NORWOOD, Mass., 26 June 2012. Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), a producer of signal processing devices, introduced a 10-degree-of-freedom (DoF) MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU) with an embedded sensor fusion algorithm that delivers accurate orientation sensing in vehicle stabilization, navigation and instrumentation applications. The ADIS16480 10-DoF MEMS IMU, the latest addition to ADI’s iSensor MEMS IMU family, integrates a tri-axis gyroscope, tri-axis accelerometer, tri-axis magnetometer, a pressure sensor, and Analog Devices' ADSP-BF512 Blackfin processor. The ADIS16480 uses an extended Kalman filter (EKF) that fuses the sensor inputs over time to render precise positioning. The ADIS16480 is well suited to systems that require real-time positioning and where movement is constant, complex and dynamic, such as military embedded systems, commercial aircraft navigation and unmanned vehicles.

Kalman filtering is a mathematical algorithm that estimates the given state of a noisy, variable process by taking multiple measurements over time and merging these with a predictive state estimator. When embedded in the ADIS16480, the Kalman filter combines the MEMS IMU’s motion sensor inputs to deliver precise positioning data, even under complex operating conditions characterized by constant, unpredictable movement. By embedding the filter in the Blackfin processor’s core, ADI also saves designers the costs associated with code development, testing and external processing required by many MEMS IMUs.

The ADIS16480 features a 330-MHz bandwidth and combines ADI’s iMEMS technology and precision sensor-signal processing to support closely aligned and phase-matched axes. Every MEMS IMU is factory calibrated, which provides low sensitivity to thermal drift.

A data sheet for the ADIS16480 can be found here.