Arduino Nano MPU9250 IMU: Stream 9-Axis Data | ShillehTek

May 14, 2026 14 views

Project

Wire an Arduino Nano to an MPU9250 IMU and stream 9-axis accel, gyro, and compass data over Serial for fast motion and heading testing with ShillehTek.

20 min Beginner / Intermediate3 parts

Project Overview

Arduino Nano + MPU9250 IMU: In this project, you will wire an MPU9250 (accelerometer + gyroscope + magnetometer) to an Arduino Nano and stream all 9 axes (accel + gyro + compass) to the Serial Monitor.

The MPU9250 is the MPU6050 with a magnetometer: 3-axis accelerometer + 3-axis gyroscope + 3-axis compass in one I b2C package. The ninth axis (magnetometer) gives you absolute heading, which is what makes this a popular IMU for drones, AR headsets, and navigation projects.

Time: ~20 minutes
Skill level: Beginner / Intermediate
What you will build: An Arduino streaming 9 axes (accel + gyro + mag) over Serial.

MPU9250 (GY-9250) 9-DOF IMU module used with an Arduino for accel, gyro, and compass readings — The MPU9250 (GY-9250), a thumbnail-sized nine-axis IMU module.

Parts List

From ShillehTek

MPU9250 GY-9250 Pre-Soldered 9-DOF IMU - the 9-axis motion sensor module (accel, gyro, magnetometer).
Arduino Nano V3.0 Pre-Soldered - compact Arduino board for reading the IMU over I b2C.
120 PCS Dupont Jumper Wires - quick wiring between the Nano and the IMU.

External

USB cable + Arduino IDE - to power/program the Nano and view Serial output.

Note: The magnetometer (AK8963) lives at I b2C address 0x0C and is accessed via the MPU9250 pass-through. The library handles it.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1 - Inspect the Module

Goal: Identify the main pins you will use for I b2C and note the optional pins.

What to do: Locate VCC, GND, SCL, and SDA on your GY-9250 board. You may also see optional pins like INT and address pins depending on the breakout.

Front side of an MPU9250 GY-9250 breakout showing VCC, GND, SCL, and SDA pin labels for Arduino wiring — VCC, GND, SCL, SDA, plus optional INT and address pins.

Back side of an MPU9250 GY-9250 breakout showing the onboard 3.3 V regulator and capacitors — Bypass capacitors and the 3.3 V LDO regulator on the back.

Expected result: You know which pins to connect for power and I b2C (SDA/SCL).

Step 2 - Wire I b2C

Goal: Connect the MPU9250 to the Arduino Nano using I b2C.

What to do: Wire the module to the Nano as shown: VCC to 5V, GND to GND, SDA to A4, and SCL to A5.

MPU9250 GY-9250 wired to an Arduino Nano over I2C with VCC to 5V, GND to GND, SDA to A4, and SCL to A5 — VCC e2 86 92 5V, GND e2 86 92 GND, SDA e2 86 92 A4, SCL e2 86 92 A5.

Expected result: The Nano and MPU9250 are physically connected for I b2C communication.

Step 3 - Install Library and Upload a Sketch

Goal: Install the correct Arduino library and load an example that prints accel, gyro, and magnetometer values.

What to do: In the Arduino IDE Library Manager, install MPU9250 by hideakitai. Then open File e2 86 92 Examples e2 86 92 MPU9250 e2 86 92 readout (or use the equivalent example for that library version).

Arduino IDE showing the MPU9250 readout example sketch selected to print accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer data — Open **File e2 86 92 Examples e2 86 92 MPU9250 e2 86 92 readout**.

Code:

#include <MPU9250.h>

MPU9250 imu;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  Wire.begin();
  delay(2000);
  imu.setup(0x68);
}

void loop() {
  if (imu.update()) {
    Serial.print("aX="); Serial.print(imu.getAccX(), 2);
    Serial.print(" aY="); Serial.print(imu.getAccY(), 2);
    Serial.print(" aZ="); Serial.print(imu.getAccZ(), 2);
    Serial.print(" | gX="); Serial.print(imu.getGyroX(), 2);
    Serial.print(" gY="); Serial.print(imu.getGyroY(), 2);
    Serial.print(" gZ="); Serial.print(imu.getGyroZ(), 2);
    Serial.print(" | mX="); Serial.print(imu.getMagX(), 2);
    Serial.print(" mY="); Serial.print(imu.getMagY(), 2);
    Serial.print(" mZ="); Serial.println(imu.getMagZ(), 2);
  }
  delay(50);
}

Expected result: The sketch compiles and uploads to the Arduino Nano without errors.

Step 4 - Watch the Readings Change

Goal: Confirm you are receiving live 9-axis data over Serial.

What to do: Open the Serial Monitor at 115200 baud. Rotate and tilt the MPU9250 board to see the accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer values change.

Arduino Serial Monitor output showing MPU9250 accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer values updating while the board is rotated — Nine axes update at about 20 Hz; rotate the board to watch each track.

Expected result: You see continuously updating aX/aY/aZ, gX/gY/gZ, and mX/mY/mZ values.

Step 5 - Where to Take It Next

Goal: Identify practical next steps you can build on top of raw 9-axis data.

What to do: Use your current sketch as a base and expand into one of the following directions.

Apply Madgwick or Mahony AHRS for true heading
Calibrate the magnetometer with the figure-8 routine for accurate compass
Build a head-tracker for VR projects
Power a self-balancing two-wheel robot

Expected result: You have a clear next objective for turning sensor readouts into orientation or control.

Conclusion

The Arduino Nano and MPU9250 combination gives you 9-axis accel, gyro, and compass data in a single I b2C sensor stack. With the magnetometer included, you can move from relative motion sensing to absolute heading and orientation workflows.

Want the exact parts used in this build? Grab them from ShillehTek.com. If you want help customizing this project or building IMU firmware for your product, check out our IoT consulting services.

Credit: The MPU9250 photos and wiring diagrams in this tutorial are credited to Instructables.