ENS160 — i2c address & wiring
Digital TVOC / eCO2 air-quality sensor; modules often pair it with an AHT21.
Key facts
ENS160 at a glance
| i2c address | 0x520x53 address-selectable via pins/jumpers |
|---|---|
| Logic voltage | 3.3–5 V |
| Type | sensor |
| Part | ScioSense ENS160 |
| Ships with | Qwiic, STEMMA QT |
| Datasheet | ScioSense ENS160 — manufacturer documentation ↗ |
The chip
What the ScioSense ENS160 actually is
Digital indoor air quality sensor providing estimated equivalent carbon dioxide (eCO₂), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and an Air Quality Index (AQI). Uses a metal-oxide sensing element and needs ambient temperature and humidity compensation for best accuracy — hence the AHT21 riding along on most modules.
Watch out: On the common ENS160+AHT21 combo boards, the ENS160's heater warms the PCB enough to skew the AHT21's temperature reading high. Take temperature from a separately mounted sensor if you care about accuracy — and give a fresh ENS160 its ~48-hour burn-in before trusting the numbers.
Wiring
How to connect the ENS160
The ENS160 talks i2c at address 0x52 (up to 2 selectable addresses, handy when you need more than one on the same bus). It runs at 3.3–5 V, so match your host's logic level — if your host is 5 V and a board on the bus is 3.3 V-only, add a level shifter. Use the compatibility checker to confirm the exact cable for your setup.
Because the address is selectable, you can run several ENS160 boards on one bus by setting each to a different address — no extra wiring beyond the shared SDA/SCL.
Wiring is the usual four: power, ground, SDA and SCL, plus pull-up resistors — almost always already fitted on the breakout. Nothing showing up? Run an i2c scan first; if the bus is silent, the 7-step checklist finds it faster than guessing.
Ecosystems
Plug-together options for the ENS160
ENS160 breakouts ship with Qwiic and STEMMA QT — keyed 4-pin cables carrying power, ground, SDA and SCL, so there's nothing to solder and nothing to wire backwards. Chain it to the next board and keep going.
Running a mixed bench? Those ecosystems interoperate more than their marketing suggests — see every connector pairing for the cable or adapter you need, or the standards overview for how they compare.
Go deeper
Guides covering the ENS160
Alternatives
Other air quality boards
Watch the bus
Boards that clash with the ENS160
These want an address the ENS160 also answers (0x53), so they can't share a bus with it untouched. If one is address-selectable, strap it elsewhere; if not, the conflict guide covers the multiplexer and second-bus routes, and the collision roundup explains why a scan won't warn you.
Get one
Questions
ENS160 i2c FAQ
What is the ENS160's i2c address?
The ENS160 uses 0x52 or 0x53, selected with an address pin or solder jumper on the board. If a scan turns up something unexpected, our i2c address list names the usual suspect for every address.
What voltage does the ENS160 run at?
3.3–5 V logic. That range covers both 3.3 V and 5 V hosts, so it drops onto a Pi, ESP32 or Arduino without a level shifter.
Can I use two ENS160s on one i2c bus?
Yes — set each one to a different address (0x52, 0x53) using its address pin or jumper, then wire both to the same SDA/SCL. That gives you up to 2 on a single bus before you need a multiplexer.
Does the ENS160 work with Qwiic and STEMMA QT?
Yes — ENS160 breakouts ship with Qwiic / STEMMA QT, so it plugs straight in with no soldering. Mixing ecosystems? The compatibility checker gives you the exact cable or adapter.
What should I watch out for with the ENS160?
On the common ENS160+AHT21 combo boards, the ENS160's heater warms the PCB enough to skew the AHT21's temperature reading high. Take temperature from a separately mounted sensor if you care about accuracy — and give a fresh ENS160 its ~48-hour burn-in before trusting the numbers.