This gyroscope board is a basic carrier/breakout board for the ST LPY510AL dual-axis gyro, which measures the angular rates of rotation about the pitch (x) and yaw (z) axes. Two separate analog voltage outputs for each axis provide angular velocity ranges of ±100°/s and ±400°/s. This board has a 3.3V regulator for easy integration with 5 V parts, includes a low-pass filter on each output for noise reduction, and is smaller than competing products, all at a lower price.

These two-axis gyros are essentially carrier boards or breakout boards for ST’s LPR510AL, LPY510AL, LPR550AL, and LPY550AL MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) gyroscopes; we therefore recommend careful reading of the the corresponding datasheets (listed under the “resources” tab) before using these products.

These parts are all members of ST’s latest family of dual-axis gyroscopes that differ only in their sensitivities and axes of rotation. Boards marked with a black X on the bottom silkscreen have ±100°/s and ±400°/s ranges; boards marked with a red X have ±500°/s and ±2000°/s ranges (each chip provides two sensitivities per axis—1x and 4x—and both are brought out to the user I/O on these carrier boards).

Although these are great ICs, their small, leadless packages make them difficult for the typical student or hobbyist to use. They also operate at 2.7 V to 3.6 V, which can make interfacing difficult for microcontrollers operating at 5 V. These carrier boards address both issues while keeping the overall size at half a square inch.

What you Get