Overview

The LIS3DH is an ultra-low-power 3-axis high-performance linear accelerometer belonging to the "nano" family of STMicroelectronics MEMS sensors. Housed in a compact $3 \times 3 \times 1\text{ mm}$ 16-pin LGA package, it integrates a 3-axis capacitive sensing element along with an IC interface outputting 16-bit digital acceleration data over $I^2C$ or SPI.

Consuming as little as $2\ \mu\text{A}$ in low-power operating mode (and $11\ \mu\text{A}$ in normal mode), the LIS3DH features programmable full scales ($\pm 2g$, $\pm 4g$, $\pm 8g$, $\pm 16g$), a 32-level FIFO buffer, two independent programmable interrupt pins, an integrated temperature sensor, and dedicated hardware logic for single/double-click (tap) detection and free-fall sensing. It is widely used in battery-powered wearables, asset trackers, tilt sensors, and tap-to-wake UI devices.

Quick reference

Pinout

Breakout modules feature an 8-pin 0.1" (2.54 mm) header:

Specifications

Register map

Wiring

Example

#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_LIS3DH.h>
#include <Adafruit_Sensor.h>

Adafruit_LIS3DH lis = Adafruit_LIS3DH();

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  Serial.println("LIS3DH Test!");

  // Initialize I2C with default address 0x18
  if (!lis.begin(0x18)) {
    Serial.println("Could not find LIS3DH! Check CS and SDO pins.");
    while (1);
  }
  Serial.println("LIS3DH found!");

  lis.setRange(LIS3DH_RANGE_4_G);   // 2, 4, 8 or 16 G
  Serial.print("Range set to: 4G");
}

void loop() {
  sensors_event_t event;
  lis.getEvent(&event);

  Serial.print("X: "); Serial.print(event.acceleration.x); Serial.print(" m/s^2 ");
  Serial.print("Y: "); Serial.print(event.acceleration.y); Serial.print(" m/s^2 ");
  Serial.print("Z: "); Serial.print(event.acceleration.z); Serial.println(" m/s^2");

  delay(200);
}

Common mistakes

• Leaving CS floating on $I^2C$ setups: If CS is left unconnected, the LIS3DH defaults to SPI mode or toggles protocol modes randomly. Always pull CS High to $V_{CC}$ for $I^2C$ mode.
• Assuming 16-bit raw values are right-justified: Raw acceleration output registers (OUT_X_L / OUT_X_H) are left-justified. Shift raw 16-bit values right by 4 bits in Normal (12-bit) mode or 6 bits in Low-Power (10-bit) mode.
• Wrong address jumper: Pulling SDO High changes the $I^2C$ address from 0x18 to 0x19.

Notes

• LIS3DH vs ADXL345: The LIS3DH operates down to 1.71V supply and consumes significantly lower active current ($11\ \mu\text{A}$ vs $145\ \mu\text{A}$) than the ADXL345, making it ideal for coin-cell battery operation.