.

  // If you want sea-level-compensated pressure, as used in weather reports,
  // you will need to know the altitude at which your measurements are taken.
  // We're using a constant called ALTITUDE in this sketch:
  
  Serial.println();
  Serial.print("provided altitude: ");
  Serial.print(ALTITUDE,0);
  Serial.print(" meters, ");
  Serial.print(ALTITUDE*3.28084,0);
  Serial.println(" feet");
  
  // If you want to measure altitude, and not pressure, you will instead need
  // to provide a known baseline pressure. This is shown at the end of the sketch.

  // You must first get a temperature measurement to perform a pressure reading.
  
  // Start a temperature measurement:
  // If request is successful, the number of ms to wait is returned.
  // If request is unsuccessful, 0 is returned.

  status = pressure.startTemperature();
  if (status != 0)
  {
    // Wait for the measurement to complete:
    delay(status);

    // Retrieve the completed temperature measurement:
    // Note that the measurement is stored in the variable T.
    // Function returns 1 if successful, 0 if failure.

    status = pressure.getTemperature(T);
    if (status != 0)
    {
      // Print out the measurement:
      Serial.print("temperature: ");
      Serial.print(T,2);
      Serial.print(" deg C, ");
      Serial.print((9.0/5.0)*T+32.0,2);
      Serial.println(" deg F");
      
      // Start a pressure measurement:
      // The parameter is the oversampling setting, from 0 to 3 (highest res, longest wait).
      // If request is successful, the number of ms to wait is returned.
      // If request is unsuccessful, 0 is returned.

      status = pressure.startPressure(3);
      if (status != 0)
      {
        // Wait for the measurement to complete:
        delay(status);

        // Retrieve the completed pressure measurement:
        // Note that the measurement is stored in the variable P.
        // Note also that the function requires the previous temperature measurement (T).
        // (If temperature is stable, you can do one temperature measurement for a number of pressure measurements.)
        // Function returns 1 if successful, 0 if failure.

        status = pressure.getPressure(P,T);
        if (status != 0)
        {
          // Print out the measurement:
          Serial.print("absolute pressure: ");
          Serial.print(P,2);
          Serial.print(" mb, ");
          Serial.print(P*0.0295333727,2);
          Serial.println(" inHg");

          // The pressure sensor returns abolute pressure, which varies with altitude.
          // To remove the effects of altitude, use the sealevel function and your current altitude.
          // This number is commonly used in weather reports.
          // Parameters: P = absolute pressure in mb, ALTITUDE = current altitude in m.
          // Result: p0 = sea-level compensated pressure in mb

          p0 = pressure.sealevel(P,ALTITUDE); // we're at 1655 meters (Boulder, CO)
          Serial.print("relative (sea-level) pressure: ");
          Serial.print(p0,2);
          Serial.print(" mb, ");
          Serial.print(p0*0.0295333727,2);
          Serial.println(" inHg");

          // On the other hand, if you want to determine your altitude from the pressure reading,
          // use the altitude function along with a baseline pressure (sea-level or other).
          // Parameters: P = absolute pressure in mb, p0 = baseline pressure in mb.
          // Result: a = altitude in m.

          a = pressure.altitude(P,p0);
          Serial.print("computed altitude: ");
          Serial.print(a,0);
          Serial.print(" meters, ");
          Serial.print(a*3.28084,0);
          Serial.println(" feet");
        }
        else Serial.println("error retrieving pressure measurement\n");
      }
      else Serial.println("error starting pressure measurement\n");
    }
    else Serial.println("error retrieving temperature measurement\n");
  }
  else Serial.println("error starting temperature measurement\n");

  delay(5000);  // Pause for 5 seconds.
}

The program runs fine, however the measurements are way off. This is a sample of some data inside my house:

provided altitude: 1655 meters, 5429 feet
temperature: 118.54 deg C, 245.38 deg F
absolute pressure: -1453.88 mb, -42.94 inHg
relative (sea-level) pressure: -1775.68 mb, -52.44 inHg
computed altitude: 1654 meters, 5429 feet

As you can see, this data is very inaccurate. How do I calibrate the sensor?

Thank You,

Tbot

I have run the same program from the IDE on my BMP180; it is working alright. Please, check your connections, jumpers' continuity, and Vcc at 5V.

There is nothing you can do to "calibrate" the temperature, if it is that far off. You may have a bad sensor.

How did you connect the BMP180 to your Arduino 101 (3.3volt processor).
Is the 3-pin chip on that module a 5volt>3.3volt regulator.
Is there any writing on that BMP180 module.
Leo..

I just hooked VIN to 3.3V, GND to GND, and the SCL and SDA to the Arduino's SCL and SDA. And,

jremington:
There is nothing you can do to "calibrate" the temperature, if it is that far off. You may have a bad sensor.

So, I may have to get another one? I was thinking about this one from Adafruit:

Disconnect the two I2C pins (SCL, SDA) from the Arduino,
and measure the voltage between ground and those two pins of the module.
Report back.
Leo..

I got 3.28V from the 3V pin when hooked up to the sensor. Seems normal.

Reread reply #5, and report the voltages on the two I2C pins.

I have about 4.75V running through each pin.

Did you change your forum name?

4.75volt on the I2C lines is not good.
That's more than the absolute max of the chip.
Did you connect it to 5volt, or the I2C pins of a 5volt Arduino?
Then you might have fried it.
Leo..

Thank you.