The Pololu MinIMU-9 v5 is an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that packs an LSM6DS33 3-axis gyro and 3-axis accelerometer and an LIS3MDL 3-axis magnetometer onto a tiny 0.8″ × 0.5″ board. An I²C interface accesses nine independent rotation, acceleration, and magnetic measurements that can be used to calculate the sensor’s absolute orientation. The MinIMU-9 v5 board includes a voltage regulator and a level-shifting circuit that allow operation from 2.5 to 5.5 V, and the 0.1″ pin spacing makes it easy to use with standard solderless breadboards and 0.1″ perfboards.
The Pololu MinIMU-9 v5 is a compact (0.8″ × 0.5″) board that combines ST’s LSM6DS33 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer and LIS3MDL 3-axis magnetometer to form an inertial measurement unit (IMU); we therefore recommend careful reading of the LSM6DS33 datasheet (1MB pdf) and LIS3MDL datasheet (2MB pdf) before using this product. These sensors are great ICs, but their small packages make them difficult for the typical student or hobbyist to use. They also operate at voltages below 3.6 V, which can make interfacing difficult for microcontrollers operating at 5 V. The MinIMU-9 v5 addresses these issues by incorporating additional electronics, including a voltage regulator and a level-shifting circuit, while keeping the overall size as compact as possible. The board ships fully populated with its SMD components, including the LSM6DS33 and LIS3MDL, as shown in the product picture.
Compared to the previous MinIMU-9 v3, the v5 version uses newer MEMS sensors that provide some increases in accuracy (lower noise and zero-rate offsets). The MinIMU-9 v5 is pin-compatible with the MinIMU-9 v3, but because it uses different sensor chips, software written for older IMU versions will need to be changed to work with the v5.
The MinIMU-9 v5 is also pin-compatible with the AltIMU-10 v5, which offers the same functionality augmented by a digital barometer that can be used to obtain pressure and altitude measurements. The AltIMU includes a second mounting hole and is 0.2″ longer than the MinIMU. Any code written for the MinIMU-9 v5 should also work with the AltIMU-10 v5.
More technical information at Pololu.
