GY-521 MPU-6050 6-DOF IMU Module | 3-Axis Gyroscope + Accelerometer | I2C | Arduino Drone Quadcopter | DC 3–5V

$9.08 USD

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GY-521 MPU-6050 6-DOF IMU Module — 3-Axis Gyroscope + Accelerometer | I2C | Arduino / Drone / Quadcopter

The GY-521 MPU-6050 is the most widely used 6-DOF (Degrees of Freedom) Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in the Arduino and drone community. It combines a 3-axis MEMS gyroscope and a 3-axis MEMS accelerometer in a single chip, communicating via I2C — providing complete 6-axis motion sensing with just two wires (SDA + SCL). The 16-bit ADC on each axis delivers high-resolution motion data for flight controller stabilisation, robot balance control, gesture recognition, and vibration analysis. The internal Digital Motion Processor (DMP) can perform sensor fusion and output quaternion data directly, offloading computation from the host microcontroller. Operates from 3V to 5V, compatible with Arduino (5V) and ESP32/STM32 (3.3V) systems.

Specifications

Chip	InvenSense MPU-6050
DOF	6 (3-axis gyroscope + 3-axis accelerometer)
Gyroscope Range	±250 / ±500 / ±1000 / ±2000 °/s (software selectable)
Accelerometer Range	±2 / ±4 / ±8 / ±16 g (software selectable)
ADC Resolution	16-bit per axis
Communication	I2C (standard mode 100kHz, fast mode 400kHz)
I2C Address	0x68 (AD0 low) / 0x69 (AD0 high)
Supply Voltage	3V – 5V DC (internal LDO regulator)
PCB	Immersion gold, 2.54mm pin pitch
DMP	Yes (Digital Motion Processor for sensor fusion)
Origin	Mainland China

Gyroscope vs. Accelerometer — What Each Measures

Sensor	Measures	Unit	Use Case
Gyroscope	Angular velocity (rotation rate)	°/s	Rotation speed, orientation change rate
Accelerometer	Linear acceleration (including gravity)	g (9.81 m/s²)	Tilt angle, vibration, linear motion
Combined (IMU)	Full 6-DOF motion	—	Flight stabilisation, balance, gesture

Pin Description

Pin	Function
VCC	Power supply (3V–5V)
GND	Ground
SCL	I2C clock
SDA	I2C data
XDA	Auxiliary I2C data (for external sensors)
XCL	Auxiliary I2C clock (for external sensors)
AD0	I2C address select (LOW=0x68, HIGH=0x69)
INT	Interrupt output (data ready, motion detect)

Key Features

✅ 6-DOF IMU — 3-axis gyroscope + 3-axis accelerometer in a single chip, single I2C connection
✅ 16-bit ADC per axis — high-resolution motion data for precise stabilisation and control
✅ Selectable ranges — gyro ±250–±2000°/s, accel ±2–±16g — optimise sensitivity vs. range for your application
✅ Digital Motion Processor (DMP) — onboard sensor fusion, outputs quaternion data, reduces host MCU load
✅ I2C interface — only 2 wires (SDA + SCL) required, two address options for multi-module systems
✅ 3V–5V supply — internal LDO regulator, compatible with Arduino (5V) and ESP32/STM32 (3.3V)
✅ Immersion gold PCB — high-quality PCB finish for reliable soldering and long-term corrosion resistance
✅ 2.54mm pin pitch — breadboard and Dupont cable compatible

Common Applications

Quadcopter and drone flight controller (attitude stabilisation)
Self-balancing robot (inverted pendulum control)
Gimbal stabilisation system
Gesture recognition and motion control
Vibration analysis and monitoring
Inertial navigation (dead reckoning)
Wearable motion tracking
RC car and robot orientation sensing

Arduino Quick Start

Connect VCC to Arduino 5V (or 3.3V for 3.3V systems), GND to GND.
Connect SCL to Arduino A5 (Uno) or SCL pin, SDA to Arduino A4 (Uno) or SDA pin.
Install the MPU6050 library by Electronic Cats via Arduino Library Manager.
Run the example sketch to read gyroscope and accelerometer data via Serial Monitor.
For DMP-based quaternion output, use the MPU6050_DMP6 example from the Jeff Rowberg library.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between the GY-521 and GY-87?
A: The GY-521 contains only the MPU-6050 (6-DOF: gyro + accel). The GY-87 adds a magnetometer (HMC5883L) and barometer (BMP180) for 10-DOF sensing. Use the GY-521 for flight stabilisation and balance; use the GY-87 for full navigation with compass and altitude.

Q: Can I use two MPU-6050 modules on the same I2C bus?
A: Yes. Connect AD0 of one module to HIGH (3.3V or 5V) to change its address to 0x69. The two modules will have different I2C addresses (0x68 and 0x69) and can coexist on the same bus.

Q: Does the MPU-6050 include a magnetometer?
A: No. The MPU-6050 is a 6-DOF device (gyro + accel only). For compass/heading data, add an external magnetometer (e.g., HMC5883L or QMC5883L) connected to the auxiliary I2C port (XDA/XCL).