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Buzzer / Piezo

Active Buzzer Module

Self-oscillating buzzer that beeps with just a single HIGH signal — no PWM required.

A buzzer with a built-in oscillator — just apply power to get a fixed-tone beep, no PWM signal generation required.

Specifications

Operating voltage3V - 5V DC (5V typical on breakout modules)
Current draw~25-30 mA
ToneFixed frequency, ~2-4kHz — set by the buzzer's internal oscillator, not by your code
ControlDigital HIGH/LOW only — a plain digitalWrite() is enough, no tone() or PWM needed

Pinout

PinNameDescription
1VCCPower, 3V-5V DC
2GNDGround
3I/OSignal input — HIGH turns the tone on, LOW turns it off

Easy to tell apart from a passive buzzer without a multimeter: tap 5V straight to the pin briefly — an active buzzer beeps immediately, a passive one just clicks.

Variants

Use an active buzzer whenever a project just needs a simple fixed-tone beep or alarm — it's the least code, since a plain digitalWrite(HIGH) is all it takes. If the project needs to play a melody, a warning tone that changes pitch, or anything beyond a single fixed beep, a passive buzzer driven with tone() is the right part instead — the two look identical but are not interchangeable in code.

VariantPrice
Active buzzer (this listing)~$0.30-1
Passive buzzer~$0.30-1
Bare piezo disc~$0.20-0.50

Board Integration

Wiring

Component pinArduino Uno pinNote
VCC5V
GNDGND
I/OD8Any digital pin works — this is a plain HIGH/LOW signal, not PWM

Example code

C++

This is an active buzzer (built-in oscillator) — do not use tone(), which is for passive buzzers that need a driven frequency. A plain digitalWrite HIGH/LOW is all it needs, and driving it with tone() will not change the pitch.

View full Arduino Uno guide