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ArduIMU now available!

Posted by Chris Anderson on September 22, 2009 at 12:36pm

At last, the long-awaited ArduIMU is available! You can buy the hardware here (the first batch sold out within minutes, but he's making more quickly). The software is in beta, and you can find it here. It is, as promised, $99, making it the first sub-$100 AHRS in the world! Proper documentation is coming soon, but here are the highlights: Features -3 Axis Accelerometer -3 Axis Gyroscopes -Arduino Compatible (Atmega328 onboard) -Source Code included and Open Source! -Power LED (Green) -Status LEDs (Red, Blue, Yellow) -SPI port available for more sensors. -GPS port (uBlox ready!) -Code based on Bill Premerlani's Direction Cosine Matrix This is actually considered a full Attitude Heading Reference System, because it is IMU hardware plus the software to interpret the sensor readings and convert them into absolute attitude and heading information. The output is a serial ASCII string with raw sensor values and the DCM matrix values. You would use this with an autopilot board to convert those matrix values into commands for the your control surfaces. The board works without the GPS module, but in that case the yaw readings are unreliable. If you add the GPS, the yaw is corrected. We will be releasing a magnetometer module to do the same thing indoors.
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Comments

  • T3
    Krzysztof Bosak October 4, 2009 at 7:02am
    Really? And hyperspace drive is what?
    Seriously, magneto is for improved wind navigation.
  • Angus Peart October 4, 2009 at 6:05am
    There isn't such a thing as 9DoF. It would still be 6DoF with a magnetometer ;)
  • Developer
    Jordi Muñoz October 3, 2009 at 11:26pm
    Peter,

    Behind the GPS port is a serial output with power and ground that you can use to hook up whatever you want.... ;-)
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson October 2, 2009 at 5:18pm
    Dylan, ArduPilot Mega will probably have a 6DoF IMU (six sensors + GPS), not a 9DoF (6DoF + magnetometers). That's because we only work in places where GPS reaches. But I can easily see people offering shield options with a magnetometer instead (or in addition to) the GPS for indoor use. It's just not a priority for us right now.
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson October 2, 2009 at 5:15pm
    Point2coord: This is based on the tried-and-true DCM code and UAVDevBoard sensors. It's flown dozens of planes, so that's perhaps the best test.

    2) The code is written for the uBlox5. You can use other GPS modules, but you'll have to modify the code yourself.

    3) All surface mount soldering is already done. You just have to solder on the module boards. It takes about 15 minutes.
  • Dylan Brown October 2, 2009 at 5:09pm
    Will the Ardupilot Mega work with the coming magnetometer module? Are the magnetometer and GPS modules mutually exclusive, or can you use them together?

    I'm thinking of a hovering vehicle, so GPS alone won't work for yaw gyro drift correction. Am I correct?

    I'm new here, so I apologize for any dumb questions. I saw the article in Make magazine.

    Thanks!
    Dylan
  • POINT2COORD September 27, 2009 at 8:11am
    a couple questions,

    1) what about drift? If i zero the unit in an initial position, then move and shake it around for 20 minutes, then return it to the initial position, how close will the sensor readings be to those at the initial position? I know this question is very subjective, but it is important i think to quantify the IMU's abilities.

    2) from the video it seems that this unit will multiplex GPS data into is output, awesome. Will it do this for any GPS unit at any refresh rate? Or will it only work with your ublox unit with the special ardupilot configuration sold in your store?

    One more question I guess. how much assembly is required? do we need to do all of the surface mount soldering? or just the big stuff like the pins and gyros?
  • Khalid Saeed September 26, 2009 at 8:25am
    @Jordi,

    I've got mine together and flashed. The LED's flash on startup, the green LED stays on, nothing else is happening. No GPS lock LED. No response in the software. The red LED will flash if the board is banked left and right. Any ideas?
  • Recmaster September 26, 2009 at 3:33am
    Hello Chris,

    Tell me please, do I need a FMA Co-pilot for ArduIMU?
    Is it need a Co-pilot for ArduIMU and if yes, which one?
  • Peter Meister September 25, 2009 at 2:15pm
    Ok, duh. I just noticed the right angle pins for FTDI. Overlooked it in the photo.
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