Data Sheet

October 2017 BNO080 Datasheet 1000-3927

3.1.6 Recommended Settings

Note that by default the accelerometer and magnetometer calibration are enabled for all interface modes except

UART-RVC. In UART-RVC mode planar-ZGO calibration is enabled.

For general applications that require motion tracking in a relatively stable magnetic field it is recommended to use

9-axis sensor fusion outputs (Rotation Vector – see section 2.2.4) from the BNO080. If the device to which the

BNO080 is attached provides sufficient tremor then the gyroscope calibration can be enabled. However the user

should verify performance with their specific motion profile.

If the application requires an orientation estimate in an unstable magnetic field, the Game Rotation Vector may be

more useful.

For virtual reality applications, stability and smoothness of head tracking is important. During application use

dynamic calibration of the magnetometer can result in undesirable motion artifacts such as jumps as the BNO080

attempts to compensate for magnetic field distortions. It is therefore recommended to use the Game Rotation

Vector (see section 2.2.2) or gyro rotation Vector (see section 2.2.6 and 2.2.7 ) and only enable the calibration of

the accelerometer.

For RVC applications it is generally expected that the UART-RVC mode be used and in this case planar ZGO will

be enabled by default. If the user has a similar application but requires higher rate outputs then alternate

interfaces can be used. The planar accelerometer calibration can be enabled by the user.

3.2 Calibration Steps

For best motion tracking performance, it is recommended to calibrate the BNO080. Since each MEMS sensor part

has different individual characteristics, each device using the BNO080 must be calibrated individually.

Figure 3-2 summarizes the steps required to calibrate the accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer. For

more details on the procedure to calibrate the BNO080, refer to the BNO080 Sensor Calibration Procedure

application note [7]. Note that in normal use the device will be exposed to conditions that will allow calibration to

occur with no explicit user input. The steps are provided below if a user wants to force a calibration.

Sensor

Calibration Procedure

Accelerometer

• For 3D calibration the device should be moved into 4-6 unique

orientation and held in each orientation for about 1 second to

calibrate the accelerometer

• For planar calibration the device should be rotated around it Z-axis

by at least 180 degrees

Gyroscope

Device should be set down on a stationary surface for approximately 2-3

seconds to calibrate the gyroscope

Magnetometer

Device should be rotated about 180° and back to the beginning position in

each axis (roll, pitch and yaw). Device should be rotated about 2 seconds on

each axis.

Figure 3-2: Calibration procedure for sensors