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Visitor II
February 27, 2026
Solved

LSM9DS1 EOL Guidance & 9-Axis IMU Fusion Recommendations

  • February 27, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 201 views

After reviewing the website, we noticed that the LSM9DS1 is currently listed as obsolete. We would therefore appreciate your guidance on the following points:

  • Is the LSM9DS1 still recommended for new designs, or should it be avoided given its obsolescence status?
  • We understand that the LSM6DSO (https://www.st.com/en/mems-and-sensors/lsm6dso.html) is currently recommended. However, this is a 6-axis IMU. Our application requires a full 9-axis solution including a magnetometer.
  • What is your recommended 9-axis solution today?
  • Do you recommend pairing the LSM6DSO with a specific ST magnetometer device?
  • If we implement a 6-axis IMU together with a separate ST magnetometer, do you provide a 9-DoF (Degrees of Freedom) fusion algorithm that supports such a configuration?
  • Can your fusion algorithms (e.g., MotionFX or equivalent) run on any ARM-based MCU, or are they restricted to STM32 devices?
  • Are there licensing requirements associated with using your fusion libraries?
  • Are there any usage limitations or export restrictions associated with ST IMUs, particularly with respect to commercial versus military/defense applications?
Best answer by Federica Bossi

Hi @ra-epitome ,

LSM9DS1 is not recommended for new designs; for new projects we suggest using the latest 6‑axis IMUs plus a separate 3‑axis magnetometer rather than a monolithic 9‑axis device.

Today a typical 9‑axis solution is, for example:

  • IMU: LSM6DSO (or newer family members such as LSM6DSOX / LSM6DSV series)
  • Magnetometer: LIS2MDL (or LIS3MDL depending on your requirements)

We do not require a specific pairing, but these combinations are widely used and supported.

Regarding sensor fusion:

  • ST provides 9‑DoF fusion libraries (e.g. MotionFX / Sensor Fusion Library) that support configurations with a 6‑axis IMU plus a separate magnetometer.
  • These libraries are primarily targeted and supported on STM32 MCUs. In some cases they can be ported to other ARM‑based MCUs, but ST only provides tools, examples and official support on STM32. For non‑STM32 platforms, you would typically need to handle the integration yourself.

2 replies

Andrew Neil
Super User
February 27, 2026

@ra-epitome wrote:

After reviewing the website, we noticed that the LSM9DS1 is currently listed as obsolete.?


That was pointed out to you in your previous thread!

Please mark the solution in that thread.

 


@ra-epitome wrote:
  • Is the LSM9DS1 still recommended for new designs, ?

Of course not: "Obsolete" means it has gone past the stage of being Not Recommended For New Designs (NRND)!

Why would you design-in a part which is already obsolete?!

 

PS:

When you hover your mouse over the 'OBSOLETE' tag on the Product Page, it tells you what it means:

Image1.png

 

So it's no longer in production - once any current stocks are exhausted, no more will be made.

A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked.A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work.
Federica Bossi
Federica BossiBest answer
Technical Moderator
March 17, 2026

Hi @ra-epitome ,

LSM9DS1 is not recommended for new designs; for new projects we suggest using the latest 6‑axis IMUs plus a separate 3‑axis magnetometer rather than a monolithic 9‑axis device.

Today a typical 9‑axis solution is, for example:

  • IMU: LSM6DSO (or newer family members such as LSM6DSOX / LSM6DSV series)
  • Magnetometer: LIS2MDL (or LIS3MDL depending on your requirements)

We do not require a specific pairing, but these combinations are widely used and supported.

Regarding sensor fusion:

  • ST provides 9‑DoF fusion libraries (e.g. MotionFX / Sensor Fusion Library) that support configurations with a 6‑axis IMU plus a separate magnetometer.
  • These libraries are primarily targeted and supported on STM32 MCUs. In some cases they can be ported to other ARM‑based MCUs, but ST only provides tools, examples and official support on STM32. For non‑STM32 platforms, you would typically need to handle the integration yourself.
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