ADXL335 Triple-Axis Analog Accelerometer Breakout

A breakout board for the ADXL335 analog accelerometer

This breakout board is built around the 3-axis ADXL335 accelerometer IC from Analog Devices, and requires no external devices to function, working directly from a standard 5V power supply. The ADXL335 chip itself is tiny, at just 4mm by 4mm by 1.45mm in its LFCSP package, but the breakout board makes it easy to wire into a breadboard or project using standard header pins.

It provides analog output on all three axes simultaneously, giving a continuous measure of acceleration, tilt or vibration along the X, Y and Z directions, which is the standard way to determine orientation, detect motion, or sense vibration in a DIY project without needing digital communication protocols.

Specifications and durability

Power consumption is very low, at 350 microamps typical, and the chip supports single-supply operation from 1.8V to 3.6V internally, with the breakout board itself accepting 5V and regulating down as needed. A standout specification is its 10,000g shock survival rating, meaning the sensor itself can physically survive extremely high shock loads well beyond what it would ever need to measure accurately, which is reassuring for projects where the sensor might experience an accidental drop or impact.

Bandwidth on each axis can be adjusted using a single capacitor per axis, letting the response be tuned between fast, noisy readings and smoother, more filtered ones depending on the application, and the chip offers excellent temperature stability, keeping readings consistent across a range of ambient conditions.

Who it suits

Hobbyists building tilt-sensing, orientation-detection or simple motion and vibration monitoring projects, especially where cost and low power draw matter more than a full digital IMU's feature set, will find this ADXL335 breakout a straightforward, low-power option.

Questions buyers ask

How many axes does it measure?

Three (X, Y and Z).

What voltage does the breakout board run on?

5V.

How much power does it draw?

350 microamps typical.