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Introduction

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The SparkFun Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout - BMA456 (Qwiic) offers a 3-axis acceleration sensor perfect for ultra-low-power applications on an easy-to-use Qwiic breakout board. The BMA456 has 16-bit digital resolution and features an embedded intelligence engine that measures motion on all three axes with very low noise to detect steps (both detection and counting), activity, tilt on wrist and tap/double taps all while consuming very little power.

In order to follow along with this guide, you'll need the Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout - BMA456 (Qwiic) breakout with the following items:

Topics Covered​

This document contains three main sections: Quick Start Guide, Hardware and Software.

The Quick Start Guide goes over assembling the Accelerometer Breakout in a Qwiic circuit with a compatible Arduino development board and jumps right into installing and uploading an example from the SparkFun BMA456 Arduino Library to get data from the sensor in just a few minutes.

The Hardware pages include a hardware overview that provides a detailed overview of the Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout - BMA456 (Qwiic) and all major components on the board. The Hardware Assembly page goes over the steps required to assemble and use the board to measure motion with a compatible Arduino development board.

The Software pages give instructions on how to install the SparkFun BMA456 Arduino Library and use some of the examples included in it.

Resources and Documentation​

The Resources page has the board design files (KiCad files & schematic), relevant documentation (datasheets, white papers, etc.) and other helpful links. The Support page has a troubleshooting section that includes any helpful tips specific to this board as well as information on how to receive technical support from SparkFun.