MS5611 Barometric Pressure Sensor
Overview
The Boardoza MS5611 Breakout Board is a high-precision altimetric sensing solution engineered for applications requiring exceptional vertical resolution and stability. At its core lies the TE Connectivity MS5611-01BA03 barometric pressure sensor, a specialized micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) that integrates a high-linearity pressure element with an ultra-low power 24-bit Delta-Sigma (ΔΣ) ADC.
optimized for variometer and altimeter designs, this module distinguishes itself with an altitude resolution of just 10 cm, allowing for the detection of minute elevation changes in UAV flight controllers, mobile instrumentation, and indoor navigation systems. The breakout architecture simplifies integration by incorporating necessary power regulation and logic level translation, ensuring seamless operation with both 3.3V and 5V microcontroller logic.
Core Technical Specifications
The module is defined by the following operational parameters:
Sensing Architecture: High-linearity pressure die coupled with an internal factory-calibrated 24-bit ADC.
Pressure Range: Delivers full accuracy within 450 to 1100 mbar, with an extended linear range of 10 to 1200 mbar.
Altitude Resolution: Achieves a granular vertical resolution of 10 cm at sea level, critical for high-dynamic aerospace applications.
Temperature Range: Operates reliably across an industrial temperature span of -40°C to +85°C, with an integrated sensor providing ±0.8°C accuracy.
Supply Voltage: Features a wide input range of 3.3V to 5.5V DC, regulated onboard to the sensor's native operating voltage.
Communication Protocols: Supports both I2C (default) and SPI serial interfaces, user-selectable via hardware pin configuration.
Power Efficiency: Extremely low power consumption, drawing approximately 1.4 mA during active conversion and dropping to 0.15 µA in standby mode.
Physical Dimensions: A compact 20 mm x 20 mm square footprint.
Key Engineering Features
24-Bit Precision and Factory Calibration
The MS5611 eliminates the need for external calibration by storing individual coefficients (PROM) on-chip during manufacture. The host microcontroller retrieves these coefficients to perform a first-order temperature compensation on the raw 24-bit pressure data, resulting in highly stable readings immune to thermal drift.
Flexible Communication Interface
To maximize system compatibility, the board supports two primary serial protocols. While it ships configured for I2C (using standard 2-wire SDA/SCL lines), it can be hard-switched to SPI mode by manipulating the Protocol Select (PS) pin. This flexibility allows engineers to optimize for bus speed (SPI) or pin count (I2C) depending on the system architecture.
Configurable Oversampling (OSR)
The module allows developers to trade off between conversion speed and power consumption by adjusting the Oversampling Ratio (OSR). Selectable ranges from 256 to 4096 samples enable the sensor to be tuned for ultra-fast response times (down to 0.5 ms) for variometers or maximum resolution for static weather monitoring.
Hardware Interface and Signal Mapping
The module interfaces via a standard 7-pin header, providing access to power, data, and configuration lines:
Power and Ground
VCC: Main power supply input (3.3V - 5.5V). The onboard LDO regulator ensures a stable voltage for the sensing element.
GND: Common system ground.
Communication Bus
SCL: Serial Clock line. Used for both I2C and SPI clock synchronization.
SDA: Serial Data line. Functions as bidirectional data (SDA) in I2C mode or Master Out Slave In (MOSI) in SPI mode.
SDO: Serial Data Output. Functions as the MISO line in SPI mode or allows for I2C address selection (LSB).
CSB: Chip Select (Active Low). Enables the device in SPI mode or determines the I2C address when using the I2C protocol.
PS: Protocol Select. Pulling this pin High (to VCC) selects I2C mode (default), while pulling it Low (to GND) enables SPI mode.
Applications
Aerospace Avionics: Variometers and flight control computers for gliders and UAVs.
Mobile Altimetry: Precision altitude tracking for hiking GPS units and sports watches.
Indoor Navigation: Floor-level detection for emergency response tracking inside buildings.
Meteorology: High-resolution barometric pressure logging for weather stations.
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