MCP3008 8-ch 10-bit ADC

Name: MCP3008 8-ch 10-bit ADC
Brand: Microchip
Availability: InStock

MCP3008

Microchipinterface io display

The MCP3008 is a 10-bit, 8-channel Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) that communicates via an SPI serial interface. It supports a wide operating voltage range and low power consumption, making it suitable for various data acquisition applications.

Manufacturer datasheet

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In stock

Specifications

Resolution: 10 bits
Channels: 8
Interface: SPI
Operating Voltage: 2.7 - 5.5 V
Sampling Rate: 200 ksps
Standby Current: 5 nA
Active Current: 500 µA
Temperature Range: -40 to +85 °C
Package: PDIP, SOIC, TSSOP

Pinout

Pin	Name	Functions	Notes
1	CH0	ADC	Analog Input 0
2	CH1	ADC	Analog Input 1
3	CH2	ADC	Analog Input 2
4	CH3	ADC	Analog Input 3
5	CH4	ADC	Analog Input 4
6	CH5	ADC	Analog Input 5
7	CH6	ADC	Analog Input 6
8	CH7	ADC	Analog Input 7
9	DGND	GND	Digital Ground
10	CS/SHDN	SPI	Chip Select/Shutdown Input
11	DIN	SPI	Serial Data Input
12	DOUT	SPI	Serial Data Output
13	CLK	SPI	Serial Clock
14	AGND	GND	Analog Ground
15	VREF	—	Reference Voltage Input
16	VDD	POWER	Power Supply

Interactive pinout

Highlight:

MCP3008

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Logic level & voltage

Operates from 2.7-5.5 V (per the datasheet specs) over SPI and provides eight 10-bit analog channels — a common way to add ADC to a board that lacks one.

Typical uses

Adding analog inputs to the Raspberry Pi / Pico
Reading multiple potentiometers or analog sensors
Low-speed data acquisition

Wiring notes & gotchas

VREF sets the full-scale; tie it cleanly (often to VDD) and decouple.
Keep VDD and VREF quiet for accurate conversions.
Match the SPI logic level to your host (3.3 V hosts: run the chip at 3.3 V).

Commonly used with

Starter code

Community starter examples — minimal, unofficial, and provided to get you wiring fast. Verify against the manufacturer datasheet before relying on them.

Arduino (C++)

Arduino library: Adafruit MCP3008

arduino

// MCP3008 8-channel 10-bit SPI ADC — community starter example
#include <Adafruit_MCP3008.h>

Adafruit_MCP3008 adc;

#if defined(ESP32)
  #define CS_PIN 5
#else
  #define CS_PIN 10
#endif

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  adc.begin(CS_PIN);            // hardware SPI + this CS pin
}

void loop() {
  Serial.println(adc.readADC(0));   // channel 0, 0..1023
  delay(200);
}

MicroPython

python

# MCP3008 SPI ADC (ESP32) — community starter example
# No driver needed: one 3-byte SPI transaction per single-ended read
from machine import Pin, SPI
import time

spi = SPI(2, baudrate=1000000, sck=Pin(18), mosi=Pin(23), miso=Pin(19))
cs = Pin(5, Pin.OUT, value=1)   # CS=GPIO5

def read_adc(ch):
    cmd = bytearray([1, (8 + ch) << 4, 0])   # start bit, single-ended, channel
    resp = bytearray(3)
    cs.value(0)
    spi.write_readinto(cmd, resp)
    cs.value(1)
    return ((resp[1] & 0x03) << 8) | resp[2]  # 10-bit result

while True:
    print(read_adc(0))      # channel 0, 0..1023
    time.sleep_ms(200)

Wiring

Pin	Arduino Uno R3	ESP32 DevKitC (WROOM-32)	Notes
VDD	+5V	3V3	2.7-5.5 V; also tie VREF to VDD for full scale
AGND/DGND	GND	GND
CLK	D13 (SCK)	GPIO18
DIN	D11 (MOSI)	GPIO23
DOUT	D12 (MISO)	GPIO19
CS/SHDN	D10	GPIO5
CH0..CH7	-	-	Analog inputs, 0 to VREF