MPU6050 sensor interface with Raspberry Pi using WiringPi

Overview of MPU6050 Sensor

The MPU6050 sensor module is a widely used 6-axis motion tracking device, integrating the following components:

3-axis Accelerometer – Measures acceleration in the X, Y, and Z axes in units of g.
3-axis Gyroscope – Measures angular velocity in degrees per second (dps).
Digital Motion Processor (DMP) – Handles complex computations internally to offload the microcontroller.
Temperature Sensor – Provides onboard temperature monitoring.
Auxiliary I2C Bus – Allows connection of additional sensors, such as a 3-axis magnetometer or pressure sensor, to provide a full 9-axis motion fusion output.

Key Features of MPU6050:

Communication: I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) protocol.
Operating Voltage: 3.3V to 5V.
Measurement Range:
- Accelerometer: ±2g, ±4g, ±8g, ±16g.
- Gyroscope: ±250, ±500, ±1000, ±2000 degrees/sec.
Data Format: 2’s complement form.
Address Selection: Default I2C address is 0x68 (can be changed to 0x69 by connecting AD0 to VCC).

Wiring (I2C Connection)

Connect the MPU6050 to the Raspberry Pi as follows:

MPU6050 Pin	Raspberry Pi Pin (BCM)	Function

VCC	3.3V (Pin 1)	Power

GND	GND (Pin 6)	Ground

SCL	GPIO3 (Pin 5)	I2C Clock (SCL)

SDA	GPIO2 (Pin 3)	I2C Data (SDA)

AD0	GND (For 0x68 address)	Address Select

Steps to Use WiringPi withMPU6050

Install WiringPi (if not installed)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install wiringpi

Enable I2C on Raspberry Pi
Run sudo raspi-config → "Interfacing Options" → Enable I2C.

Check I2C Connection
Ensure the ADS1115 is detected using:

i2cdetect -y 1

You should see an entry at 0x68 (default address).

Read Data via WiringPi
If you're using the i2c command-line tool from WiringPi, try:

gpio i2c 1 0x68 0x00

                            
                               #include <stdio.h>
#include <stdint.h>
#include <wiringPi.h>
#include <wiringPiI2C.h>
#define MPU6050_ACCEL_XOUT_H       0x3B   // R
#define MPU6050_ACCEL_YOUT_H       0x3D   // R
#define MPU6050_ACCEL_ZOUT_H       0x3F   // R

#define MPU6050_GYRO_XOUT_H        0x43   // R
#define MPU6050_GYRO_YOUT_H        0x45   // R
#define MPU6050_GYRO_ZOUT_H        0x47   // R
 
#define MPU6050_PWR_MGMT_1         0x6B   // R/W
#define MPU6050_I2C_ADDRESS        0x68   // I2C
 
int main()
{
    int fd = wiringPiI2CSetup(MPU6050_I2C_ADDRESS);
    if (fd == -1){
        return 0;
	}
 
    wiringPiI2CReadReg8(fd, MPU6050_PWR_MGMT_1);
    wiringPiI2CWriteReg16(fd, MPU6050_PWR_MGMT_1, 0);
 
    signed long int x,y,z;
    signed long int ax,ay,az;
    while(1)
    {
		ax = wiringPiI2CReadReg8(fd, MPU6050_ACCEL_XOUT_H);
        ay = wiringPiI2CReadReg8(fd, MPU6050_ACCEL_YOUT_H);
        az = wiringPiI2CReadReg8(fd, MPU6050_ACCEL_ZOUT_H);
        x = wiringPiI2CReadReg8(fd, MPU6050_GYRO_XOUT_H);
        y = wiringPiI2CReadReg8(fd, MPU6050_GYRO_YOUT_H);
        z = wiringPiI2CReadReg8(fd, MPU6050_GYRO_ZOUT_H);
 
        printf("Accel x=%li   Accel y=%li  Accel z=%li \n", ax,ay,az); 
        printf("Gyro x=%li   Gyro y=%li  Gyro z=%li \n", x,y,z);
        delay(500);
    }
    return 0;
}