InvenSense MPU-6050 family and ICM-206xx motion-tracking IMUs
A widely deployed family of 6-axis and 9-axis motion sensors (gyroscope, accelerometer, and on some parts a magnetometer) from InvenSense, now owned by TDK. Parts like the MPU-6050, MPU-6500, MPU-9150, MPU-9250 and the newer ICM-206xx series are found in countless hobbyist boards, drones, robotics projects, fitness wearables, and embedded products from the early 2010s onward.
recommendation
Worth keeping but flagging as legacy-heavy because the original MPU-6050 silicon is now end-of-life at TDK (which steers new designs toward the ICM-42670-P), yet modules based on these chips are still stocked at distributors like DigiKey and remain ubiquitous in the maker and embedded world. Upstream activity backs that up: the driver was still getting probe and error-path fixes in early 2026 and patches were being backported to stable kernels, so it is actively maintained for a real installed base.
repository signals
sources
- lore.kernel.org
The driver is still receiving non-trivial upstream fixes in 2026, including probe/regulator error-path work.
- lore.kernel.org
Fixes for this driver family are being backported to stable, indicating ongoing supported deployments.
- invensense.tdk.com
TDK marks MPU-6050 as EOL and names ICM-42670-P as the recommended replacement for that specific part.
- digikey.com
Even though the MPU-6050 IC is obsolete, MPU-6050-based boards/modules and accessories are still sold through mainstream distribution channels.
codex reasoning notes (technical)
Local source inspection (shell `rg`/`sed`) shows a real multi-chip IMU driver covering MPU6050/9150/6500/9250 and ICM206xx parts. lore_file_timeline on `inv_mpu_core.c` produced the cited 2026 linux-iio and stable URLs, showing active fixes/backports rather than retirement. Web search produced the cited TDK and DigiKey URLs: TDK shows the base MPU-6050 is EOL with a newer silicon recommendation, while DigiKey still lists MPU-6050 ecosystem hardware for sale. Net: legacy silicon in an active installed base with continuing maintenance; annotate as legacy-heavy, but do not deprecate/remove.