Connecting an accelerometer or gyro to the Galileo

The ability to measure speed and tilt is important in many robotics applications. This can tell you how fast your robot is traveling, and in what direction. Fortunately, there are chips that can do this for you. One of those is the MPU-6050, which provides a complete set of information on movement, including acceleration and tilt. For more information on this type of device, see https://www.sparkfun.com/pages/accel_gyro_guide. There are several different manufacturers who place this chip on a small board accessible to the Galileo. One of these is the SparkFun version, the Sparkfun SEN-11028, available at www.sparkfun.com. It is pictured here:

The interface to the board is quite simple, with only one issue. This particular chip will require you to solder header pins to the board to connect the jumper wires to the Galileo. You can purchase these at www.sparkfun.com as well, just search for the Arduino stackable header, the 10-pin version. Or...