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Hedy

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How to use Arduino with an IMU sensor for drone?

#arduino #imusensor #mpu6050 #arduinouno

Here's how to use Arduino with an IMU sensor (like the MPU6050) for drone applications, such as stabilizing pitch and roll:

What You Need:
Hardware

Wiring (I2C - default interface)

(Use A4/A5 for I2C on Uno/Nano, or check your board’s SDA/SCL pins)

Arduino Code Example (Using MPU6050 + I2Cdevlib)

  1. Install Libraries in Arduino IDE:

Go to Library Manager → Install:

  • MPU6050 by Jeff Rowberg
  • I2Cdevlib
  1. Sample Code: 
cpp #include <Wire.h> #include <MPU6050.h> MPU6050 mpu; void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); Wire.begin(); mpu.initialize(); if (mpu.testConnection()) { Serial.println("MPU6050 connected successfully."); } else { Serial.println("MPU6050 connection failed."); } } void loop() { int16_t ax, ay, az, gx, gy, gz; mpu.getMotion6(&ax, &ay, &az, &gx, &gy, &gz); Serial.print("Accel: "); Serial.print(ax); Serial.print(" "); Serial.print(ay); Serial.print(" "); Serial.print(az); Serial.print(" | Gyro: "); Serial.print(gx); Serial.print(" "); Serial.print(gy); Serial.print(" "); Serial.println(gz); delay(100); }
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Next Steps for Drone Control:

  1. PID Controller: Stabilize pitch, roll, and yaw using the sensor data.
  2. Map PID output to PWM signals sent to ESCs for motor control.
  3. Safety: Add throttle kill-switch and failsafe.
  4. Optional: Use additional sensors (e.g., barometer, GPS) for altitude hold and navigation.

Recommended IMU Upgrade (for more precision):

  • MPU9250 or ICM-20948 (adds magnetometer for compass heading)
  • BNO055 (with onboard orientation processing – ideal for beginners)

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