The VG380 vertical gyros modules. Photo source: MEMSIC Inc. MEMSIC Inc., with headquarters in Andover, Massachusetts, recently announced the addition of the VG380 to its portfolio of inertial modules. These new vertical gyros are designed to provide highly accurate pitch and roll (with respect to gravity), in both static and dynamic conditions. The static and dynamic accuracy is specified at +/-0.2 and +/-1.0 degrees (respectively) over the -40C to +85C temperature range.
MEMSIC Inc., with headquarters in Andover, Massachusetts, recently announced the addition of the VG380 to its portfolio of inertial modules. These new vertical gyros are designed to provide highly accurate pitch and roll (with respect to gravity), in both static and dynamic conditions. The static and dynamic accuracy is specified at +/-0.2 and +/-1.0 degrees (respectively) over the -40C to +85C temperature range.
The VG380 is offered in two package/interface options, VG380SA and VG380ZA. The VG380SA is a 41x48x22 millimeter module designed for standalone applications, including built in power conditioning (compatible with power supplies from 9 – 32V), and with RS-232 / RS-422 interface.
The VG380ZA is designed for OEM/embedded applications, offering a much smaller 24x37x9.5 millimeter package, and an SPI/UART interface for convenient integration into an end user system.
The VG380 is the latest addition to a family of interchangeable and compatible modules offering different levels of functionality and performance. The IMU380 is a 6 or 9 DOF (Degrees-of-Freedom) inertial measurement unit which provides X, Y and Z acceleration, angular rate, and magnetic field (fully calibrated over temperature); the VG380 now adds the algorithms to deliver accurate pitch and roll information; and the AHRS380 (Attitude-Heading-Reference-System) adds additional algorithms to compute both attitude and heading. All of these versions are available in both the embedded and the standalone packages described above.
The VG380 is designed for attitude determination and platform stabilization in applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles, satellite antenna tracking, precision agriculture, surveying instruments, and construction equipment, where size, performance, and cost are critical.
The VG380ZA and VG380SA are in production and available immediately. There is an evaluation kit (EVAL-KIT DMU380ZA) complete with a USB PC-connection and simple-to-use GUI to speed the evaluation and prototyping phases.
