Download Tri axis inertial measurement Analog Devices debuts tri

Analog Devices debuts tri-axis inertial measurement unit
www.analog.com
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Analog Devices chose Sensors Expo to extend its iSensor intelligent sensor product
family with a motion sensor that allows industrial designers to easily and costeffectively equip their products with full-range, multi-axis inertial sensing.
Leveraging Analog Devices’ iMEMS Motion Signal Processing Technology, the
ADIS16355 inertial measurement unit (IMU) delivers performance and functionality
previously reserved for defense, aerospace, and other high-end applications, at
approximately one tenth of the cost, according to the company.
Combining three axes of angular rate sensing and three axes of acceleration sensing,
the new IMU provides full six-degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) motion measurement to
enable the benefits of complex motion analysis in applications such as vehiclemounted cameras and antennas, commercial aircraft guidance units, robotics, and
prosthetics. Other less integrated sensors require designers to perform complex, costly,
and time-consuming motion testing and calibration across temperature and multiple
axes before they can be assured the devices will provide accurate and reliable
feedback. Analog Devices overcomes this barrier by submitting the ADIS16355 to a
comprehensive factory calibration process and providing the new sensor with a simple,
programmable interface to ensure it is both precise and ready for integration out-ofthe-box. The ADIS16355 also includes full-temperature-range calibration, versus the
room-temperature calibration available in the ADIS16350, and provides a bias
temperature stability of 0.005 degree/second/°C.
The ADIS16355 6DOF sensor can be used anywhere high-performance position or
motion detection is required. In aircraft, ships, truck fleets, agricultural equipment,
and other vehicles that rely on GPS (global positioning system) satellite navigation to
maintain accurate positional information, the IMU compensates for GPS signal loss or
vehicle-induced signal irregularities. By detecting tiny shifts in linear acceleration and
angular movement, the ADIS16355 provides dead reckoning, allowing vehicles to
remain on course until a lost GPS signal is restored. In addition to navigation, the
ADIS16355 can be used in motion-control applications, including highly sensitive
robotic devices, where the IMU helps ensure that precision movements can be
repeated thousands of times.
With similar devices ranging in price from several hundred to several thousand dollars,
many applications have been unable to afford the level of precision enabled by the
ADIS16355 and ADIS16350, which also provide a 50-times improvement in sensor
accuracy compared to other off-the-shelf inertial sensors.
“Since many motion sensors are shipped without calibration, their performance can be
sensitive to changes in voltage, temperature, vibration, and the effects of other sensors
in the IMU,” said Andy Garner, product line director for iSensor intelligent sensor
products at Analog Devices. “Making such sensors useful within an already complex
system is a challenge to even the best designers with access to the most sophisticated
test and calibration equipment. By performing all critical IMU calibration and
compensation in-house using a range of proprietary test capabilities, ADI can reduce
system development time by up to 12 months, while potentially saving customers
hundreds of thousands of dollars in test equipment costs.”
The ADIS16355 IMU provides six-degrees-of-freedom motion sensing, embedded
calibration and sensor processing, sensor-to-sensor cross compensation, and improved
signal stability (in-run bias stability of 0.015 degrees/second) in a form factor smaller
than a 1-in. cube. Factory calibration and embedded cross-axial alignment
compensation enable designers without sensor expertise to integrate motion-sensing
technology. Both the ADIS16355 and ADIS16350 include a programmable SPI
(serial peripheral interface) port that provides easy access for programming features
such as filtering, sample-rate, power-management, self-test, and sensor condition
status and alarms. The devices are also in-system tunable, allowing designers to
quickly and easily debug their system and experiment with different configurations
for design optimization.
The ADIS16355 will sample in July and release to full production in September. The
device is priced at $359 per unit in 1000-unit quantities.