Adafruit
Adafruit Wide-Range Triple-axis Magnetometer - MLX90393
Measure invisible magnetic fields with the Adafruit Wide-Range Triple-axis Magnetometer, featuring the MLX90393 sensor. With 16-bit resolution across all thr...
Measure invisible magnetic fields with the Adafruit Wide-Range Triple-axis Magnetometer, featuring the MLX90393 sensor. With 16-bit resolution across all three axes and a dynamic range of ±5 mT to ±50 mT, this sensor is ideal for detecting magnets and magnetic orientation rather than the Earth's weak field.
Mounted on an Adafruit breakout board with a 3.3V regulator and level shifter, it works seamlessly with any 3V or 5V microcontroller over I2C. Address select pins allow up to 4 sensors on a single I2C bus.
Key Features
- 16-Bit Triple-Axis Measurement – High-resolution magnetic field readings on X, Y, and Z axes
- Wide Dynamic Range – 5–50 mT (50–500 Gauss), far exceeding typical magnetometers like the LSM303DLHC which saturates at ±8.1 Gauss
- Fast Sample Rate – Up to ~500 Hz depending on configuration settings
- Configurable I2C Address – Two address select pins for up to 4 sensors on one bus
- 3V or 5V Compatible – Onboard regulator and level shifter for broad microcontroller support
- Arduino & CircuitPython Support – Libraries available for quick setup over I2C
Ideal For
- Magnet detection and proximity sensing
- Magnetic orientation and position tracking
- Robotics and automation projects
- Multi-sensor arrays with up to 4 units on one bus
Package Contents
- 1× Adafruit MLX90393 Wide-Range Triple-axis Magnetometer breakout board (fully assembled and tested)
- 1× Header strip for breadboard use
Resources
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- 3.3V regulator
- A 3.3V regulator is a power circuit that provides a steady 3.3 volts for parts that need that supply voltage. On a breakout board, it can let the sensor run safely even when the connected microcontroller or power source uses a higher voltage.
- 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.
- CircuitPython
- A beginner-friendly version of Python designed to run directly on microcontroller boards. If a product supports CircuitPython, you can often program it by copying code files onto the board rather than setting up a more complex toolchain.
- dynamic range
- Dynamic range describes how wide a span of values a sensor can measure, from very low to very high. For a light sensor, a wide dynamic range means it can work in dim indoor settings as well as bright sunlight without changing hardware.
- 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.
- I2C address
- An I2C address is the number a device uses so a microcontroller can tell it apart from other devices on the same I2C bus. It matters because two devices with the same fixed address may conflict if used together.
- 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.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a chip that runs your program and controls connected inputs and outputs. For this product, it is the part that reads buttons and sensors, drives the display and speaker, and communicates over Bluetooth.
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Sensors & Input
Related Tutorials
Free guides on learn.littlebird.com.au
