Sensors

TDK InvenSense marked MPU-6050 as NRND (Not Recommended for New Designs) around 2018. It remains available and heavily documented in open-source communities, but for new production designs we recommend ICM-20602 (higher performance, Active status, same QFN-24 footprint), MPU-6500 (SPI + I²C), or BMI160 (Bosch, lower cost, similar features). Choose MPU-6050 only when leveraging existing open-source drone or robot code.

The Digital Motion Processor is an on-chip microcontroller that runs sensor-fusion firmware, outputting stable quaternions at 100-200 Hz without loading your main MCU. If you are building a drone or balance robot, use the DMP — it saves weeks of filter development. For simple tilt detection or step counting, read raw gyro/accel registers directly and filter in software.

Wire the load cell in a Wheatstone bridge, feed the two output wires into AIN0 and AIN1 (differential mode). Set the PGA to ±0.256 V (gain ×24) for a typical 2 mV/V load cell at 5 V excitation. Read at 128 SPS for maximum noise-free resolution. Subtract the zero-load offset, then multiply by a calibration factor determined with known weights.

MPU-6050: 0x68 or 0x69 (selected by AD0 pin). ADS1115: 0x48, 0x49, 0x4A or 0x4B (selected by ADDR pin, up to 4 devices per bus). DS3231 RTC: fixed 0x68. If addresses conflict, use an I²C multiplexer like TCA9548A.