AS5600

12-bit contactless magnetic rotary encoder that reads absolute shaft angle from a diametric magnet over I2C, analog, or PWM.

Try it in the simulator View datasheet

What is the AS5600?

The AS5600 from ams is a programmable contactless position sensor that measures the absolute angle of a diametrically magnetized magnet placed on the rotation axis. An on-chip Hall sensor array plus CORDIC angle processing resolves a full turn into 12 bits (4096 positions per revolution, about 0.088 degrees per step). Because nothing touches the shaft, there is no mechanical wear, which is the main reason it replaces a resistive potentiometer in a rotary sensing role.

It reports angle three ways from a single device. Over I2C it answers at address 0x36 (clock up to 1 MHz), on the OUT pin it can drive a ratiometric analog voltage that scales from 0 to VDD, or that same OUT pin can emit a PWM-encoded angle. By default the output covers a full 0 to 360 degrees, but you can program a reduced arc by setting a zero (start) position and a maximum (stop) position, with the usable angular range configurable from 18 degrees up to 360 degrees. The DIR pin selects whether values increase for clockwise or counterclockwise rotation.

Non-volatile configuration is burned through the I2C interface itself, so no dedicated programmer is needed, and built-in automatic gain control and magnet detection help you position the magnet correctly. The part runs from either 3.3V or 5V and includes automatic low-power modes. Typical uses include contactless potentiometers and knobs, pedals, RC servos, brushless motor commutation, and robot joint feedback.

AS5600 pinout

Pin	Function	Type
`VCC` VCC (3.3-5V)	Power	Power in
`OUT` OUT	Analog ratiometric angle (0–VDD) · PWM PWM-encoded angle	Digital output
`GND` GND	Power	Power in
`DIR` DIR	Digital rotation polarity: GND = CW increases, VDD = CCW increases	Digital input
`SCL` SCL	I²C SCL (I²C clock, up to 1 MHz)	Digital input
`SDA` SDA	I²C SDA (I²C data, addr 0x36)	Bidirectional (GPIO)
`GPO` GPO (PGO)	Digital program option (PGO): pull to GND for OTP burn / Option B	Bidirectional (GPIO)

Specifications

Operating voltage: 3.3 V (max 5.5 V)
Interface: I²C
I²C address: 0x36
I²C pull-ups: On-board (no external resistors)
Dimensions: 22.9 × 11.7 × 23.3 mm

Verified from the Tinkered component library · ams (AS5600).

Circuit requirements

Supply: Power from 3.3V or 5V. Most breakout boards accept both on their VCC pin; the bare IC uses VDD5V in 5V mode (4.5-5.5V) or VDD3V3 in 3.3V mode (3.0-3.6V), each with local decoupling.
Logic level: The I2C lines are referenced to the supply rail, so SDA and SCL idle at VDD. On a 5V Arduino, powering the module at 5V keeps the bus at 5V logic; if you run the sensor at 3.3V on a 5V board, add level shifting.
Pull-ups: I2C requires pull-up resistors on SDA and SCL. Common AS5600 breakout boards already include them, so do not stack additional strong pull-ups on the same bus.
Magnet: Requires a diametrically (two-pole, side-to-side) magnetized magnet centered on the rotation axis directly above or below the chip. A typical choice is a 6mm diameter by 2.5mm cylinder at roughly 0.5-3mm air gap. Axial or radial magnets, or an off-center magnet, give wrong or missing readings.
Positioning: Before trusting angle data, check the magnet detection status bits (MD detected, ML too weak or far, MH too strong or close) and the AGC value to confirm a healthy air gap.
DIR pin: Tie DIR to GND or VDD rather than leaving it floating (GND makes values increase clockwise, VDD makes values increase counterclockwise).

Board compatibility

The AS5600 connects to any of the microcontrollers supported in Tinkered. Mind the 3.3 V logic level on 3.3 V boards.

Simulate the AS5600 in your browser

The AS5600 is fully simulated in Tinkered. Wire it into a circuit, write your firmware, and read real values back with no physical hardware. Test your logic before you touch a breadboard.

Open it in the simulator

Common AS5600 mistakes

Using the wrong type of magnet

The AS5600 only tracks a two-pole diametrically magnetized magnet. An axially or radially magnetized magnet, or a random fridge magnet, produces meaningless angle values even though the sensor still powers up and answers on I2C.

Mounting the magnet off the rotation axis

The magnet must sit centered on the axis over the die and stay parallel to the package. Even a small lateral offset or tilt causes nonlinearity, noise, and sudden jumps in the reported angle.

Ignoring the air gap and status bits

Placing the magnet too far weakens the field (ML flag) and too close saturates it (MH flag). Skipping the magnet detection and AGC checks leaves readings noisy, clipped, or stuck.

Assuming the ANGLE register always spans a full turn

If a start/stop position or maximum angle has been programmed, the scaled ANGLE register only covers that reduced arc. Read the RAW ANGLE register when you want the full unscaled 0-4095 output.

Burning OTP settings prematurely

Configuration and angle settings can only be permanently burned into OTP a limited number of times, and the operation is irreversible. Verify everything with volatile register writes before ever issuing a burn command.