SENSORS/ACTUATORS

Arduino Nano 33 IoT - DIP Switch

In electronics, DIP (Dual In-line Package) switches are often used for setting up things like device addresses, communication options, and security codes. This guide will show you how to use a DIP switch with the Arduino Nano 33 IoT. We will cover:

Understanding how a DIP switch works
Connecting the DIP switch to an Arduino Nano 33 IoT
Writing code on the Arduino Nano 33 IoT to check if the DIP switch is ON or OFF
Writing code on the Arduino Nano 33 IoT to find out the number set by the DIP switch

Hardware Preparation

1	×	Arduino Nano 33 IoT
1	×	Micro USB Cable
1	×	DIP Switch
1	×	Breadboard
1	×	Jumper Wires
1	×	Recommended: Screw Terminal Expansion Board for Arduino Nano
1	×	Recommended: Breakout Expansion Board for Arduino Nano
1	×	Recommended: Power Splitter for Arduino Nano

Or you can buy the following sensor kits:

1	×	DIYables Sensor Kit (30 sensors/displays)
1	×	DIYables Sensor Kit (18 sensors/displays)

Disclosure: Some of the links provided in this section are Amazon affiliate links. We may receive a commission for any purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.
Additionally, some of these links are for products from our own brand, DIYables .

Overview of DIP Switch

DIP switches are important tools for setting up devices. They let users change things like the device address, communication options, security codes, working modes, and other system settings for different industries and uses.

A DIP switch is a group of small sliding switches that are put together. Each switch is called a "position." There are different kinds of DIP switches depending on how many positions they have. For example, you can have DIP switches with 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, or 10 positions.

Each position on a DIP switch is like one part of a number. By turning these positions on and off, you can set the number you want to use.

Pinout

image source: diyables.io

A DIP switch has two rows of pins, with each row having as many pins as there are switch positions. For example, a 4-position DIP switch has 8 pins in total, with 4 pins on each side. In the DIP switch, each pair of opposite pins makes one slide switch. You don't need to worry about the difference between the two sides because the pins work the same on either side.

How It Works

In DIP switches, when a switch is turned on, it means that the switch is active or closed. This means an electrical connection is made, so the current can flow through the switch.

When a switch is off, it means it is not connected or closed. In this condition, the electrical connection is broken, so the current cannot pass through the switch.

Just to be clear:

ON position: Connects the circuit so electricity can flow.
OFF position: Disconnects the circuit so electricity stops flowing.

If you connect one side of a switch to ground (GND) and the other side to a pin on the Arduino Nano 33 IoT (set as a pull-up digital input), the table below shows how the switch's position matches the values that the Arduino reads.

DIP switch position	Binary representation	Circuit state	Arduino Nano 33 IoT pin state
ON	1	CLOSED	LOW
OFF	0	OPEN	HIGH

In the next sections, we'll use a 4-position DIP switch as an example. You can easily switch to using DIP switches with 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, or 10 positions.

Wiring Diagram

This image is created using Fritzing. Click to enlarge image

※ NOTE THAT:

Please note that the Arduino Nano 33 IoT pins A4 and A5 have built-in pull-up resistors for I2C communication. Although these pins can be used as digital input pins, it is recommended to avoid using them for digital input. If you must use them, do not use internal or external pull-down resistors for these pins

Arduino Nano 33 IoT Code - DIP Switch

We will learn with two code examples:

Checking if each DIP switch is turned on or off.
Changing the switch positions into a number.

Arduino Nano 33 IoT code - Reading the ON/OFF state of the DIP switch

/* * This Arduino Nano 33 IoT code was developed by newbiely.com * * This Arduino Nano 33 IoT code is made available for public use without any restriction * * For comprehensive instructions and wiring diagrams, please visit: * https://newbiely.com/tutorials/arduino-nano-iot/arduino-nano-33-iot-dip-switch */ #define POSITION_NUM 4 #define ON LOW #define OFF HIGH // define the Arduino Nano 33 IoT pins connected to the dip switch const int SWITCH_PINS[] = { 4, 5, 6, 7 }; void setup() { // initialize serial communication Serial.begin(9600); // set the dip switch pins as inputs with pull-up resistors enabled for (int i = 0; i < POSITION_NUM; i++) pinMode(SWITCH_PINS[i], INPUT_PULLUP); } void loop() { // Read the state of each switch position for (int i = 0; i < POSITION_NUM; i++) { Serial.print("position "); Serial.print(i + 1); Serial.print(": "); int state = digitalRead(SWITCH_PINS[i]); if (state == ON) Serial.println("ON "); else Serial.println("OFF "); } Serial.println(); // add a delay to prevent rapid readings delay(500); }

Detailed Instructions

If you are new to the Arduino Nano 33 IoT, be sure to check out our Getting Started with Arduino Nano 33 IoT tutorial. Then, follow these steps:

Connect the components to the Arduino Nano 33 IoT board as depicted in the diagram.
Use a USB cable to connect the Arduino Nano 33 IoT board to your computer.
Launch the Arduino IDE on your computer.
Select the Arduino Nano 33 IoT board and choose its corresponding COM port.
Copy the code above and open it in the Arduino IDE
Click the Upload button in the Arduino IDE to send the code to your Arduino Nano 33 IoT.
Turn each switch on the DIP Switch to the ON position one at a time.
Check the Serial Monitor to see the result.

COM6

Send

position 1: OFF position 2: OFF position 3: OFF position 4: OFF position 1: ON position 2: OFF position 3: OFF position 4: OFF position 1: ON position 2: ON position 3: OFF position 4: OFF position 1: ON position 2: ON position 3: ON position 4: OFF position 1: ON position 2: ON position 3: ON position 4: ON

Autoscroll Show timestamp

Clear output

9600 baud

Newline

Arduino Nano 33 IoT code - Encoding the states of DIP switch into a number

/* * This Arduino Nano 33 IoT code was developed by newbiely.com * * This Arduino Nano 33 IoT code is made available for public use without any restriction * * For comprehensive instructions and wiring diagrams, please visit: * https://newbiely.com/tutorials/arduino-nano-iot/arduino-nano-33-iot-dip-switch */ #define POSITION_NUM 4 #define ON LOW #define OFF HIGH // define the Arduino Nano 33 IoT pins connected to the dip switch const int SWITCH_PINS[] = { 4, 5, 6, 7 }; void setup() { // Initialize serial communication Serial.begin(9600); // Set the DIP switch pins as inputs with pull-up resistors enabled for (int i = 0; i < POSITION_NUM; i++) pinMode(SWITCH_PINS[i], INPUT_PULLUP); } void loop() { int encoded_state = 0; for (int i = 0; i < POSITION_NUM; i++) { int state = digitalRead(SWITCH_PINS[i]); if (state == ON) encoded_state |= 1 << (POSITION_NUM - i - 1); } Serial.print("encoded state: "); Serial.println(encoded_state); // add a delay to prevent rapid readings delay(500); }

Detailed Instructions

Load the code onto the Arduino Nano 33 IoT.
Turn on each switch on the DIP switch one at a time.
Look at the Serial Monitor to see the output, which should look like the example below.

COM6

Send

encoded state: 0 encoded state: 1 encoded state: 2 encoded state: 3 encoded state: 4 encoded state: 5 encoded state: 6 encoded state: 7 encoded state: 8 encoded state: 9 encoded state: 10 encoded state: 11 encoded state: 12 encoded state: 13 encoded state: 14 encoded state: 15

Autoscroll Show timestamp

Clear output

9600 baud

Newline

Please note that the value changes based on the position of each slide switch. The table below shows how the ON and OFF positions are linked to a number for a 4-position DIP switch.

Position-1	Position-2	Position-3	Position-4	Binary Value	Decimal Value
OFF	OFF	OFF	OFF	0000	0
OFF	OFF	OFF	ON	0001	1
OFF	OFF	ON	OFF	0010	2
OFF	OFF	ON	ON	0011	3
OFF	ON	OFF	OFF	0100	4
OFF	ON	OFF	ON	0101	5
OFF	ON	ON	OFF	0110	6
OFF	ON	ON	ON	0111	7
ON	OFF	OFF	OFF	1000	8
ON	OFF	OFF	ON	1001	9
ON	OFF	ON	OFF	1010	10
ON	OFF	ON	ON	1011	11
ON	ON	OFF	OFF	1100	12
ON	ON	OFF	ON	1101	13
ON	ON	ON	OFF	1110	14
ON	ON	ON	ON	1111	15

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