Do I need to buy hardware for this tutorial?

No. Everything runs in the browser: Circuitly simulates the board, the components and the code. Real hardware is optional if you want to rebuild the circuit afterwards.

Which components are used?

Arduino UNO board, 10 kΩ potentiometer, MPU6050 IMU. They are already available in the simulator library.

How long does it take?

About 30 minutes, expert level, in 4 guided steps.

What should I know before starting?

The previous tutorial in the series, “Scan the I²C bus”, is enough preparation. No software install is required.

Is the code provided and checked?

Yes: a starter sketch is provided, and the simulator checks your wiring and your code automatically at every step.

All tutorials

4 · Displays & buses

MPU6050 inertial unit

Expert30 min

Goal

Read the accelerometer and gyroscope over I²C.

Why it matters

Those six axes are the heart of every drone, phone or smartwatch.

What you need

Arduino UNO board
10 kΩ potentiometer
MPU6050 IMU

Nothing to buy: every component below is simulated in the browser.

Steps

01Drag in the MPU6050 (SDA A4, SCL A5, address 0x68).
02Load the starter sketch: it wakes the sensor and reads its registers.
03Run it, open the Scenario panel and tilt the virtual board.
04Watch the values follow the sliders in the serial monitor.

Starter sketch

// MPU6050 over I2C — raw register reads, no external library needed.
#include <Wire.h>

const uint8_t MPU = 0x68;

void writeReg(uint8_t reg, uint8_t val) {
  Wire.beginTransmission(MPU);
  Wire.write(reg);
  Wire.write(val);
  Wire.endTransmission();
}

int16_t readWord(uint8_t reg) {
  Wire.beginTransmission(MPU);
  Wire.write(reg);
  Wire.endTransmission(false);
  Wire.requestFrom(MPU, (uint8_t)2);
  int16_t hi = Wire.read();
  int16_t lo = Wire.read();
  return (hi << 8) | lo;
}

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Wire.begin();
  writeReg(0x6B, 0x00);   // wake up
  writeReg(0x1B, 0x00);   // gyro +/- 250 deg/s
  writeReg(0x1C, 0x00);   // accel +/- 2 g
  Serial.println("MPU6050 ready");
}

void loop() {
  float ax = readWord(0x3B) / 16384.0;
  float ay = readWord(0x3D) / 16384.0;
  float az = readWord(0x3F) / 16384.0;
  float gz = readWord(0x47) / 131.0;

  Serial.print("accel ");
  Serial.print(ax); Serial.print(" ");
  Serial.print(ay); Serial.print(" ");
  Serial.print(az);
  Serial.print("  gyroZ ");
  Serial.println(gz);

  delay(300);
}

This tutorial runs inside the Circuitly simulator: your wiring and your code are checked automatically at every step.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need to buy hardware for this tutorial?: No. Everything runs in the browser: Circuitly simulates the board, the components and the code. Real hardware is optional if you want to rebuild the circuit afterwards.
Which components are used?: Arduino UNO board, 10 kΩ potentiometer, MPU6050 IMU. They are already available in the simulator library.
How long does it take?: About 30 minutes, expert level, in 4 guided steps.
What should I know before starting?: The previous tutorial in the series, “Scan the I²C bus”, is enough preparation. No software install is required.
Is the code provided and checked?: Yes: a starter sketch is provided, and the simulator checks your wiring and your code automatically at every step.

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