System integration including drones, autonomous vehicles, and unmanned systems

Fairchild has launched the FMT1000 series of motion tracking modules, which it says can rapidly integrate motion information into any system, including drones, autonomous vehicles, unmanned systems, heavy industry, construction, agriculture, VR headsets, cameras, and platform stabilization.

Additionally, the FMT1000 series is a comprehensive turnkey motion tracking module that outputs inertial data with complementary provision of roll, pitch and (relative) heading corrections, making it the first inertial module to offer accurate 3D heading performance that meets industry specifications.

“The FMT1000 module provides a robust mechanical, electrical, and software interface for the life of a manufacturer’s product design, and is built for rapid integration, enabling designers to provide accurate motion data to their products without having to be experts in inertial sensor calibration, signal processing, or sensor fusion algorithms,” said Per Slycke, vice president of Fairchild’s Motion Tracking Division, adding: "Our new FMT family, combined with our FIS1100 MEMS inertial measurement unit, provides manufacturers with a truly comprehensive and attractive motion tracking portfolio for production tasks ranging from small to large."

Combined with our MEMS inertial measurement device


Fairchild says the module can be integrated with minimal hardware and software development, utilizes easy-to-use communication protocols and open-source drivers, and includes source code and examples for embedded integration via I2C, SPI, and ARM® mbed™, as well as a full software suite (for Windows and Linux).

Based on Fairchild's FIS1100 6-axis MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU), the FMT1000 module is individually tested and calibrated across the full temperature range, reducing manufacturers' investment and development time. All modules are time-synchronized and run onboard advanced sensor fusion algorithms that support automatic calibration and data formatting, reducing the computational burden on the host processor and ultimately saving cost and power.

The FMT1000 module is available in a 12.1 x 12.1 x 2.6mm PLCC28 compatible package and is available now in trays or reels. An evaluation kit and a full set of development software are also provided.

The FMT1000 series currently consists of the FMT1010, which provides calibrated sensor data, coning and sculling compensation heading and velocity increments, the FMT1020, which adds roll, pitch and unreferenced yaw and sensor auto-compensation, and the FMT1030, which includes north-referenced magnetic heading in addition to the functionality of both.