MPU-9255 Product Specification
Document Number: DS-000007
Revision: 1.0
Release Date: 09/14/2014
Page 5 of 42
MPU-9255-01
1.2 Purpose and Scope
This document is a preliminary product specification, providing a description, specifications, and design
related information on the MPU-9255™ MotionTracking device. The device is housed in a small 3x3x1mm
QFN package.
Specifications are subject to change without notice. Final specifications will be updated based upon
characterization of production silicon. For references to register map and descriptions of individual registers,
please refer to the MPU-9255 Register Map and Register Descriptions document.
1.3 Product Overview
MPU-9255 is a multi-chip module (MCM) consisting of two dies integrated into a single QFN package. One
die houses the 3-Axis gyroscope and the 3-Axis accelerometer. The other die houses the AK8963 3-Axis
magnetometer from Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation. Hence, the MPU-9255 is a 9-axis
MotionTracking device that combines a 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis magnetometer and a
Digital Motion Processor™ (DMP) all in a small 3x3x1mm package available as a pin-compatible upgrade
from the MPU-6515. With its dedicated I
2
C sensor bus, the MPU-9255 directly provides complete 9-axis
MotionFusion™ output. The MPU-9255 MotionTracking device, with its 9-axis integration, on-chip
MotionFusion™, and run-time calibration firmware, enables manufacturers to eliminate the costly and
complex selection, qualification, and system level integration of discrete devices, guaranteeing optimal
motion performance for consumers. MPU-9255 is also designed to interface with multiple non-inertial digital
sensors, such as pressure sensors, on its auxiliary I
2
C port.
MPU-9255 features three 16-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) for digitizing the gyroscope outputs,
three 16-bit ADCs for digitizing the accelerometer outputs, and three 16-bit ADCs for digitizing the
magnetometer outputs. For precision tracking of both fast and slow motions, the parts feature a user-
programmable gyroscope full-scale range of ±250, ±500, ±1000, and ±2000°/sec (dps), a user-
programmable accelerometer full-scale range of ±2g, ±4g, ±8g, and ±16g, and a magnetometer full-scale
range of ±4800µT.
Other industry-leading features include programmable digital filters, a precision clock with 1% drift from -
40°C to 85°C, an embedded temperature sensor, and programmable interrupts. The device features I
2
C and
SPI serial interfaces, a VDD operating range of 2.4V to 3.6V, and a separate digital IO supply, VDDIO from
1.71V to VDD.
Communication with all registers of the device is performed using either I
2
C at 400kHz or SPI at 1MHz. For
applications requiring faster communications, the sensor and interrupt registers may be read using SPI at
20MHz.
The MPU-9255 includes support for Automatic Activity Recognition (AAR
TM
) on a wrist-worn device. It works
in conjunction with the AAR™ library to detect walk, run, bike, stationary, and sleep. The AAR™ library
achieves high detection accuracy and low power by using the gyro sensor in a smart duty cycle fashion. It is
capable of identifying a new activity within 10sec of its transition. The AAR™ library offers a high accuracy
pedometer that benefits from the contextual awareness of knowing which activities will require steps and
which will not.
By leveraging its patented and volume-proven CMOS-MEMS fabrication platform, which integrates MEMS
wafers with companion CMOS electronics through wafer-level bonding, InvenSense has driven the package
size down to a footprint and thickness of 3x3x1mm, to provide a very small yet high performance low cost
package. The device provides high robustness by supporting 10,000g shock reliability.
1.4 Applications
Wearable sensors for health, fitness and sports