VN-100 Introduction

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The VN-100 is a miniature high performance orientation sensor designed for easy integration into
a wide variety of industrial applications.  With the entire package size of less than 1 inch, the small size enables high accuracy orientation determination for almost any imaginable project.

What is an orientation sensor ?

Orientation sensors are used to measure the direction a device is pointing in 3D space.  The VN-100 is part of a class of orientation sensors known in the aerospace industry as an Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS).  Originally this class of sensors was used in the aerospace industry to measure the orientation of aircraft during flight.  They can be used however to measure the orientation of any type of object such as cameras or robots.

An Absolute Heading Reference System is a type of orientation sensor that measures the direction an object is pointing relative to a fixed reference frame.  An AHRS orientation sensor provides three separate angle measurements (yaw, pitch, and roll).  These angles are commonly used in the aerospace industry to define the orientation of an aircraft during flight.

Yaw Pitch Roll

  • Yaw (also known as Heading) measures the direction of an object relative to true north.  A yaw angle of 0 corresponds to an object pointing straight north.
  • Pitch measures the angle object is elevated up relative to the earth’s horizon.
  • Roll measures the angle an object is rotated in the direction opposite from pitch with respect to the horizon.