{"id":1001,"date":"2026-02-19T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pirhome.com\/?p=1001"},"modified":"2026-02-19T21:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T13:35:32","slug":"hc-sr501-complete-datasheet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001","title":{"rendered":"HC-SR501 PIR Sensor: Complete Datasheet and Pinout Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to HC-SR501<\/h2>\n

The HC-SR501 is the most widely used Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor module in the electronics hobbyist and prototyping community. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about this sensor, from its physical pinout to advanced adjustment techniques.<\/p>\n

The HC-SR501 is a low-cost, easy-to-use motion detection module based on infrared technology. It detects movement by measuring changes in infrared radiation levels emitted by warm objects, such as human bodies, within its detection range.<\/p>\n

Technical Specifications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Parameter<\/th>\nValue<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Operating Voltage<\/td>\nDC 4.5V – 20V<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Operating Current<\/td>\n< 50mA (typical 65\u00b5A in standby)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Output Voltage<\/td>\nHigh 3.3V \/ Low 0V<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Detection Range<\/td>\n3-7 meters (adjustable)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Detection Angle<\/td>\n< 120\u00b0 (depending on lens)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Delay Time<\/td>\n5-200 seconds (adjustable)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Block Time<\/td>\n2.5 seconds (default)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Operating Temperature<\/td>\n-20\u00b0C to +80\u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dimensions<\/td>\n32mm \u00d7 24mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Pinout Diagram<\/h2>\n

The HC-SR501 has a standard 3-pin interface:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. VCC (Pin 1)<\/strong>: Power supply input. Accepts 4.5V to 20V DC. For Arduino projects, connect to 5V pin.<\/li>\n
  2. OUT (Pin 2)<\/strong>: Digital output pin. Goes HIGH (3.3V) when motion is detected, LOW (0V) when no motion.<\/li>\n
  3. GND (Pin 3)<\/strong>: Ground connection. Connect to Arduino GND.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Understanding the Potentiometers<\/h2>\n

    The HC-SR501 features two adjustable potentiometers that control its behavior:<\/p>\n

    Sensitivity Potentiometer (Distance Adjustment)<\/strong>
    \n– Controls how far the sensor can detect motion
    \n– Clockwise rotation increases detection distance (up to 7 meters)
    \n– Counter-clockwise reduces distance (down to 3 meters)
    \n– Labeled as “SENS” or “Distance” on the board<\/p>\n

    Time Delay Potentiometer (Duration Adjustment)<\/strong>
    \n– Controls how long the output remains HIGH after motion is detected
    \n– Clockwise rotation increases delay (up to 200 seconds)
    \n– Counter-clockwise reduces delay (down to 5 seconds)
    \n– Labeled as “TIME” or “Duration” on the board<\/p>\n

    Jumper Settings: Repeatable vs Non-Repeatable Trigger<\/h2>\n

    The HC-SR501 has a jumper that selects between two trigger modes:<\/p>\n

    H (Repeatable Trigger Mode)<\/strong>:
    \n– Output remains HIGH as long as motion is continuously detected
    \n– The delay timer resets each time motion is detected
    \n– Recommended for most applications like automatic lighting<\/p>\n

    L (Non-Repeatable Trigger Mode)<\/strong>:
    \n– Output stays HIGH for the set delay time, then goes LOW
    \n– Motion detected during the delay period is ignored
    \n– Useful for applications requiring single-pulse detection<\/p>\n

    Wiring with Arduino<\/h2>\n
    \/\/ HC-SR501 PIR Sensor with Arduino\nint pirPin = 2;     \/\/ PIR output connected to digital pin 2\nint ledPin = 13;    \/\/ LED on pin 13\n\nvoid setup() {\n  pinMode(pirPin, INPUT);\n  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);\n  Serial.begin(9600);\n}\n\nvoid loop() {\n  int pirState = digitalRead(pirPin);\n  if (pirState == HIGH) {\n    digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);\n    Serial.println(\"Motion detected!\");\n    delay(1000);\n  } else {\n    digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);\n  }\n}\n<\/code><\/pre>\n
    Important Usage Notes<\/h2>\n
    Warm-up Time<\/strong>: After powering up, the HC-SR501 requires a 30-60 second initialization period. During this time, it may trigger falsely multiple times. This is normal behavior as the sensor stabilizes.<\/p>\n
    Placement Considerations<\/strong>:
    \n– Avoid placing near air vents or heat sources
    \n– Keep away from direct sunlight
    \n– Do not mount behind glass (glass blocks infrared radiation)
    \n– Optimal mounting height: 1.5-2.5 meters<\/p>\n
    Common Applications<\/h2>\n
      \n
    • Automatic lighting systems<\/li>\n
    • Security alarms<\/li>\n
    • Smart home automation<\/li>\n
    • Visitor counters<\/li>\n
    • Robotics obstacle detection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
      Introduction to HC-SR501 The HC-SR501 is the most widely used Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor module in the electronics hobbyist and prototyping community. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about this sensor, from its physical pinout to advanced adjustment techniques. The HC-SR501 is a low-cost, easy-to-use motion detection module based on infrared technology. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reference"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nHC-SR501 PIR Sensor: Complete Datasheet and Pinout Guide - PIRHOME<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"HC-SR501 PIR Sensor: Complete Datasheet and Pinout Guide - PIRHOME\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Introduction to HC-SR501 The HC-SR501 is the most widely used Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor module in the electronics hobbyist and prototyping community. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about this sensor, from its physical pinout to advanced adjustment techniques. The HC-SR501 is a low-cost, easy-to-use motion detection module based on infrared technology. […]\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PIRHOME\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-19T01:00:00+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-19T13:35:32+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/?p=1001#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/?p=1001\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1ef19528806471fe6dab5630c9b93f15\"},\"headline\":\"HC-SR501 PIR Sensor: Complete Datasheet and Pinout Guide\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-19T01:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-19T13:35:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/?p=1001\"},\"wordCount\":447,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Reference\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/?p=1001#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/?p=1001\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/?p=1001\",\"name\":\"HC-SR501 PIR Sensor: Complete Datasheet and Pinout Guide - PIRHOME\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-19T01:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-19T13:35:32+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/?p=1001#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/?p=1001\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/?p=1001#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"HC-SR501 PIR Sensor: Complete Datasheet and Pinout Guide\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"PIRHOME\",\"description\":\"PIR & Motion Sensor\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"PIRHOME\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/cropped-\u5fae\u4fe1\u56fe\u7247_2026-02-19_222409_472.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/cropped-\u5fae\u4fe1\u56fe\u7247_2026-02-19_222409_472.jpg\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"PIRHOME\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1ef19528806471fe6dab5630c9b93f15\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pirhome.com\\\/?author=2\"}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"HC-SR501 PIR Sensor: Complete Datasheet and Pinout Guide - PIRHOME","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"HC-SR501 PIR Sensor: Complete Datasheet and Pinout Guide - PIRHOME","og_description":"Introduction to HC-SR501 The HC-SR501 is the most widely used Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor module in the electronics hobbyist and prototyping community. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about this sensor, from its physical pinout to advanced adjustment techniques. The HC-SR501 is a low-cost, easy-to-use motion detection module based on infrared technology. […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001","og_site_name":"PIRHOME","article_published_time":"2026-02-19T01:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-19T13:35:32+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"http:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1ef19528806471fe6dab5630c9b93f15"},"headline":"HC-SR501 PIR Sensor: Complete Datasheet and Pinout Guide","datePublished":"2026-02-19T01:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-19T13:35:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001"},"wordCount":447,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Reference"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001","url":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001","name":"HC-SR501 PIR Sensor: Complete Datasheet and Pinout Guide - PIRHOME","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-02-19T01:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-19T13:35:32+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=1001#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"HC-SR501 PIR Sensor: Complete Datasheet and Pinout Guide"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/#website","url":"http:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/","name":"PIRHOME","description":"PIR & Motion Sensor","publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"http:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"http:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/#organization","name":"PIRHOME","url":"http:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cropped-\u5fae\u4fe1\u56fe\u7247_2026-02-19_222409_472.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cropped-\u5fae\u4fe1\u56fe\u7247_2026-02-19_222409_472.jpg","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"PIRHOME"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"http:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1ef19528806471fe6dab5630c9b93f15","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"url":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?author=2"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1001"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3037,"href":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1001\/revisions\/3037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}