Soldered BHI385 Smart IMU Breakout
BHI385 Smart IMU Breakout is built around Bosch Sensortec's BHI385, a 6-axis IMU with a 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope, plus an onboard 32-bit ARC EM4 processor running Bosch's BSX sensor fusion firmware. Instead of raw accelerometer and gyroscope samples, the chip outputs virtual sensors directly: 3D orientation, step count, tap detection, and wrist gesture recognition, without putting any of that processing load on the host microcontroller. A Soldered Arduino library is available to read these outputs directly.
The board runs from a 3.3V supply. An onboard LDO regulates that down to the 1.8V the BHI385 needs, and an onboard I2C level shifter handles the translation between the 3.3V logic side and the chip's 1.8V domain, so no external components are required. It communicates over I2C at up to 400 kHz, with a default address of 0x29; to switch to 0x28, remove the solder bridge on JP5 from the 0x29 pad and resolder it onto the 0x28 pad.
The accelerometer covers ±4 to ±32 g and the gyroscope covers ±125 to ±2000 dps, both software-selectable. Current draw is about 5 µA in sleep mode, 200 µA with only the accelerometer running, and 1.4 mA with the accelerometer and gyroscope both active. The board measures 23 x 23 mm, with two mounting holes sized for M3 screws.
- IC: Bosch BHI385
- Sensors: 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope
- Measurement range: Accelerometer ±4/±8/±16/±32 g, Gyroscope ±125/±250/±500/±1000/±2000 dps
- Onboard processor: 32-bit ARC EM4 (Fuser2), runs Bosch BSX sensor fusion
- Communication: I2C, up to 400 kHz
- I2C address: 0x29 (default), 0x28 via JP5 jumper
- Operating voltage: 3.3V (onboard LDO regulates to 1.8V for the chip)
- Current consumption: ~5 µA sleep, ~200 µA accelerometer only, ~1.4 mA accelerometer + gyroscope
- Connector: 2x Qwiic (formerly qwiic)
- Dimensions: 23 x 23 mm / 0.9 x 0.9 inch
Interface
| Interface | I2C |
|---|---|
| Qwiic Compatible | Yes |
| I2C Address Default | 0x29 |
| I2C Address Changeable | Yes |
| Breadboard Compatible | Yes |
Measurement
| Measurement Types | Acceleration, Angular Velocity, Gesture |
|---|
Power
| Supply Voltage Min V | 3.3 |
|---|---|
| Supply Voltage Max V | 3.3 |
| Logic Level | 3V3 Only |
| Operating Current (mA) | 1.4 |
| Sleep Current Ua | 5 |
Other
| Ic Part Number | BHI385 |
|---|
Plug into any Soldered Dasduino or microcontroller with an easyC cable — no soldering required.
Add the Soldered library for your language (below).
Open the get-started example and read your first value.