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6.3 Read from the MPU-6050

In this lesson, we’ll explore how to interface the MPU-6050 6-axis motion tracking sensor with the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W. The MPU-6050 combines a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer, providing raw sensor data over the I2C communication protocol.

• MPU6050 Module

Required Components

In this project, we need the following components.

It’s definitely convenient to buy a whole kit, here’s the link:

Name	ITEMS IN THIS KIT	PURCHASE LINK
Pico 2 W Starter Kit	450+	Pico 2 W Kit

You can also buy them separately from the links below.

SN	COMPONENT INTRODUCTION	QUANTITY	PURCHASE LINK
1	Getting to Know Pico 2 W	1
2	Micro USB Cable	1
3	Breadboard	1	BUY
4	Jumper Wires	Several	BUY
5	MPU6050 Module	1

Understanding the MPU-6050 Sensor

The MPU-6050 sensor is widely used in projects that require motion tracking and orientation detection, such as drones, robotics, and gaming devices.

• Accelerometer: Measures acceleration forces along the X, Y, and Z axes. This includes gravitational acceleration, allowing you to determine the tilt or orientation of the sensor.

• Gyroscope: Measures rotational velocity around the X, Y, and Z axes, providing information about how fast the sensor is spinning.

Schematic

Wiring

Writing the Code

We’ll write a program that initializes the MPU-6050 sensor, reads acceleration and gyroscope data, and prints the values to the Serial Monitor.

Note

• You can open the file 6.3_6axis_motion_tracking.ino under the path of pico-2w-kit-main/arduino/6.3_6axis_motion_tracking.

• Or copy this code into Arduino IDE.

• Then select the Raspberry Pi Pico board and the correct port before clicking the Upload button.

• The Adafruit MPU6050 library is used here, you can install it from the Library Manager.

  

#include <Adafruit_MPU6050.h>
#include <Wire.h>

// Create an MPU6050 object
Adafruit_MPU6050 mpu;

void setup(void) {
  // Initialize Serial Communication
  Serial.begin(115200);

  Serial.println("Adafruit MPU6050 test!");

  // Try to initialize the MPU6050
  if (!mpu.begin()) {
    Serial.println("Failed to find MPU6050 chip");
    while (1) {
      delay(10);
    }
  }
  Serial.println("MPU6050 Found!");

  // Set accelerometer range
  mpu.setAccelerometerRange(MPU6050_RANGE_8_G);
  Serial.print("Accelerometer range set to: ");
  switch (mpu.getAccelerometerRange()) {
    case MPU6050_RANGE_2_G:
      Serial.println("+-2G");
      break;
    case MPU6050_RANGE_4_G:
      Serial.println("+-4G");
      break;
    case MPU6050_RANGE_8_G:
      Serial.println("+-8G");
      break;
    case MPU6050_RANGE_16_G:
      Serial.println("+-16G");
      break;
  }

  // Set gyroscope range
  mpu.setGyroRange(MPU6050_RANGE_500_DEG);
  Serial.print("Gyro range set to: ");
  switch (mpu.getGyroRange()) {
    case MPU6050_RANGE_250_DEG:
      Serial.println("+-250 deg/s");
      break;
    case MPU6050_RANGE_500_DEG:
      Serial.println("+-500 deg/s");
      break;
    case MPU6050_RANGE_1000_DEG:
      Serial.println("+-1000 deg/s");
      break;
    case MPU6050_RANGE_2000_DEG:
      Serial.println("+-2000 deg/s");
      break;
  }

  // Set filter bandwidth
  mpu.setFilterBandwidth(MPU6050_BAND_21_HZ);
  Serial.print("Filter bandwidth set to: ");
  switch (mpu.getFilterBandwidth()) {
    case MPU6050_BAND_260_HZ:
      Serial.println("260 Hz");
      break;
    case MPU6050_BAND_184_HZ:
      Serial.println("184 Hz");
      break;
    case MPU6050_BAND_94_HZ:
      Serial.println("94 Hz");
      break;
    case MPU6050_BAND_44_HZ:
      Serial.println("44 Hz");
      break;
    case MPU6050_BAND_21_HZ:
      Serial.println("21 Hz");
      break;
    case MPU6050_BAND_10_HZ:
      Serial.println("10 Hz");
      break;
    case MPU6050_BAND_5_HZ:
      Serial.println("5 Hz");
      break;
  }

  Serial.println("");
  delay(100);
}

void loop() {
  // Get new sensor events with the readings
  sensors_event_t a, g, temp;
  mpu.getEvent(&a, &g, &temp);

  // Print acceleration values
  Serial.print("Acceleration X: ");
  Serial.print(a.acceleration.x);
  Serial.print(" m/s^2, Y: ");
  Serial.print(a.acceleration.y);
  Serial.print(" m/s^2, Z: ");
  Serial.print(a.acceleration.z);
  Serial.println(" m/s^2");

  // Print gyroscope values
  Serial.print("Rotation X: ");
  Serial.print(g.gyro.x);
  Serial.print(" rad/s, Y: ");
  Serial.print(g.gyro.y);
  Serial.print(" rad/s, Z: ");
  Serial.print(g.gyro.z);
  Serial.println(" rad/s");

  delay(500); // Adjust delay as needed
}

After uploading the code, the Serial Monitor should display the acceleration and rotation values continuously.

Adafruit MPU6050 test!
MPU6050 Found!
Accelerometer range set to: +-8G
Gyro range set to: +-500 deg/s
Filter bandwidth set to: 21 Hz

Acceleration X: 0.00 m/s^2, Y: 0.00 m/s^2, Z: 9.81 m/s^2
Rotation X: 0.02 rad/s, Y: -0.01 rad/s, Z: 0.00 rad/s
Acceleration X: 0.10 m/s^2, Y: 0.05 m/s^2, Z: 9.76 m/s^2
Rotation X: 0.15 rad/s, Y: -0.05 rad/s, Z: 0.02 rad/s

Gently rotate or move the MPU-6050 sensor module. Observe changes in the acceleration and rotation values corresponding to the movement.

Understanding the Code

1. Including Libraries and Defining Constants:

   • Adafruit_MPU6050.h: Includes the MPU6050 library for easier interfacing.

   • Wire.h: Includes the I2C communication library.

   • mpu: Creates an MPU6050 object to interact with the sensor.

2. Setup Function:

   • MPU6050 Initialization:

     Attempts to initialize the MPU6050 sensor. If unsuccessful, it prints an error message and halts the program.

     Serial.println("Adafruit MPU6050 test!");
     
     // Try to initialize the MPU6050
     if (!mpu.begin()) {
       Serial.println("Failed to find MPU6050 chip");
       while (1) {
         delay(10);
       }
     }
     Serial.println("MPU6050 Found!");
     

   • Accelerometer Range:

     Sets the accelerometer range to ±8G and prints the current range.

     mpu.setAccelerometerRange(MPU6050_RANGE_8_G);
     Serial.print("Accelerometer range set to: ");
     switch (mpu.getAccelerometerRange()) {
       case MPU6050_RANGE_2_G:
         Serial.println("+-2G");
         break;
        ...
       case MPU6050_RANGE_16_G:
         Serial.println("+-16G");
         break;
     }
     

   • Gyroscope Range:

     Sets the gyroscope range to ±500 degrees per second and prints the current range.

     mpu.setGyroRange(MPU6050_RANGE_500_DEG);
     Serial.print("Gyro range set to: ");
     switch (mpu.getGyroRange()) {
       case MPU6050_RANGE_250_DEG:
         Serial.println("+-250 deg/s");
         break;
        ...
       case MPU6050_RANGE_2000_DEG:
         Serial.println("+-2000 deg/s");
         break;
     }
     

   • Setting Filter Bandwidth:

     Configures the filter bandwidth to 21 Hz to reduce noise and prints the current setting.

     mpu.setFilterBandwidth(MPU6050_BAND_21_HZ);
     Serial.print("Filter bandwidth set to: ");
     switch (mpu.getFilterBandwidth()) {
       case MPU6050_BAND_260_HZ:
         Serial.println("260 Hz");
         break;
        ...
       case MPU6050_BAND_5_HZ:
         Serial.println("5 Hz");
         break;
     }
     

3. Loop Function:

   • Reading Sensor Data:

     • sensors_event_t a, g, temp;: Creates event objects to store accelerometer, gyroscope, and temperature data.

     • mpu.getEvent(&a, &g, &temp);: Retrieves the latest sensor data.

     sensors_event_t a, g, temp;
     mpu.getEvent(&a, &g, &temp);
     

   • Printing Sensor Data:

     • Acceleration: Prints acceleration values along the X, Y, and Z axes in meters per second squared (m/s²).

     • Rotation: Prints gyroscope values (rotational velocity) around the X, Y, and Z axes in radians per second (rad/s).

     // Print acceleration values
     Serial.print("Acceleration X: ");
     Serial.print(a.acceleration.x);
     ...
     Serial.print(g.gyro.y);
     Serial.print(" rad/s, Z: ");
     Serial.print(g.gyro.z);
     Serial.println(" rad/s");
     

Troubleshooting

• No Readings Displayed:

  • Check all wiring connections, especially the I2C lines (SCL and SDA).

  • Ensure the MPU-6050 sensor is receiving power (VCC and GND connections).

  • Verify that the correct GPIO pins are defined in the code.

• Incorrect Readings:

  • Ensure that the MPU-6050 sensor is properly seated in the breadboard.

  • Verify that the sensor’s range and filter settings match the desired application.

  • Check for any loose connections or shorts in the wiring.

• Sensor Interference:

  • Avoid placing the sensor near other electronic devices that might cause interference.

  • Ensure there are no physical obstructions blocking the sensor’s movement.

Further Exploration

• Combining with Other Sensors:

  Integrate the MPU-6050 with GPS modules, magnetometers, or other sensors to create comprehensive tracking systems.

• Building a Motion-Based Game Controller:

  Use the MPU-6050 to detect movement and orientation, allowing for the creation of motion-controlled gaming devices.

• Creating a Self-Balancing Robot:

  Utilize the accelerometer and gyroscope data to maintain balance and stability in robotic applications.

• Implementing Sensor Fusion Algorithms:

  Combine accelerometer and gyroscope data to calculate orientation angles using algorithms like the Kalman filter or complementary filter.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you’ve learned how to interface the MPU-6050 6-axis motion tracking sensor with the Raspberry Pi Pico. By leveraging the Adafruit MPU6050 library, you can easily retrieve and interpret accelerometer and gyroscope data, enabling a wide range of motion and orientation-based applications. The optional LED indicator adds a simple way to provide visual feedback based on sensor readings, enhancing the interactivity of your projects.