ESP32 TCRT5000 Infrared Line Tracking Sensor with Arduino IDE

Introduction

The TCRT5000 Infrared Line Tracking Sensor is a reflective optical sensor used for line-following and object detection applications. It contains an infrared emitter and receiver. The sensor detects the amount of reflected infrared light from a surface and provides a digital output signal. The ESP32 can read this signal and determine whether a dark or light surface is present. In this tutorial, we’ll interface a TCRT5000 Sensor with the ESP32 and monitor detection status through the Serial Monitor.

Required Components

• ESP32 Board
• TCRT5000 Infrared Line Tracking Sensor Module
• Jumper Wires
• Breadboard

Pinout

Circuit Diagram / Wiring

• TCRT5000 VCC → 3.3V (ESP32)
• TCRT5000 GND → GND (ESP32)
• TCRT5000 OUT → GPIO 15 (ESP32)

Code / Programming

/*
  Filename: ol_tcrt5000_sensor.ino
  Description: Reads TCRT5000 sensor status and prints detection result via Serial Monitor
  Author: www.oceanlabz.in
  Modification: 1/4/2025
*/

#define TCRT5000_PIN 15

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  pinMode(TCRT5000_PIN, INPUT);
}

void loop() {
  int sensorState = digitalRead(TCRT5000_PIN);

  if (sensorState == LOW) {
    Serial.println("Line Detected");
  } else {
    Serial.println("No Line Detected");
  }

  delay(500);
}

Explanation

• The TCRT5000_PIN reads the digital output from the TCRT5000 sensor.
• The sensor emits infrared light and measures the reflected signal from nearby surfaces.
• Dark surfaces reflect less infrared light, while light surfaces reflect more.
• The ESP32 continuously monitors the sensor output and determines whether a line or object is detected.
• The detection status is displayed on the Serial Monitor.

Troubleshooting

• Ensure that the sensor is powered correctly (VCC to 3.3V and GND to GND) and that the output pin is connected to GPIO 15.
• Adjust the onboard potentiometer to set the desired detection sensitivity.
• If the sensor does not detect lines correctly, verify the distance between the sensor and the surface.
• If the readings are unstable, check the wiring connections and ensure a stable power supply.
• If no messages appear in the Serial Monitor, verify that the correct COM port and ESP32 board are selected in the Arduino IDE.