Robust motion sensors deliver high performance to navigation applications

TDK Corporation extends the SmartIndustrial line of robust and accurate motion sensors with its InvenSense IIM-46234 and IIM-46230, new high-performance fault-tolerant IMU aimed at navigation applications that demand accurate, stable, and best-in-class bias instability at a cost-effective price. The devices are modules that comprise multiple six-axis sensors, each of which can measure three dimensions of linear acceleration and three dimensions of rotational rate. The calibration of these devices across the full temperature range (-40C to 85C) ensures the best performance not typical in standard IMUs, which often have deteriorating performance as temperatures increase or decrease. It also supplies stable measurements across all temperatures to minimise errors in position and angle for navigation applications. The modules also incorporate a microcontroller that offers multiple communication and sensor fusion options.

As these products provide precise measurements, even in harsh environments with high vibrations and wide temperature variations, this product family is ideal for various navigation applications, including high-end RTK and GNSS/INS units, precision agriculture, construction machinery, and industrial robots. An example application is an industrial autonomous vehicle or drone that needs best-in-class dead reckoning performance in case of GPS signal loss.

"These types of high-end IMU modules have been cost-prohibitive in the past. We now provide a solution that combines performance and affordability for customers developing navigation systems for drones, industrial autonomous vehicles, and navigation units," said Camilo Delgado, director of Product Marketing and Industrial Motion Sensor Business.

This new product family also combines the company's unique SensorFT feature for fault tolerance, which merges the multi-IMU hardware design with its proprietary fault detection and recovery software to provide built-in redundancy and early warning capabilities. A system with IIM-4623X sensors could offer customers advanced warnings, allowing preventative maintenance to avoid operational disruption.