Adafruit TDK InvenSense ICM-20948 9-DoF IMU (MPU-9250 Upgrade) - STEMMA QT / Qwiic

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

breakout

A breakout board carries a small or fine-pitched component and brings its connections out to standard, breadboard- and header-friendly pins. Describing a part as a breakout means it can be wired into a project without soldering directly to the component's tiny contacts.

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.

Headers

Rows of connector contacts on a fixed pitch (commonly 2.54 mm) used to link a board to a breadboard, jumper wires, or another board. They come as male pin headers and female socket headers; when a module ships with pre-soldered headers it can be used straight away, whereas bare pads require soldering the pins yourself.

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.

ICM-20948

A motion-sensing chip that combines accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer measurements. The part number matters because it tells you the board can provide 9-axis orientation and movement data, and which software libraries or drivers are likely to work.

IMU

An IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) combines motion sensors, typically an accelerometer and gyroscope and sometimes a magnetometer, to measure movement and orientation. It can sense motion, tilt, vibration, rotation, and changes in direction, which is useful for tasks such as navigation, stabilisation, gesture detection, and asset tracking.

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.

MEMS accelerometer

A tiny motion sensor made using micro-electromechanical systems technology that measures acceleration and tilt. In a compass module, it helps correct the heading when the board is not perfectly flat.

MPU

MPU can refer to a few different things in electronics: a microprocessor unit (a processor powerful enough to run a full operating system such as Linux, with external memory and storage), a motion-processing unit like the MPU-6050 or MPU-9250 inertial sensor modules, or a memory protection unit built into some microcontrollers. The intended meaning depends on the surrounding context.

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.