Hookup Guide
Schematic
Datasheet (BMA456)Product Overview
The SparkFun BMA456 Triple Axis Accelerometer Qwiic Breakout provides a high-precision movement sensor that measures acceleration and detects motion events on all three axes. Built around the Bosch Sensortec BMA456, this 16-bit sensor draws just 14µA in low-power mode, making it ideal for battery-powered wearables and fitness apps that need continuous monitoring without draining the power supply before you finish your activity tracking.
Embedded Intelligence & High Precision
With a built-in intelligence engine, the BMA456 handles complex motion recognition internally, which helps your microcontroller avoid constantly needing to process raw data coming from the sensor itself.
- On-Chip Intelligence: Actively monitors for specific events, including "plug 'n' play" step counting (drawing just 25µA), activity recognition, wrist tilt/wakeup, and single or double tap detection.
- Selectable Ranges: Features programmable acceleration measurement ranges of ±2/±4/±8/±16g, enabling measurement resolution as high as 0.06mg in the ±2g range.
- Reliable Tracking: Delivers accurate readings with a zero-g offset of ±20mg, an output noise density of 120µg/√Hz, and temperature stability for consistent measurements across changing environments.
While the BMA456 excels in low-power applications, it also offers a high-performance measurement mode with low-pass filters that make the sensor highly resistant to vibration and aliasing, while drawing only 150μA!
Operation and Qwiic Integration
The BMA456 Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout communicates over I2C and SPI with two interrupt pins configurable to trigger on any of the sensor's embedded intelligence detection events. The breakout defaults to communicate over I2C, with SPI enabled by adjusting the ADDR solder jumper on the back of the board. To make connecting and talking to the board as easy as possible, dual Qwiic connectors offer a daisy-chainable I2C interface to your main system. The board also breaks out all communication pins, along with power and ground, for users who prefer a soldered connection or if you'd like to use the BMI330 over SPI.
