I while back I did some work on a self-balancing robot using and Arduino Uno and the InvenSense MPU-6050 6DOF sensor. Using the sensor is easy, thanks to Jeff Rowberg’s I2Cdev library and sample code. If you look around line 200 of the MPU6050_DMP6 example arduino sketch that comes with the library you will see the following:
// supply your own gyro offsets here, scaled for min sensitivity mpu.setXGyroOffset(220); mpu.setYGyroOffset(76); mpu.setZGyroOffset(-85); mpu.setZAccelOffset(1788); // 1688 factory default for my test chip
I did some further reading on the I2CDev forum and found several threads on calibrating the MPU-6050 sensor and determining the optimal offsets. These, apparently, are specific to your device, as well to the exact orientation of the module, once it is installed. I found a significant improvement using the script by Luis Rodenas attached to this forum thread. Below is the Arduino sketch version 1.1 (the most current at the time of this post). For best results, mount your module and run the script, while you have it stable in the position you will use it. For example, on a self balancing robot, have the robot upright in the optimal balanced position and keep it steady while the script completes and you see output with the suggested offsets. You then need to copy these offsets and overwrite the defaults in the sample code (around line 200, as mentioned above).
// Arduino sketch that returns calibration offsets for MPU6050 // Version 1.1 (31th January 2014)
// Done by Luis Ródenas <luisrodenaslorda@gmail.com>
// Based on the I2Cdev library and previous work by Jeff Rowberg <jeff@rowberg.net>
// Updates (of the library) should (hopefully) always be available at https://github.com/jrowberg/i2cdevlib
// These offsets were meant to calibrate MPU6050's internal DMP, but can be also useful for reading sensors.
// The effect of temperature has not been taken into account so I can't promise that it will work if you
// calibrate indoors and then use it outdoors. Best is to calibrate and use at the same room temperature.
/* ========== LICENSE ==================================
I2Cdev device library code is placed under the MIT license
Copyright (c) 2011 Jeff Rowberg
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
THE SOFTWARE.
=========================================================
*/
// I2Cdev and MPU6050 must be installed as libraries
#include "I2Cdev.h"
#include "MPU6050.h"
#include "Wire.h"
/////////////////////////////////// CONFIGURATION /////////////////////////////
//Change this 3 variables if you want to fine tune the skecth to your needs.
int buffersize=1000; //Amount of readings used to average, make it higher to get more precision but sketch will be slower (default:1000)
int acel_deadzone=8; //Acelerometer error allowed, make it lower to get more precision, but sketch may not converge (default:8)
int giro_deadzone=1; //Giro error allowed, make it lower to get more precision, but sketch may not converge (default:1)
// default I2C address is 0x68
// specific I2C addresses may be passed as a parameter here
// AD0 low = 0x68 (default for InvenSense evaluation board)
// AD0 high = 0x69
//MPU6050 accelgyro;
MPU6050 accelgyro(0x68); // 100 && i<=(buffersize+100)){ //First 100 measures are discarded
buff_ax=buff_ax+ax;
buff_ay=buff_ay+ay;
buff_az=buff_az+az;
buff_gx=buff_gx+gx;
buff_gy=buff_gy+gy;
buff_gz=buff_gz+gz;
}
if (i==(buffersize+100)){
mean_ax=buff_ax/buffersize;
mean_ay=buff_ay/buffersize;
mean_az=buff_az/buffersize;
mean_gx=buff_gx/buffersize;
mean_gy=buff_gy/buffersize;
mean_gz=buff_gz/buffersize;
}
i++;
delay(2); //Needed so we don't get repeated measures
}
}
void calibration(){
ax_offset=-mean_ax/8;
ay_offset=-mean_ay/8;
az_offset=(16384-mean_az)/8;
gx_offset=-mean_gx/4;
gy_offset=-mean_gy/4;
gz_offset=-mean_gz/4;
while (1){
int ready=0;
accelgyro.setXAccelOffset(ax_offset);
accelgyro.setYAccelOffset(ay_offset);
accelgyro.setZAccelOffset(az_offset);
accelgyro.setXGyroOffset(gx_offset);
accelgyro.setYGyroOffset(gy_offset);
accelgyro.setZGyroOffset(gz_offset);
meansensors();
Serial.println("...");
if (abs(mean_ax)<=acel_deadzone) ready++;
else ax_offset=ax_offset-mean_ax/acel_deadzone;
if (abs(mean_ay)<=acel_deadzone) ready++;
else ay_offset=ay_offset-mean_ay/acel_deadzone;
if (abs(16384-mean_az)<=acel_deadzone) ready++;
else az_offset=az_offset+(16384-mean_az)/acel_deadzone;
if (abs(mean_gx)<=giro_deadzone) ready++;
else gx_offset=gx_offset-mean_gx/(giro_deadzone+1);
if (abs(mean_gy)<=giro_deadzone) ready++;
else gy_offset=gy_offset-mean_gy/(giro_deadzone+1);
if (abs(mean_gz)<=giro_deadzone) ready++;
else gz_offset=gz_offset-mean_gz/(giro_deadzone+1);
if (ready==6) break;
}
}