DHT11 humidity and temperature sensor

Question

Hello. I've got a question about DHT11 sensor. Why should pullup resistor be connected as on the image below: enter image description here

while as far as I know, pullup resistor should be placed between Arduino 5V pin and Vcc of sensor as shown here: enter image description here

PS: I know that there is a wrong icon of DHT11, but I couldn't find a correct one.

• Lefteris E: I don't know why but the datasheet says dataline must be connected to 4.7K pullup robocraft.ru/files/datasheet/DHT11.pdf
• Dave Newton: Then it wouldn't be a pull-up resistor; Vcc already is 5V. Signals are what need to be pulled high or kow.
• Maciaz99: @Dave Newton but it seems to me, that when the resistor is connected as shown in the first image, it's in parallel to Vcc-OUT in sensor therefore resistance between 5V and OUT is 0.
• StarCat: If you draw a proper schematic, you will see that, in the first drawing, the resistor is between Vcc and Out (also called "data"). It "pulls up" the data/Out pin to a high logic level when there’s no internal or external signal driving it.

Answer 1

You require a pullup resistor between the data wire and VCC because the DHT11 uses a bidirectional communication system on a single wire. When neither end is communicating both ends of the link will be in "high impedance" mode - i.e., input mode. In that case the signal will be "floating" and needs the pullup to keep it in a known state.

When actively communicating the outputs switch to "open drain" mode to allow then to pull the signal low against the pull of the pullup resistor.

A resistor in series with the Arduino's 5V and the VCC of the DHT11 is not a pullup resistor. It is not an arrangement that you would ever want, since it would make the voltage to the DHT11 unstable.

• PMF: Note that the pullup is typically not required when using one of the common breakout boards for DHT11 (from Adafruit or similar), because they already include it.