Digital Accelerometer ADXL345 3 Axis Range: +/- 16g

Specifications

• Measurement Range: Selectable ±2g, ±4g, ±8g, or ±16g
• Resolution: 13-bit (4 mg/LSB) allows measurement of inclination changes less than 1.0°
• Operating Voltage: 3V to 5V DC (Onboard RT9161 Regulator)
• Communication Interface: I2C and SPI (3-wire or 4-wire)
• Standby Current: Ultra-low 0.1 µA
• Buffer: Integrated 32-level First In, First Out (FIFO) buffer
• Pin Spacing: Standard 0.1" (2.54mm) breadboard friendly

Applications

• Robotics: Self-balancing robots, hexapods, and drone orientation tracking.
• Consumer Electronics: Screen rotation (portrait/landscape), tap-to-wake interfaces.
• Industrial Safety: Machine vibration monitoring and hard drive free-fall protection.
• Gaming/VR: Handheld motion controllers and gesture recognition gloves.

Unlock New Capabilities

• Past Projects: If you've previously used basic mechanical tilt switches, you know they only give you a simple binary on/off.
• The Upgrade: The ADXL345 unlocks full 3D spatial awareness. It doesn't just tell you if it's tilted; it tells you exactly how many degrees it has moved across the X, Y, and Z axes, while also detecting single or double taps without writing complex code.
• Effort Level: Intermediate. Requires basic knowledge of I2C/SPI protocols and an Arduino or Raspberry Pi.

Included in the Box:

• 1x Digital Accelerometer ADXL345 3 Axis Range: +/- 16g

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• How do I change the I2C address of the ADXL345?
  Tie the SDO pin to either GND or VCC. Grounding it sets the address to 0x53, and tying it to VCC sets it to 0x1D.
• What is the default I2C address if left floating?
  It is highly recommended not to leave it floating. Tie SDO to GND to ensure a stable 0x53 address.
• Can I use the ADXL345 directly with a 5V Arduino?
  Yes, you can power it via the VCC pin using 5V (due to the onboard regulator), but using a logic level shifter for the I2C SDA/SCL lines is best practice to prevent long-term stress.
• What is the maximum acceleration range it can measure?
  The module can measure up to ±16g, which is programmable via the software registers.
• How do I enable the free-fall detection feature?
  You configure the free-fall threshold and time registers in your code, then map the free-fall interrupt to either the INT1 or INT2 output pins.
• Does the ADXL345 support SPI communication?
  Yes, it supports both 3-wire and 4-wire SPI communication up to 5 MHz.
• What is the purpose of the built-in FIFO buffer?
  The 32-level FIFO buffer stores data locally on the sensor. This minimizes the microcontroller's workload, as it can read chunks of data less frequently.
• How accurate is the tilt sensing?
  Thanks to its 13-bit resolution (4 mg/LSB), it can accurately measure inclination changes of less than 1.0 degree.
• Is this sensor good for battery-powered projects?
  Absolutely. It has excellent low-power modes, drawing only 0.1 µA in standby mode.
• Can it detect taps like a smartphone screen?
  Yes, it has built-in hardware capabilities to detect both single and double taps across any axis.
• Why am I getting random or garbage values over I2C?
  This is usually due to missing or inadequate pull-up resistors on the SDA and SCL lines, or a loose ground connection.