A potentiometer is a three-terminal resistor with a rotating contact and a sliding contact that forms a voltage divider. It works with a variable resistance that limits part of the current depending on how the knob is turned.

There are different types of potentiometers:

  • Linear potentiometer: The resistance changes in a direct relationship.

  • Logarithmic potentiometer: The resistance changes in a logarithmic relationship.

  • Exponential potentiometer: The resistance changes in an exponential relationship.

The potentiometer is commonly used in devices like radiators as a rheostat, or to increase or decrease the volume of a speaker. In this tutorial, we will see how to use it with a Raspberry Pi Pico. The Pico features a 12-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), which will allow us to read the value of our potentiometer.

Here’s the wiring diagram for the potentiometer on the Raspberry Pi Pico: