BNO055 Python Interface for Raspberry Pi

This is a Python interface for the Bosch BNO055 9-DOF IMU sensor, built on top of the pi-bno055 C library. Optimized for use with Raspberry Pi.

Requirements

Hardware

• Raspberry Pi (any model with I2C support)
• BNO055 IMU sensor
• I2C connection:
  • BNO055 SDA -> Raspberry Pi GPIO2 (Pin 3)
  • BNO055 SCL -> Raspberry Pi GPIO3 (Pin 5)
  • BNO055 VIN -> 3.3V
  • BNO055 GND -> GND

Software

• Raspberry Pi OS (or other compatible Linux distribution)
• Python 3.x with development headers
• CMake 3.4 or higher
• pybind11
• Required packages:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y python3-dev pybind11-dev cmake build-essential libi2c-dev i2c-tools

Raspberry Pi Setup

1. Enable I2C interface:

sudo raspi-config
# Navigate to: Interface Options -> I2C -> Enable

1. Add your user to the i2c group:

sudo usermod -a -G i2c $USER

1. Verify I2C device detection:

sudo i2cdetect -y 1
# You should see the BNO055 device (usually at address 0x28 or 0x29)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/vietnhatthai/pi-bno055-python.git
cd pi-bno055-python

2. Build and install:

mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make
sudo make install

Usage

from bno055 import BNO055

# Create sensor object (default: /dev/i2c-1, address 0x28)
sensor = BNO055()

# Optional: specify different I2C bus or address
# sensor = BNO055(i2c_bus="/dev/i2c-1", address="0x29")

# Set operation mode (options: ndof, imu, compass, m4g, etc.)
sensor.set_mode("ndof")

# Read sensor data
euler = sensor.get_euler()
print(f"Heading: {euler.heading}°")
print(f"Roll: {euler.roll}°")
print(f"Pitch: {euler.pitch}°")

# Other available methods:
# sensor.get_quaternion()
# sensor.get_accelerometer()
# sensor.get_magnetometer()
# sensor.get_gyroscope()
# sensor.get_gravity()
# sensor.get_linear_acceleration()

Troubleshooting

1. I2C Not Detected:

   • Verify wiring connections
   • Check if I2C is enabled: ls -l /dev/i2c*
   • Verify device address: sudo i2cdetect -y 1

2. Permission Denied:

   • Ensure user is in i2c group: groups
   • Logout and login again after adding to group
   • Check device permissions: ls -l /dev/i2c-1

3. Build Errors:

   • Ensure all dependencies are installed
   • Check CMake version: cmake --version
   • Verify Python development headers are installed

Contributing

Feel free to submit issues and pull requests.

Credits

This project is based on pi-bno055 by Frank4DD. The original C implementation has been wrapped with pybind11 to create a Python-friendly interface.

License

This project inherits the license from the original pi-bno055 project by Frank4DD.

See Also

• Original pi-bno055 Repository
• BNO055 Product Page
• BNO055 Datasheet