Adafruit
Adafruit Triple-axis Magnetometer - MMC5603
The Adafruit MMC5603 is a triple-axis magnetometer (compass) breakout with a wide ±30 gauss (±3000 µT) measurement range and full 20-bit output resolution at...
The Adafruit MMC5603 is a triple-axis magnetometer (compass) breakout with a wide ±30 gauss (±3000 µT) measurement range and full 20-bit output resolution at up to 1000 Hz. It's sensitive enough to detect Earth's magnetic field (which maxes at about 0.6 gauss), making it well-suited for compass applications and orientation sensing.
The breakout board includes voltage regulation and level shifting for compatibility with both 3.3V and 5V microcontrollers. STEMMA QT / Qwiic connectors provide solderless I2C connections, and the sensor also supports SPI. Pair it with an accelerometer/gyroscope like the LSM6DSOX to create a full 9-DoF inertial measurement unit.
Key Features
- ±30 Gauss Range – Wide measurement range (±3000 µT) with no range-setting required
- 20-Bit Resolution – High-precision digital output for each axis
- Up to 1000 Hz Output – Fast update rate for responsive applications
- Triple-Axis Sensing – Measures magnetic field strength on X, Y, and Z axes
- I2C and SPI Interfaces – Flexible connectivity options
- 3.3V and 5V Compatible – Onboard voltage regulator and level shifting
- STEMMA QT / Qwiic Compatible – Solderless I2C connectors for plug-and-play setup and daisy-chaining
- Four Mounting Holes – 2.5mm (0.1") for secure attachment
Ideal For
- Digital compass and heading applications
- 9-DoF IMU when paired with the LSM6DSOX accelerometer/gyroscope
- Magnetic field measurement and detection
- Robotics and navigation systems
Package Contents
- 1× Adafruit MMC5603 Triple-Axis Magnetometer Breakout (assembled and tested)
- 1× 0.1" header strip
Resources
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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.
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Related Tutorials
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