IMU provides high accuracy in a compact package
Margery Conner, Technical Editor -- EDN, June 6, 2011
IMUs (inertial-measurement units) provide as much as 6° of freedom, allowing them to measure motion in three dimensions. The consumer-electronics market was until recently the primary driver for advances in IMU technology because the devices find use in handheld game controllers and smartphones. Components for this market have cost and size constraints, so IMUs are typically tiny and low-priced. However, the devices also find use in applications such as industrial control, which have more demanding requirements for accuracy and performance. Targeting this market, Epson Electronics America has introduced the S4E5A0A0 IMU, which measures 6°/hour of gyro bias instability and 0.24°
of angular random walk.Employing the company’s quartz-based QMEMS (quartz-microelectromechanical-system) sensor technology, the IMU is approximately 100 times more accurate than the low-cost IMU technologies that consumer products use, according to Epson. The IMU has a ±300°/sec triaxis gyroscope and ±3g triaxis accelerometer with an estimated current consumption of 30 mA and a power consumption of 100 mW when operating at 3.3V. It uses industry-standard SPI and UART interfaces and measures 24x24x10-mm with an operating temperature range of -20 to +70°C. Epson certifies the factory calibrations of the quartz sensors in each Epson IMU that leaves its factories. Sample pricing is $2500 each.
Epson Electronics America, www.eea.epson.com
Talkback
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Actually, that's an incredible price at that size if it's as good as it claims.
AMA - 2011-16-6 13:37:44 PDT -
Woow, that's alot of money!
Jim - 2011-16-6 12:10:31 PDT
