IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit)
Combines accelerometer, gyroscope, and temperature sensor in a single I2C module for complete motion tracking.
Overview
An IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) packs multiple motion sensors into one chip. The MPU6050 — the most popular IMU for Arduino — includes a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, and a temperature sensor. This gives you 6 degrees of freedom (6-DOF) motion data from a single module.
ArduinoStudio reads all sensor data from the IMU and emits combined sensor-data events with acceleration, angular rate, and temperature readings.
Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Sensor | MPU6050 |
| Accelerometer Range | +-2g / +-4g / +-8g / +-16g |
| Gyroscope Range | +-250 / +-500 / +-1000 / +-2000 degrees/s |
| Temperature | Built-in (+-1 C accuracy) |
| Interface | I2C |
| Operating Voltage | 3.3 – 5V |
| I2C Address | 0x68 (AD0→GND) or 0x69 (AD0→3.3V) |
| DMP | Integrated Digital Motion Processor |
Wiring Guide
| MPU6050 Pin | Arduino Pin |
|---|---|
| VCC | 3.3V or 5V (if board has regulator) |
| GND | GND |
| SDA | A4 (Uno) / 20 (Mega) |
| SCL | A5 (Uno) / 21 (Mega) |
| AD0 | GND (address 0x68) or 3.3V (address 0x69) |
| INT | Optional — digital interrupt pin |
Most MPU6050 breakout boards include a voltage regulator and level shifters, so they can safely connect to 5V Arduino boards.
Why Use an IMU Instead of Separate Sensors?
- Single I2C address — uses fewer pins
- Synchronized readings — accelerometer and gyro data are time-aligned
- Built-in DMP — can compute orientation quaternions on-chip
- Smaller footprint — one board instead of two
Usage in ArduinoStudio
Drag the IMU component onto the canvas. It connects via I2C automatically. All sensor readings (acceleration, rotation, temperature) stream as a single data event. Use the IMU for:
- Self-balancing robots
- Drone flight stabilization
- Motion-controlled interfaces (tilt to steer)
- Step counting and activity detection