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🌊 Slight dispatch delays possible as we catch up with sale orders, please bear with us 🐨

RV3028 Real-Time Clock (RTC) Breakout

by Pimoroni

An ultra-low-power ( ~100 nA), highly accurate real-time clock breakout. The RV3028 RTC breakout is perfect for adding timekeeping to your project and, thanks to the tiny on-board battery, it'll keep time when your device is powered off. Like all the best timepieces, it's Swiss-made!

The RV3028 RTC is factory-calibrated, and is quoted to drift by just ±1 second per million seconds at 25 degrees. This will vary slightly depending on a number of factors. In our testing, we've seen performance better than ±2 seconds per million seconds. For comparison, that's up to five times more accurate than your average digital watch.

The tiny silver oxide battery (8mAh, included) keeps the RTC running when your device (Raspberry Pi or Arduino) is powered off and can sync the time when powered back on. It should last for several years (up to nine in theory, although the battery shelf-life is five years)!

The RV3028 breakout has an I2C interface and is 3.3V or 5V compatible. Like our other Pimoroni breakouts, we've designed it so that you can solder a piece of right-angle header onto it and then pop it straight onto the bottom left 5 pins on your Raspberry Pi's GPIO header (pins 1, 3, 5, 6, 9).

It's also compatible with our fancy Breakout Garden, where using breakouts is as easy as just popping it into one of the six slots and starting to grow your project, create, and code.

Features

  • RV3028 Real-Time Clock (RTC)
  • Ultra-low-power (~100nA typical current draw)
  • ±1 second drift per million seconds at 25 degrees
  • Silver oxide battery included (1.55V, 8mAh, 337 type)
  • 3.3V or 5V compatible
  • I2C interface (address 0x52)
  • Reverse polarity protection
  • Raspberry Pi-compatible pinout (pins 1, 3, 5, 7, 9)
  • Compatible with Arduino
  • Compatible with all 40-pin Raspberry Pi models (Python library)
  • Compatible with Raspberry Pi Pico (C++/MicroPython libraries)
  • Datasheet and applications manual
  • Schematic

Kit includes

  • RV3028 RTC Breakout
  • 1x5 pin header
  • 1x5 right angle socket header

Software

We've put together a Python library that you can use with your RV3028 RTC Breakout, and an easy one-line installer to install everything.

Our Python library allows you to set and get the time (year, month, day, hour, minute, second), set periodic countdown timers with interrupts, and to set one-off or recurring alarms with interrupts.

You can also use this breakout with Raspberry Pi Pico and other RP2040 boards, using C++ or Pirate brand MicroPython.

Notes

  • You'll need to run the set-time.py example the first time that you use your RV3028 RTC breakout to set the time correctly and to enable the clock to run on battery backup!
  • The battery in this breakout is extremely tiny, so take care not to lose it. Also take care not to contact any metal objects with the breakout to avoid shorting the battery (don't toss it in a box with other breakouts or conductive materials)
  • Dimensions: 19x19x4mm

32 customer reviews

a year ago
A really neat and easy to use sensor package. Shouldnt take more than an hour to familiarise yourself with it as the library for it is pretty robust and easy to use. Added it to a project of mine (circuit python) and it works just as expected. I really like it!
by Sony about BME280 Breakout - Temperature, Pressure, Humidity Sensor via REVIEWS.io
2 years ago
A great little sensor that is almost 'plug and play'. Just plug it into a board like the Pico Breakout Garden and download the example program to get it going. You really don't need to do much yourself. That said, more accessible, improved documentation, detailing the methods used to set up the device and access data would help deepen understanding of the device and how to develop and modify applications using it.
by Robert about BME280 Breakout - Temperature, Pressure, Humidity Sensor via REVIEWS.io
2 years ago
Useful sensor with a choice of connectors for soldering. Worked seamlessly with a Pico W. Found the literature and information on the Pimoroni website somewhat arcane and less than straightforward to access, but plenty of help available on YouTube
by Robert about BME280 Breakout - Temperature, Pressure, Humidity Sensor via REVIEWS.io
2 years ago
Bought the BME280 breakout as a replacement for the BME280 sensor on an Enviro+ board that had gone awry. After checking with the excellent Pimoroni forum for help, I soldered the board to the GPIO header on the Enviro+ with the supplied header pins. I made use of the address selection trace on the back BME280 breakout board. All now works and is up and running the Luftdaten python script with a small change to the code to allow for the address change to 0x77. Great service from Pimoroni, ordered on Tuesday and arrived on Thursday.
by Mike about BME280 Breakout - Temperature, Pressure, Humidity Sensor via REVIEWS.io
3 years ago
Instructions on how to use it and set up are good. Got it all working without hassle and used it as a project to team my kids to solder, which went well. Readings seem to be accurate and correspond with other local weather stations in the year.
by John about BME280 Breakout - Temperature, Pressure, Humidity Sensor via REVIEWS.io
4 years ago
These sensors work as they should, I couldn't find how to access specific addresses using the pimoroni python library examples but a search led me to install the RPi.bme280 libràry (sudo pip install RPi.bme280) and I was able to read from two dme280 sensors connected in parallel using addresses 0x76 and 0x77.
by Anonymous about BME280 Breakout - Temperature, Pressure, Humidity Sensor via REVIEWS.io
4 years ago
Handy little sensor.. I am using this to provide a data feed to the magic mirror smart dashboard I have at home to keep an eye on indoor conditions. Fantastic. Try to keep the unit few cms away from the pi..it is quite sensitive to any heat.
by Badrinath about BME280 Breakout - Temperature, Pressure, Humidity Sensor via REVIEWS.io

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