Version 0.1

NIMU

Version:

The NIMU is a compact, high-performance Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) system powered by the BNO085 sensor. It delivers rich 9-DoF sensor fusion output, including orientation, acceleration, and motion vectors. Designed for seamless integration into robotic and motion-control systems, the NIMU communicates via a built-in CAN interface and connects easily to the NLink Adapter, providing full control and effortless configuration through our intuitive Software SDKs.

Specifications

• 12-48 V DC Input Voltage
• On-board integrated BNO085 (Bosch) sensor.
• Delivers rich 9-DoF sensor fusion output including orientation, acceleration, and motion vectors.
• CAN 2.0B @500kbps (1Mbps Comming soon).
• Has Daisy Chainable CAN Bus Interface. Provides hassle free connection with other CAN components including our NMotion Components.
• Can be easily configured & controlled by using our Python / C++ SDKs and NMotion CLI Tool.

Hardware

LED Status Indications

The NIMU device incorporates three LEDs to indicate various operational states:

• Power LED: Turns ON when the board is powered ON.
• CAN Communication LED: Flashes to signify ongoing CAN bus communication (both incoming and outgoing data).
• Error LED: Turns ON when an error is encountered, and turns OFF when the errors are cleared

Power Interface

The board supports a wide input voltage range of 12–48 V and uses terminal blocks for power connection.

danger

• DC power input pins can't tolerate reverse polarity, please verify all power connections before energizing the NIMU device.
• DC power supply line can't tolerate voltages above 56 V.
• Never hot plug NIMU device, make sure that the power connections are connected before turning on the power.

CAN Bus Interface

The board features a daisy chainable CAN bus interface with two CAN ports. One port is designated for incoming CAN bus connections from the main device, while the other port is intended for connecting to the subsequent device in the bus chain.

A 2-pin JST PH connector with a 2mm pitch is suitable for both CAN ports.

warning

If NIMU is the last component in the CAN bus chain, ensure that the termination resistor is in ON position to enable the termination resistor. Failure to do so may result in communication errors.

Drawing

All dimensions are in mm

Configuration

The NIMU can be controlled via a CAN bus interface. When connected through the NLink Adapter, it also supports USB communication, enabling configuration and control using the NMotion CLI Tool and the NMotion Transport Library.

API functions for interacting with the NIMU are available in the NIMU API Documentation.

CAN Bus Configuration

The NIMU device utilizes a daisy chainable CAN bus for control. If multiple devices are present on the CAN bus, ensure that a unique CAN Node ID is assigned to the device. The allowable values of CAN Node ID is in the range of 0 to 127. The default CAN Node ID is 0 and must be modified to avoid communication conflicts.

The API functions involved in this configuration are as follows:

• IMU.setNodeId(id: int)
• IMU.getNodeId()

Data Configuration

The NIMU’s output data streams can be selectively enabled or disabled using dedicated API functions. This allows users to optimize bandwidth and processing based on application needs. These functions allow fine-grained control over which sensor fusion outputs are transmitted over CAN and made available via the SDK.

All data streams can be managed individually, including:

• Linear Acceleration
• Acceleration
• Rotation Vector
• Euler Angles
• Gravity Vector
• Gyroscope (Calibrated / Uncalibrated)
• Magnetometer
• Raw Sensor Data from Accelerometer, Gyroscope and Magnetometer

Configuration changes take effect immediately and persist until the device is reset or disabled via corresponding API function.

info

Raw data streams are accessible only after they have been explicitly enabled.

The API functions involved in this configuration are as follows:

• IMU.enableRotationVector(time_interval: int)
• IMU.disableRotationVector()
• IMU.enableRawAccelerometer(time_interval: int)
• IMU.disableRawAccelerometer()
• IMU.enableRawGyro(time_interval: int)
• IMU.disableRawGyro()
• IMU.enableRawMagnetometer(time_interval: int)
• IMU.disableRawMagnetometer()
• IMU.enableLinearAccelerometer(time_interval: int)
• IMU.disableLinearAccelerometer()
• IMU.enableAccelerometer(time_interval: int)
• IMU.disableAccelerometer()
• IMU.enableGyro(time_interval: int)
• IMU.disableGyro()
• IMU.enableMagnetometer(time_interval: int)
• IMU.disableMagnetometer()
• IMU.enableUncalibratedGyro(time_interval: int)
• IMU.disableUncalibratedGyro()
• IMU.enableGravity(time_interval: int)
• IMU.disableGravity()

Operation

Getting Datapoints

The NIMU provides real-time access to a range of motion and orientation parameters. These values are updated continuously and transmitted over the CAN bus, making them accessible to control systems, real-time algorithms, or logging frameworks. Sensor data from the NIMU can be accessed by first enabling the desired data stream using the corresponding enable function (e.g., enableEulerAngles(), enableAccelerometer()..etc), after which the relevant API function (such as getEulerAngles(), getLinearAcceleration(), etc.) can be used to retrieve the data. For raw sensor outputs like getRawGyroscope(), the corresponding base stream (e.g., enableGyroscope()) must be enabled first to ensure proper data flow.

The API functions involved in this configuration are as follows:

• IMU.getRotationVectorData()
• IMU.getRawAccelerometerData()
• IMU.getRawGyroData()
• IMU.getRawMagnetometerData()
• IMU.getLinearAccelerometerData()
• IMU.getAccelerometerData()
• IMU.getGyroData()
• IMU.getMagnetometerData()
• IMU.getUncalibratedGyroData()
• IMU.getUncalibratedGyroBiasData()
• IMU.getEulerAngles()
• IMU.getGravityData()

API Reference

C / C++ API Reference

IMU.IMU()

IMU::IMU(uint32_t device_id, Interface *interface)

Description

Construct a new IMU object.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
uint32_t	device_id	Device ID for the IMU device
Interface*	interface	CAN Interface object connected to the IMU

IMU.getNodeId()

ret_status_t IMU::getNodeId(uint32_t *node_id)

Description

Get current CAN Node ID of NIMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
uint32_t *	node_id	Pointer to the variable to which the current CAN Node ID of the NIMU is to be saved.

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.setNodeId()

ret_status_t IMU::setNodeId(uint32_t id)

Description

Set the node id for the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
uint32_t	id	CAN Node ID of the IMU

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.enableRotationVector()

ret_status_t IMU::enableRotationVector(uint16_t report_interval)

Description

Enable rotation vector data and configure it.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
uint16_t	report_interval	Report interval in milliseconds

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.disableRotationVector()

ret_status_t IMU::disableRotationVector()

Description

Disable rotation vector data.

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.enableRawAccelerometer()

ret_status_t IMU::enableRawAccelerometer(uint16_t report_interval)

Description

Enable raw accelerometer data and configure it.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
uint16_t	report_interval	Report interval in milliseconds

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.disableRawAccelerometer()

ret_status_t IMU::disableRawAccelerometer()

Description

Disable raw accelerometer data.

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.enableRawGyro()

ret_status_t IMU::enableRawGyro(uint16_t report_interval)

Description

Enable raw gyroscope data and configure it.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
uint16_t	report_interval	Report interval in milliseconds

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.disableRawGyro()

ret_status_t IMU::disableRawGyro()

Description

Disable raw gyroscope data.

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.enableRawMagnetometer()

ret_status_t IMU::enableRawMagnetometer(uint16_t report_interval)

Description

Enable raw magnetometer data and configure it.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
uint16_t	report_interval	Report interval in milliseconds

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.disableRawMagnetometer()

ret_status_t IMU::disableRawMagnetometer()

Description

Disable raw magnetometer data.

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.enableLinearAccelerometer()

ret_status_t IMU::enableLinearAccelerometer(uint16_t report_interval)

Description

Enable linear accelerometer data and configure it.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
uint16_t	report_interval	Report interval in milliseconds

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.disableLinearAccelerometer()

ret_status_t IMU::disableLinearAccelerometer()

Description

Disable linear accelerometer data.

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.enableAccelerometer()

ret_status_t IMU::enableAccelerometer(uint16_t report_interval)

Description

Enable accelerometer data and configure it.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
uint16_t	report_interval	Report interval in milliseconds

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.disableAccelerometer()

ret_status_t IMU::disableAccelerometer()

Description

Disable accelerometer data.

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.enableGyro()

ret_status_t IMU::enableGyro(uint16_t report_interval)

Description

Enable gyroscope data and configure it.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
uint16_t	report_interval	Report interval in milliseconds

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.disableGyro()

ret_status_t IMU::disableGyro()

Description

Disable gyroscope data.

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.enableMagnetometer()

ret_status_t IMU::enableMagnetometer(uint16_t report_interval)

Description

Enable magnetometer data and configure it.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
uint16_t	report_interval	Report interval in milliseconds

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.disableMagnetometer()

ret_status_t IMU::disableMagnetometer()

Description

Disable magnetometer data.

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.enableUncalibratedGyro()

ret_status_t IMU::enableUncalibratedGyro(uint16_t report_interval)

Description

Enable uncalibrated gyroscope data and configure it.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
uint16_t	report_interval	Report interval in milliseconds

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.disableUncalibratedGyro()

ret_status_t IMU::disableUncalibratedGyro()

Description

Disable uncalibrated gyroscope data.

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.enableGravity()

ret_status_t IMU::enableGravity(uint16_t report_interval)

Description

Enable gravity data and configure it.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
uint16_t	report_interval	Report interval in milliseconds

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.disableGravity()

ret_status_t IMU::disableGravity()

Description

Disable gravity data.

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.getRotationVectorData()

ret_status_t IMU::getRotationVectorData(float* quat_i, float* quat_j, float* quat_k, float* quat_real)

Description

Retrieves the rotation vector data from the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
float*	quat_i	i component of the quaternion
float*	quat_j	j component of the quaternion
float*	quat_k	k component of the quaternion
float*	quat_real	real component of the quaternion

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.getRawAccelerometerData()

ret_status_t IMU::getRawAccelerometerData(int16_t* x, int16_t* y, int16_t* z)

Description

Retrieves the raw accelerometer data from the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
int16_t*	x	raw accelerometer value in x axis
int16_t*	y	raw accelerometer value in y axis
int16_t*	z	raw accelerometer value in z axis

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.getRawGyroData()

ret_status_t IMU::getRawGyroData(int16_t* x, int16_t* y, int16_t* z)

Description

Retrieves the raw gyroscope data from the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
int16_t*	x	raw gyro value in x axis
int16_t*	y	raw gyro value in y axis
int16_t*	z	raw gyro value in z axis

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.getRawMagnetometerData()

ret_status_t IMU::getRawMagnetometerData(int16_t* x, int16_t* y, int16_t* z)

Description

Retrieves the raw magnetometer data from the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
int16_t*	x	raw magnetometer value in x axis
int16_t*	y	raw magnetometer value in y axis
int16_t*	z	raw magnetometer value in z axis

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.getLinearAccelerometerData()

ret_status_t IMU::getLinearAccelerometerData(float* x, float* y, float* z, uint8_t* accuracy)

Description

Retrieves the linear accelerometer data from the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
float*	x	linear acceleration in x axis (m/s²)
float*	y	linear acceleration in y axis (m/s²)
float*	z	linear acceleration in z axis (m/s²)
uint8_t*	accuracy	accuracy of the linear acceleration data

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.getAccelerometerData()

ret_status_t IMU::getAccelerometerData(float* x, float* y, float* z, uint8_t* accuracy)

Description

Retrieves the accelerometer data from the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
float*	x	acceleration in x axis (m/s²)
float*	y	acceleration in y axis (m/s²)
float*	z	acceleration in z axis (m/s²)
uint8_t*	accuracy	accuracy of the acceleration data

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.getGyroData()

ret_status_t IMU::getGyroData(float* x, float* y, float* z, uint8_t* accuracy)

Description

Retrieves the gyroscope data from the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
float*	x	gyro value in x axis (radians per second)
float*	y	gyro value in y axis (radians per second)
float*	z	gyro value in z axis (radians per second)
uint8_t*	accuracy	accuracy of the gyro data

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.getMagnetometerData()

ret_status_t IMU::getMagnetometerData(float* x, float* y, float* z, uint8_t* accuracy)

Description

Retrieves the magnetometer data from the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
float*	x	magnetometer value in x axis (uTesla)
float*	y	magnetometer value in y axis (uTesla)
float*	z	magnetometer value in z axis (uTesla)
uint8_t*	accuracy	accuracy of the magnetometer data

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.getUncalibratedGyroData()

ret_status_t IMU::getUncalibratedGyroData(float* x, float* y, float* z)

Description

Retrieves the uncalibrated gyroscope data from the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
float*	x	uncalibrated gyro value in x axis (radians per second)
float*	y	uncalibrated gyro value in y axis (radians per second)
float*	z	uncalibrated gyro value in z axis (radians per second)

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.getUncalibratedGyroBiasData()

ret_status_t IMU::getUncalibratedGyroBiasData(float* x, float* y, float* z)

Description

Retrieves the uncalibrated gyroscope bias data from the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
float*	x	uncalibrated gyro bias in x axis (radians per second)
float*	y	uncalibrated gyro bias in y axis (radians per second)
float*	z	uncalibrated gyro bias in z axis (radians per second)

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.getEulerAngles()

ret_status_t IMU::getEulerAngles(float* yaw, float* pitch, float* roll)

Description

Retrieves the Euler angles from the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
float*	yaw	yaw angle (degrees)
float*	pitch	pitch angle (degrees)
float*	roll	roll angle (degrees)

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.getGravityData()

ret_status_t IMU::getGravityData(float* x, float* y, float* z)

Description

Retrieves the gravity data from the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
float*	x	gravity in x axis (g)
float*	y	gravity in y axis (g)
float*	z	gravity in z axis (g)

Returns

Datatype	Description
ret_status_t	Return Status

IMU.isConnected()

bool IMU::isConnected()

Description

Check if the device is still connected.

Returns

Datatype	Description
bool	true if connected, false otherwise

Python API Reference

IMU.__init__()

__init__(id: int, interface: USBInterface) 

Description

IMU class constructor.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
int	id	CAN Node ID of IMU
USBInterface	interface	Initialised CANInterface or USBInterface object

IMU.getNodeId()

getNodeId() ->  'tuple[int, int]'

Description

Get current CAN Node ID of the IMU.

Returns

Datatype	Description
'tuple[int,int]'	Tuple containing return status and the current CAN Node ID.

IMU.setNodeId()

setNodeId(id: int) -> int

Description

Set the node id for the IMU.

Parameters

Datatype	Variable	Description
int	id	CAN Device ID of the IMU

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Return Status

IMU.getRotationVectorData

getRotationVectorData() ->  'tuple[float, float, float, float]'

Description

Retrieve the rotation vector data from the IMU.

Returns

Datatype	Description
'tuple[float, float, float, float]'	Tuple containing quaternion components (quat_i, quat_j, quat_k, quat_real).

IMU.getRawAccelerometerData

getRawAccelerometerData() ->  'tuple[int16_t, int16_t, int16_t]'

Description

Retrieve the raw accelerometer data from the IMU.

Returns

Datatype	Description
'tuple[int16_t, int16_t, int16_t]'	Raw accelerometer values (x, y, z).

IMU.getRawGyroData

getRawGyroData() ->  'tuple[int16_t, int16_t, int16_t]'

Description

Retrieve the raw gyroscope data from the IMU.

Returns

Datatype	Description
'tuple[int16_t, int16_t, int16_t]'	Raw gyroscope values (x, y, z).

IMU.getRawMagnetometerData

getRawMagnetometerData() ->  'tuple[int16_t, int16_t, int16_t]'

Description

Retrieve the raw magnetometer data from the IMU.

Returns

Datatype	Description
'tuple[int16_t, int16_t, int16_t]'	Raw magnetometer values (x, y, z).

IMU.getLinearAccelerometerData

getLinearAccelerometerData() ->  'tuple[float, float, float, uint8_t]'

Description

Retrieve the linear accelerometer data from the IMU.

Returns

Datatype	Description
'tuple[float, float, float, uint8_t]'	Linear acceleration values (x, y, z) in m/s² and accuracy.

IMU.getAccelerometerData

getAccelerometerData() ->  'tuple[float, float, float, uint8_t]'

Description

Retrieve the accelerometer data from the IMU.

Returns

Datatype	Description
'tuple[float, float, float, uint8_t]'	Acceleration values (x, y, z) in m/s² and accuracy.

IMU.getGyroData

getGyroData() ->  'tuple[float, float, float, uint8_t]'

Description

Retrieve the gyroscope data from the IMU.

Returns

Datatype	Description
'tuple[float, float, float, uint8_t]'	Gyroscope values (x, y, z) in radians per second and accuracy.

IMU.getMagnetometerData

getMagnetometerData() ->  'tuple[float, float, float, uint8_t]'

Description

Retrieve the magnetometer data from the IMU.

Returns

Datatype	Description
'tuple[float, float, float, uint8_t]'	Magnetometer values (x, y, z) in µT and accuracy.

IMU.getUncalibratedGyroData

getUncalibratedGyroData() ->  'tuple[float, float, float]'

Description

Retrieve the uncalibrated gyroscope data from the IMU.

Returns

Datatype	Description
'tuple[float, float, float]'	Uncalibrated gyroscope values (x, y, z) in radians per second.

IMU.getUncalibratedGyroBiasData

getUncalibratedGyroBiasData() ->  'tuple[float, float, float]'

Description

Retrieve the uncalibrated gyroscope bias data from the IMU.

Returns

Datatype	Description
'tuple[float, float, float]'	Uncalibrated gyroscope bias values (x, y, z) in radians per second.

IMU.getEulerAngles

getEulerAngles() ->  'tuple[float, float, float]'

Description

Retrieve the Euler angles from the IMU.

Returns

Datatype	Description
'tuple[float, float, float]'	Euler angles (yaw, pitch, roll) in degrees.

IMU.getGravityData

getGravityData() ->  'tuple[float, float, float]'

Description

Retrieve the gravity data from the IMU.

Returns

Datatype	Description
'tuple[float, float, float]'	Gravity vector values (x, y, z) in g.

IMU.enableRotationVector

enableRotationVector(time_interval: int) -> int

Description

Enable Quaternion rotation vector data and configure report interval.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.disableRotationVector

disableRotationVector() -> int

Description

Disable Quaternion rotation vector data stream.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.enableRawAccelerometer

enableRawAccelerometer(time_interval: int) -> int

Description

Enable Raw accelerometer data and configure report interval.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.disableRawAccelerometer

disableRawAccelerometer() -> int

Description

Disable Raw accelerometer data stream.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.enableRawGyro

enableRawGyro(time_interval: int) -> int

Description

Enable Raw gyroscope data and configure report interval.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.disableRawGyro

disableRawGyro() -> int

Description

Disable Raw gyroscope data stream.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.enableRawMagnetometer

enableRawMagnetometer(time_interval: int) -> int

Description

Enable Raw magnetometer data and configure report interval.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.disableRawMagnetometer

disableRawMagnetometer() -> int

Description

Disable Raw magnetometer data stream.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.enableLinearAccelerometer

enableLinearAccelerometer(time_interval: int) -> int

Description

Enable Linear accelerometer data and configure report interval.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.disableLinearAccelerometer

disableLinearAccelerometer() -> int

Description

Disable Linear accelerometer data stream.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.enableAccelerometer

enableAccelerometer(time_interval: int) -> int

Description

Enable Calibrated accelerometer data and configure report interval.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.disableAccelerometer

disableAccelerometer() -> int

Description

Disable Calibrated accelerometer data stream.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.enableGyro

enableGyro(time_interval: int) -> int

Description

Enable Calibrated gyroscope data and configure report interval.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.disableGyro

disableGyro() -> int

Description

Disable Calibrated gyroscope data stream.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.enableMagnetometer

enableMagnetometer(time_interval: int) -> int

Description

Enable Calibrated magnetometer data and configure report interval.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.disableMagnetometer

disableMagnetometer() -> int

Description

Disable Calibrated magnetometer data stream.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.enableUncalibratedGyro

enableUncalibratedGyro(time_interval: int) -> int

Description

Enable Uncalibrated gyroscope data and configure report interval.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.disableUncalibratedGyro

disableUncalibratedGyro() -> int

Description

Disable Uncalibrated gyroscope data stream.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.enableGravity

enableGravity(time_interval: int) -> int

Description

Enable Gravity sensor data and configure report interval.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.

IMU.disableGravity

disableGravity() -> int

Description

Disable Gravity sensor data stream.

Returns

Datatype	Description
int	Status code.