It's easy to use the LIS3MDL + LSM6DS3TR-C sensor combos with Python or CircuitPython, and the Adafruit_CircuitPython_LSM6DS and Adafruit_CircuitPython_LIS3MDL libraries. These libraries allow you to easily write Python code that read measurements from the accelerometer, gyro, and magnetometer.

You can use this sensor with any CircuitPython microcontroller board or with a computer that has GPIO and Python thanks to Adafruit_Blinka, our CircuitPython-for-Python compatibility library.

CircuitPython Microcontroller Wiring

First, wire up a LSM6DS3TR-C + LIS3MDL to your board exactly as shown below. Here's an example of wiring a Feather M4 to the sensor with I2C using one of the handy STEMMA QT connectors:

  • Board 3V to sensor VIN (red wire)
  • Board GND to sensor GND (black wire)
  • Board SCL to sensor SCL (yellow wire)
  • Board SDA to sensor SDA (blue wire)

You can also use standard 0.100" pitch headers to wire it up on a breadboard:

  • Board 3V to sensor VIN (red wire)
  • Board GND to sensor GND (black wire)
  • Board SCL to sensor SCL (yellow wire)
  • Board SDA to sensor SDA (blue wire)

Python Computer Wiring

Since there's dozens of Linux computers/boards you can use, below shows wiring for Raspberry Pi. For other platforms, please visit the guide for CircuitPython on Linux to see whether your platform is supported

Here's the Raspberry Pi wired to the sensor using I2C and a STEMMA QT connector:

  • Pi 3V to sensor VIN (red wire)
  • Pi GND to sensor GND (black wire)
  • Pi SCL to sensor SCL (yellow wire)
  • Pi SDA to sensor SDA (blue wire)

Finally here is an example of how to wire up a Raspberry Pi to the sensor using a solderless breadboard:

  • Pi 3V to sensor VIN (red wire)
  • Pi GND to sensor GND (black wire)
  • Pi SCL to sensor SCL (yellow wire)
  • Pi SDA to sensor SDA (blue wire)

Python Installation of LIS3MDL and LSM6DS Libraries

You'll need to install the Adafruit_Blinka library that provides the CircuitPython support in Python. This may also require enabling I2C on your platform and verifying you are running Python 3. Since each platform is a little different, and Linux changes often, please visit the CircuitPython on Linux guide to get your computer ready!

Once that's done, from your command line run the following commands:

  • pip3 install adafruit-circuitpython-lsm6ds
  • pip3 install adafruit-circuitpython-lis3mdl

If your default Python is version 3, you may need to run pip instead. Make sure you aren't trying to use CircuitPython on Python 2.x, it isn't supported!

CircuitPython Usage

To use with CircuitPython, you need to first install the LSM6DS and LIS3MDL libraries, and their dependencies, into the lib folder on your CIRCUITPY drive. Then you need to update code.py with the example script.

Thankfully, we can do this in one go. In the example below, click the Download Project Bundle button below to download the necessary libraries and the code.py file in a zip file. Extract the contents of the zip file, and copy the entire lib folder and the code.py file to your CIRCUITPY drive.

Your CIRCUITPY/lib folder should contain the following folders and file:

  • adafruit_bus_device/
  • adafruit_lsm6ds/
  • adafruit_register/
  • adafruit_lis3mdl.mpy
CIRCUITPY

Python Usage

Once you have the library pip3 installed on your computer, copy or download the following example to your computer, and run the following, replacing code.py with whatever you named the file:

python3 code.py

Example Code

Comment out the LSM6DSOX import at the beginning of the code.

from adafruit_lsm6ds.lsm6dsox import LSM6DSOX as LSM6DS

Then, uncomment the LSM6DS3 import to import the correct library for the LSM6DS3TR-C accelerometer.

# from adafruit_lsm6ds.lsm6ds3 import LSM6DS3 as LSM6DS
If the example fails with "Failed to find LIS3MDL chip", try bridging the AGAD pads on the back of the chip. There's a potential issue that causes this, and shorting the jumper to change the I2C address fixes that specific issue!
# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2021 ladyada for Adafruit Industries
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import time
import board
from adafruit_lsm6ds.lsm6dsox import LSM6DSOX as LSM6DS

# To use LSM6DS33, comment out the LSM6DSOX import line
# and uncomment the next line
# from adafruit_lsm6ds.lsm6ds33 import LSM6DS33 as LSM6DS

# To use ISM330DHCX, comment out the LSM6DSOX import line
# and uncomment the next line
# from adafruit_lsm6ds.lsm330dhcx import ISM330DHCX as LSM6DS

# To use LSM6DS3TR-C, comment out the LSM6DSOX import line
# and uncomment the next line
# from adafruit_lsm6ds.lsm6ds3 import LSM6DS3 as LSM6DS

from adafruit_lis3mdl import LIS3MDL

i2c = board.I2C()  # uses board.SCL and board.SDA
# i2c = board.STEMMA_I2C()  # For using the built-in STEMMA QT connector on a microcontroller
accel_gyro = LSM6DS(i2c)
mag = LIS3MDL(i2c)

while True:
    acceleration = accel_gyro.acceleration
    gyro = accel_gyro.gyro
    magnetic = mag.magnetic
    print(
        "Acceleration: X:{0:7.2f}, Y:{1:7.2f}, Z:{2:7.2f} m/s^2".format(*acceleration)
    )
    print("Gyro          X:{0:7.2f}, Y:{1:7.2f}, Z:{2:7.2f} rad/s".format(*gyro))
    print("Magnetic      X:{0:7.2f}, Y:{1:7.2f}, Z:{2:7.2f} uT".format(*magnetic))
    print("")
    time.sleep(0.5)

If running CircuitPython: Once everything is saved to the CIRCUITPY drive, connect to the serial console to see the data printed out!

If running Python: The console output will appear wherever you are running Python.

Twist and turn your LSM6DS3TR-C + LIS3MDL and see the values from the accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer print out to the REPL!

First you import the necessary modules and libraries. Then you instantiate the sensor on I2C.

Then you're ready to read data from the sensor's accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer.

The following values will print out to the REPL from the sensor:

  • Acceleration - The acceleration forces in the X, Y, and Z axes in m/s2
  • Gyro - The rotation measurement on the X, Y, and Z axes in degrees/sec
  • Magnetic - The magnetic forces on the X, Y, and Z axes in micro-Teslas (uT)

That's all there is to using the LSM6DS3TR-C + LIS3MDL with CircuitPython!

This guide was first published on Jul 26, 2022. It was last updated on Mar 29, 2024.

This page (Python & CircuitPython) was last updated on Mar 29, 2024.

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