3D Robotics

New 9DOF IMU--$400-$500. Looks good

The Vectornav VN-100 IMU (they call it an Attitude Heading Reference System, for some reason) is out and it looks like the best device on the market in this price range. Here's the description from the site. The VN-100 combines a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyro, 3-axis magnetometer, and a high performance processor onto a single surface mountable chip-sized module to create a high performance orientation sensor. Fully calibrated for bias, gain, and misalignment, the VN-100 accurately calculates orientation over the entire 360° range at 200 Hz. Filtered orientation data and inertial measurements are assessible via either a SPI or RS-232 serial interface. With its small size, high performance, and low cost, the VN-100 has numerous potential applications. A development kit is available for the VN-100 which comes with a sensor pre-installed and gives easy access to all of the sensor's features. Features and Benefits: Complete Sensor Package 3-axis accelerometer 3-axis gyro 3-axis magnetometer Multiple Output Types Heading , Pitch, Roll Quaternion / DCM Acceleration, Angular Rates, Magnetic High Precision Heading accuracy < 1.0 (static) Pitch/Roll accuracy < 0.5 (static) < 3 deg dynamic Fast Onboard Processor Extended Kalman Filter 200 Hz update rate Surface Mount Package Hand solderable 30 pads Ultra-Compact Size 22 x 24 x 3 mm 3 grams Fully Calibrated Scale Factor and Gain Axis misalignment < 0.05 deg Hard / Soft Iron Compensation Digital Interface Serial UART up to 921600 bps SPI Interface up to 18 MHz Low Cost $400 - 500 *Price depends on quantity
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  • Hi Stanford ... now look at this beauty http://www.quantitec.de/produkte/imu-ins/ and its only 400Euro ! 9dof redundant + cortex + usb + bluetooth + lipo battery.

  • Has anyone interface this VN100 with PIC? am working on a project and I need a guide on how to interface this sensor to PIC24FJ.
  • I just today submitted my dissertation (mechanical engineering) en which i built a segway style robot. The easiest way to filter a good reading out of a gyro and 2 perpendicular accelerometers is a complementry filter. It is basicly a low pass filter on the accelerometers (measuring component of gravity plus noise (vibrations/movement/etc)) and a high pass filter on the integrated (to sum the change in angle) gyro readings. Summing the gyro*dt readings carries error and so eventually you get drift in the determined angle, the high pass filter removes this very well (although can require gain due to reduced sensitivity). A kalman works better, but is more complicated to implement if it is not your main focus.
  • Has anyone moved further in development of this IMU? I saw that they have release a temp compensated version..
  • Dear John,
    Just procured VN100 for a UAV application, and working on improving the outputs with GPS integration. I need to know if the gyro bias need not be accounted for again in my Kalman filter deign for VN100/GPS integration?
  • I heard (talked to a friend of mine that knows these guys personally) that they are rolling out a temp compensated version VERY soon, and are following that with a version that is the same size, but has a 10Hz GPS on board - If they do both of those things and keep the same price point, push this model down slightly in price - well, I'd be in line to buy one.
  • Looks very powerfull IMU with 3-axis megnetometer !
  • Developer
    I saw this a while back and its useless for aircraft because there is no centriepetal compensation. Also They have no temperature compensation so kind of expensive for a closed source imu that would'nt fly an aircraft.
  • T3
    Brian, Faisal, and Drago,

    Regarding the mounting location of the gyros and accelerometers...I am not so sure that we are forced to mount them close to the center of gravity.

    The gyros can be mounted anywhere, because the rate of rotation is the same everywhere on the airframe.

    Theoretically, the accelerometers should be mounted near the center of gravity, but if they are not, you could compensate for the centrifugal acceleration if you know where they are mounted.

    Best regards,
    Bill
  • Would be useful if someone made a small magnetometer board for remote placement. Perhaps throwing an ADC and a voltage reference on there to digitize it as close to the sensor as possible, and then have the usual uart/spi adc interface ...
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