Kenneth M. Cruikshank
Using the ALDX335 Chip

Introduction

This page has some notes on getting started with an ALDX335 accelerometer. Specifically, it is an ALDX335 accelerometer mounted on a GY-61 breakout board. In constructing the GY-61 board, the designers determined some of the functionality of the ALDX335 by their choice of voltage levels and capacitors connected to the ALDX335. The specifics can be found by looking at both the ALDX335 and GY-61 datasheets.

For the GY-61 variant used here, the ALDX335 is operating on and voltage of 3.3 V (it is regulated by the GY-61, you may supply 5.0 V, but the ALDX335 is supplied with 3.3 V. In using multiple GY-61 breakout boards, we have noticed that some seem to have been manufactured to supply 3.0 V, this will require a change in the code listed below. The Calibration section will explain how to tell what voltage is supplied to your particular ALDX335.

If you found this page from a web search, you may first want to review the Arduino Introduction page and the Code Style page.

Here is the working code to read an ADLX345 accelerometer

• Arduino INO file
• Arduino Library -- member variables made public
• Arduino Library -- member variables accessed though functions

Necessary Background Material

• ALDX 335 Datasheet
• GY-61 Datasheet

Steps in the program

• Initialization
• Setting
• Scaling

Calibration