Monitoring your Raspberry Pi’s temperature can be crucial for maintaining optimal performance and preventing hardware damage. Learn how to check your Raspberry Pi’s temperature using the command line in this step-by-step guide.

Updated October 23, 2023

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In this article, we will show you how to check the temperature of your Raspberry Pi from the command line. We will cover the necessary tools and commands, as well as some useful tips for interpreting the results. By following these steps, you can keep a close eye on your Raspberry Pi’s temperature and ensure it is operating within safe limits.

Introduction

Monitoring the temperature of your Raspberry Pi is essential for maintaining optimal performance and preventing hardware damage. The Raspberry Pi SoC (System-on-a-Chip) generates heat during operation, and prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to reduced lifespan and even permanent damage.

Tools and Commands

There are several tools available for checking the temperature of your Raspberry Pi from the command line. We will cover two common options: vcgencmd and cat.

Option 1: Using vcgencmd

The vcgencmd tool is a command-line utility that provides access to various features of the VideoCore GPU, including temperature monitoring. To use it, simply open a terminal window on your Raspberry Pi and type the following command:

vcgencmd measure_temp

This will return the current temperature of your Raspberry Pi’s SoC in Celsius, followed by the letter “C”. For example:

temp=42.5'C

Option 2: Using cat

Another method for checking the temperature is to read the temperature directly from the system’s thermal zone file. This can be done using the cat command:

cat /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp

This command will return the temperature as an integer, so you will need to divide it by 10000 to get the temperature in Celsius. For example:

To convert this to Celsius, simply divide by 10000:

42.5'C

Interpreting the Results

Once you have obtained the temperature reading, it is important to interpret the results and take appropriate action if necessary. Generally, temperatures above 70°C should be cause for concern. If your Raspberry Pi consistently runs hotter than this, consider the following steps:

Ensure that the device is properly ventilated and not obstructed by any objects.
Check for any dust or debris build-up within the device and clean if necessary.
Consider adding a heat sink to improve cooling performance.
Adjust your software configuration to reduce CPU usage, if possible.
Consider upgrading to a more powerful Raspberry Pi model with better heat dissipation capabilities (e.g., Raspberry Pi 4).

Conclusion

By following the steps in this article, you should now be able to check your Raspberry Pi’s temperature from the command line. Regularly monitoring your device’s temperature can help you ensure that it is operating within safe limits and prevent potential hardware damage. Remember to take action if your device runs hotter than 70°C to avoid issues down the road.