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Adafruit 9-DOF Orientation IMU Fusion Breakout - BNO085 (BNO080) - STEMMA QT / Qwiic
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The BNO085 from Hillcrest Laboratories is a 9-DOF IMU with built-in sensor fusion — it combines accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer data on-chip and de...
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The BNO085 from Hillcrest Laboratories is a 9-DOF IMU with built-in sensor fusion — it combines accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer data on-chip and delivers ready-to-use orientation, motion detection and activity classification outputs. No external sensor fusion algorithms needed.
The BNO085 uses the same hardware as the BNO055 but runs Hillcrest's SH-2 firmware, which provides significantly more output types including AR/VR-optimised rotation vectors, tap/step/shake detection, and activity classification. It also fixes the SPI timeout bug present in the BNO080, and is fully backward-compatible with BNO080 code.
Sensor Fusion Outputs
- Rotation Vector – Four-point quaternion for accurate orientation
- AR/VR Rotation Vectors – Optimised for augmented/virtual reality with low latency
- Linear Acceleration – Acceleration minus gravity in m/s²
- Gravity Vector – Gravitational acceleration in m/s²
- Calibrated Accelerometer, Gyro & Magnetometer – Individual sensor readings available simultaneously
- Uncalibrated + Raw Outputs – ADC-level data for custom processing
Detection & Classification
- Activity Classification – Identifies movement type (walking, running, still, etc.)
- Stability Detection – Reports stable vs unstable states
- Tap Detector – Single and double tap detection
- Step Detector & Counter – Pedometer functionality
- Shake Detector – Identifies shake gestures
- Significant Motion Detector – Triggers on meaningful movement
Key Features
- On-Chip Sensor Fusion – ARM Cortex M0 processor running Hillcrest SH-2 firmware
- Multiple Interfaces – I2C, SPI and UART supported
- UART-RVC Mode – Simple heading and acceleration output over UART, ideal for robot vacuum cleaners and basic orientation tasks
- STEMMA QT / Qwiic Connectors – Solderless I2C connection
- Wide Voltage Range – 3–5V power and logic with on-board regulator and level shifting
- External Crystal – 32.768 kHz crystal for stable reference
BNO085 vs BNO055
- Same hardware (accelerometer, gyro, magnetometer)
- BNO085 runs Hillcrest SH-2 firmware with significantly more output types
- BNO085 adds AR/VR rotation vectors, activity classification, tap/step/shake detection
- BNO085 provides calibrated, uncalibrated and raw sensor outputs simultaneously
- BNO085 includes UART-RVC mode for simple heading output
Also Available
- BNO055 STEMMA QT – Simpler sensor fusion with Euler angle output
- BNO055 Breakout – Original BNO055 breakout board
Ideal For
- Robotics and drone navigation
- AR/VR head tracking and motion controllers
- Activity and gesture recognition
- Robot vacuum cleaners (UART-RVC mode)
- Motion tracking and orientation sensing
Package Contents
- 1× Adafruit BNO085 IMU Fusion Breakout with STEMMA QT (assembled and tested)
- 1× Header strip
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- ADC
- An analogue-to-digital converter reads a changing voltage and turns it into a number the microcontroller can use. It matters when connecting analogue sensors such as light, sound, or variable-resistor sensors.
- breakout
- A breakout is a small circuit board that makes a tiny or hard-to-solder component easier to connect to with standard pins. It matters because this OLED module can be wired into a microcontroller project without needing to solder directly to the display’s fine contacts.
- Gravity
- Gravity is DFRobot’s plug-in connector system for sensors, motors and modules, using standard cables to reduce loose jumper wiring. It matters because Gravity-compatible parts can connect directly to these ports, while non-Gravity parts may need adapters or manual wiring.
- Gyroscope
- A gyroscope measures rotation, such as how fast a board is turning around its X, Y, and Z axes. This matters for projects like gesture controls, balancing robots, and motion tracking where tilt or rotation changes need to be detected.
- I2C
- I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
- IMU
- An Inertial Measurement Unit combines motion sensors to measure movement and orientation. It matters for asset tracking because it can detect movement, tilt, vibration, or changes in direction.
- magnetometer
- A sensor that measures magnetic fields, often used to work out compass direction. It matters because nearby magnets, motors, or metal objects can affect readings and may require calibration.
- Motion detection
- A camera feature that checks the image for changes that suggest something has moved. It matters because your project can use movement as a trigger instead of constantly saving or processing every frame.
- Qwiic
- Qwiic is a plug-in connector system for I2C devices that uses small 4-pin cables, so you can connect compatible sensors without soldering. It matters because your controller or adapter also needs Qwiic, or you will need a cable or breakout to wire it up.
- SPI
- A fast serial communication bus often used for displays, memory cards, and sensors. It matters because SPI devices need specific pins for clock and data, plus a separate chip-select line for each device.
- STEMMA
- A plug-and-cable connection system used on some maker electronics boards to make wiring simpler. If a product uses STEMMA, you need the matching cable or connector type to plug it in without soldering.
- STEMMA QT
- A small plug-in connector system for I2C boards that lets you connect compatible sensors and controllers without soldering. It matters because it can make wiring faster and less error-prone, especially when adding several small modules to a project.
- UART
- UART is a simple serial connection that sends data over separate transmit and receive wires, often labelled TX and RX. It matters because this module is designed to replace a wired UART cable with a wireless link while keeping the same serial data format.
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