Product Overview IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit)

Click here for IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) Product Portal

Motion- and gesture-based devices from InvenSense are rapidly becoming a key function in many consumer electronic devices, including mobile, wearable, Smart Home, and automotive and industrial devices. Our motion solutions, including gyroscopes, accelerometers, compasses, and pressure sensors, detect and track an object's motion in three-dimensional space, allowing consumers to interact with their electronic devices by tracking motion in free space and delivering these motions as input commands. InvenSense devices across the board have industry leading relative accuracy, sensor throughput, and temperature stability.

Function of IMU
Superiority of InvenSense
InvenSense's IMU family
InvenSense SmartMotion^® Platform
Contacts
Related Links

Function of IMU

IMU are a class of device that reacts to or senses physical motion parameters, including acceleration, rotation, or change in position.

Accelerometer sensors — Table 1　Function of IMU

Gyroscope sensors — Table 1　Function of IMU

Accelerometer sensors	Gyroscope sensors

Accelerometer sensors measure acceleration, which includes acceleration components caused by device motion and acceleration due to gravity. The acceleration is measured in g (gees), which are multiples of the earth's gravitational force (1g = 9.8 m/s2). Accelerometers are also available with single-, double-, or triple-axes, defined in an X, Y, Z coordinate system. The accelerometer measures static device orientation by computing the measured angle of the device, compared to gravitational force.	Gyroscope sensors measure angular rate, usually expressed in degrees per second. Integrating angular rate with respect to time results in a measured angle of travel, which can be used to track changes in orientation. Gyroscope sensors are available from a variety of suppliers in single-, double-, or triple-axes, which correspond to simultaneous measurement of pitch, or roll, or yaw angles.

Superiority of InvenSense

InvenSense was the first company to deliver Motion Interface solutions with fully integrated sensors and robust MotionFusion™ firmware algorithms. Our MotionTracking™ devices enable our customers to integrate Motion Interface capability directly into devices, easily and with minimal development cost and effort.

As a pioneer and leader in the industry, InvenSense consistently delivers game-changing solutions. InvenSense began with the world's first dual-axis MEMS gyroscopes in 2006 for the digital still camera market; the world's first integrated 3-axis motion processing solution for smart phones in 2009; the world's single-chip integrated 6-axis MotionTracking™ device in 2010; the world's first integrated 9-axis MotionTracking™ device in 2012; and in 2014, the world's first integrated 7-axis (3-axis, gyroscope + 3-axis accelerometer + pressure sensor) single-chip platform solution with onboard Digital Motion Processor (DMP™).

InvenSense's IMU family

6-axis family of IMU — Table 2　InvenSense's IMU family

7-axis family of IMU — Table 2　InvenSense's IMU family

6-axis family of IMU	7-axis family of IMU	9-axis family of IMU

3-axis gyroscope + 3-axis accelerometer	3-axis gyroscope + 3-axis accelerometer + barometric pressure sensor	3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometer, and 3-axis compass
InvenSense's 6-axis family of IMU with a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer on the same silicon die are the highest performance sensors in the market with the lowest noise, best temperature stability, and highest sensitivity accuracy. These factors are key to creating applications such as navigation, imaging, and augmented reality, with the best user experience. The 6-axis family also supports highly configurable multi-interface devices that, for example, support external devices such as manometers and barometers. Combined with the InvenSense MotionApps™ Platform, sensor management is offloaded from the operating system and the motion-based complexities are abstracted using a structured set of APIs for application development.	The InvenSense 7-axis device is an integrated 6-axis inertial device that combines a 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometer, and an ultra-low noise MEMS capacitive barometric pressure sensor. This unique 7-axis device offers performance of discrete components in a single small footprint for tracking rotational and linear motion as well as pressure differences. The 7-axis device provides an easy upgrade path to build on the time-tested performance of InvenSense's 6-axis inertial sensors by adding an ultra-low noise and temperature stable MEMS capacitive barometric pressure sensor.	The 9-axis family of parts are the world's leading 9-axis MotionTracking™ devices designed for battery operated, high-performance consumer electronics products. Our 9-axis devices combine a 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometer, and 3-axis compass in the same chip together with an onboard DMP™ capable of processing the complex MotionFusion™ algorithms. The 9-axis product family incorporates the same MotionFusion™ and run-time calibration that is supported in InvenSense's market leading 6-axis family of products. This solution has shipped millions of units and has been very well market validated. The size advantage of the integrated 9-axis devices versus a discrete solution is compelling for space-constrained products, such as smartphones and wearable sensors.

Our integrated devices enable manufacturers to eliminate the costly and complex selection, qualification, and system level integration of discrete devices, guaranteeing optimal motion performance. By leveraging our patented and volume-proven CMOS-MEMS fabrication platform, which integrates MEMS wafers with companion CMOS electronics through wafer-level bonding, we are able to provide very small and low-cost, but high-performance packages.