General Information

• Ordering information
• Identifying device functionality using the unique Device Identifier
• Block diagram

This document provides information on the contents and usage of the MTi 1-series modules. The MTi 1-series module (MTi 1-s) is a fully functional, self-contained module that is easy to design-in. The MTi 1‑s can be connected to a host through I²C, SPI or UART interfaces.

The Hardware Integration Manual supplements this document. It contains notes on typical application scenarios, recommended external components, printed circuit board (PCB) layout, origin of measurements, stress related considerations, reference designs and handling information.

The MT Low Level Communication Protocol Document provides a complete reference for the protocol to communicate with Xsens Motion Trackers. For a better understanding of the Synchronous Serial Protocol (discussed in Functional Description) for use with the MTi 1-s, the advice is to read the communication protocol reference in the MT Low Level Communication Protocol Document first. This document also describes the synchronization messages and settings in detail.

Ordering information

Identifying device functionality using the unique Device Identifier

Each Xsens product is marked with a unique serial device identifier referred to as the Device ID. The Device ID is categorized per MTi product configuration in order to make it possible to recognize the MTi by reviewing the Device ID. The second digit of the Device ID denotes the functionality (e.g. ‘1’ for all IMU products, such as MTi-1, MTi-10 and MTi-100), the third digit denotes the product series (6 for MTi 10-series, 7 for MTi 100-series, 8 for MTi 1-series) and the fourth digit denotes the interface (always 8 for the MTi 1-series). The last four digits are unique for each device; these four digits have a hexadecimal format.

Below is a list of the MTi 1-series product types with their associated Device IDs.

The rest of this document only caters to MTi 1-series with HW version ≥ 2.0. Refer to the MTi 1-series Datasheet version 1.x if you have an MTi with HW version < 2.0.

Block diagram

MTi 1-series module diagram

The above diagram shows a simplified organization of the MTi 1-series module (MTi 1-s). The MTi 1-s contains a 3-axis gyroscope, a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis magnetometer, a high-accuracy crystal and a low-power microcontroller unit (MCU). The MTi-7/8 module can also accept the signals from an external GNSS receiver and/or barometer. The MCU coordinates the timing and synchronization of the various sensors. The module offers the possibility to use external signals in order to accurately synchronize the MTi 1-s with any user application. The MCU applies calibration models (unique to each sensor and including orientation, gain and bias offsets, plus more advanced relationships such as non-linear temperature effects and other higher order terms) and runs the Xsens optimized strapdown algorithm, which performs high-rate dead-reckoning calculations at 800 Hz, allowing accurate capture of high frequency motions and coning & sculling compensation. The Xsens sensor fusion engine combines all sensor inputs and optimally estimates the orientation, position and velocity at an output data rate of up to 100 Hz. The MTi 1-s is easily configurable for the outputs and, depending on the application’s needs, can be set to use one of the filter profiles available within the Xsens sensor fusion engine. In this way, the MTi 1-s limits the load and the power consumption on the user application processor. The user can communicate with the module by means of three different communication interfaces. They are I²C, SPI and UART.