MPU6050 Motion Sensor: ESP32 Acceleration and Gyroscope

Before you start

Board and software

Classic ESP32-WROOM-32/32E DevKit with the listed GPIOs exposed and unused. Arduino IDE 2.x; esp32 by Espressif Systems 3.3.2 (review baseline, not a latest-release claim). Select the documented board or ESP32 Dev Module for a generic WROOM board. Other families need their own pin map. Serial Monitor: 115200 baud.

Supported hardware

Reference circuit: documented Adafruit MPU6050 breakout with VIN, GND, SDA, SCL and AD0. VIN accepts 3–5 V; use 3.3 V here. The approved illustration depicts a generic GY-521-style family, not this exact Adafruit board. Unknown regulators, pull-ups and header order require separate checks.

Prerequisites and parts

Complete IDE setup and I2C scanner lesson. Documented breakout, short wires and breadboard; secure it against shorts while moving.

Libraries

Install Adafruit MPU6050 2.2.6 plus Adafruit BusIO and Unified Sensor. Accept Library Manager dependencies; this release also declares GFX/SSD1306 for packaged display examples, although this sketch uses no display.

Expected result

Six motion axes and chip temperature print every 200 ms. A stationary sensor still measures gravity; rotation changes the gyro readings.

Verification status

Documentation and source review only. Not compiled or tested on hardware. The approved product-style illustration identifies a family, not a verified physical pin layout or manufacturer-authenticated board. Follow the logical diagram and documentation for your actual part.

Overview

02Technical Specifications

Arduino library: Adafruit MPU6050 2.2.6

03Pinout

• VIN (reference breakout) Supply ESP32 3.3 V Adafruit reference; generic GY-521 needs its own schematic.
• GND Return ESP32 GND Common ground.
• SDA I2C data GPIO21 ESP32-side pull-ups to 3.3 V.
• SCL I2C clock GPIO22 100 kHz in this example.
• AD0 (reference breakout) Address select Leave at default LOW 0x68; HIGH needs a sketch change to 0x69.
• INT / auxiliary pins Unused features Not connected Polling; no auxiliary sensor.

04Wiring Diagram

Reference Adafruit VIN to 3.3 V, common GND, SDA21, SCL22 and default AD0 LOW for 0x68. INT unused.

Open wiring diagram at full size (new tab)

1. 1

   Disconnect power and confirm actual breakout supply and pull-up rails.

2. 2

   Connect named reference terminals; do not infer the illustrated GY-521 header order.

3. 3

   Install library dependencies, upload and observe the stationary sensor before rotating it gently.

Wiring and matching Arduino code

Read motion axes and chip temperature

Reference Adafruit VIN to 3.3 V, common GND, SDA21, SCL22 and default AD0 LOW for 0x68. INT unused.

#include <Arduino.h>
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_MPU6050.h>
#include <Adafruit_Sensor.h>
Adafruit_MPU6050 mpu;
bool ready = false;
void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  if (!Wire.begin(21, 22, 100000)) {
    Serial.println("I2C bus initialization failed");
    return;
  }
  if (!mpu.begin(0x68, &Wire)) {
    Serial.println("MPU6050 initialization failed; check wiring and AD0/address");
    return;
  }
  mpu.setAccelerometerRange(MPU6050_RANGE_2_G);
  mpu.setGyroRange(MPU6050_RANGE_250_DEG);
  mpu.setFilterBandwidth(MPU6050_BAND_21_HZ);
  ready = true;
}
void loop() {
  if (!ready) { delay(100); return; }
  sensors_event_t a, g, t;
  mpu.getEvent(&a, &g, &t);
  Serial.printf("Accel m/s^2: %.2f %.2f %.2f | Gyro rad/s: %.2f %.2f %.2f | Chip C: %.2f\n",
    a.acceleration.x, a.acceleration.y, a.acceleration.z,
    g.gyro.x, g.gyro.y, g.gyro.z, t.temperature);
  delay(200);
}

getEvent is not a robust continuous bus-health check. If disconnected after initialization, stop and diagnose instead of trusting repeated values. No fusion or calibration is performed.

How it works

Technical references

• Adafruit MPU6050 breakout pinouts — Reference supply, level shifting and address selection.
• Adafruit MPU6050 2.2.6 — Range/filter API, event units, initialization and dependencies.
• InvenSense MPU-6000/MPU-6050 product specification Rev. 3.4 — Manufacturer-authored document mirrored by SparkFun: axes, ranges, I2C address and bare-chip voltage. Not a generic GY-521 schematic.