3-Space™ V3 Sensor Family
Motion, tracked anywhere.
On a UAV, an autonomous robot, a human body, or submerged underwater, 3-Space™ V3 sensors run our 2000 Hz, ±1° AHRS/IMU engine with the World Magnetic Model (WMM) built in and EEPTS™ GPS-denied tracking on supported models. Six form factors, from a single-chip AHRS to an IP68 field unit. Choose the package your project needs.
V3 is our third-generation sensor IP, built around the new QGRAD3™ orientation firmware. It delivers more accuracy, higher update rates, and wider dynamic range in packages as small as 16 x 15 mm and 0.9 grams. More than 12 patents and two decades of orientation-filter research go into every 3-Space™ device.
- 2000 Hz filter update rate
- ±1° dynamic orientation accuracy
- 1.3 g 10-DOF module weight (Embedded EM3)
- ±320 g accelerometer range ceiling
- 5000 g shock survivability
- −40 to 85 °C operating range
V3 specifications shown. The Nano runs QGRAD2™ at 200 Hz with ±1.5° accuracy and does not include the World Magnetic Model or EEPTS™.
Where V3 is deployed
3-Space™ V3 sensors are in production today across:
- Robotics and automation
- UAV, UGV, and USV navigation
- Aeronautical and defense systems
- GPS-denied personnel tracking
- Sports performance and healthcare
- Vibration analysis and failure prediction
- Impact analysis and event detection
- Navigation and compassing
- Asset tracking and logistics
We have what others don’t.
QGRAD3™ sensor fusion
Our proprietary filter outperforms Extended Kalman filtering with lower latency and lower computational overhead, and selectable EKF is included. Both run at the full 2000 Hz, with a dynamic sensor confidence algorithm holding precision as conditions change.
Auto-selecting dual accelerometers
±2 g resolution and ±320 g impact capture in one device, auto-selected in real time. Fine motion and hard hits, impacts, drops, and launches, with no second sensor and no extra board space.
EEPTS™ tracking on board (only from Yost Labs)
Developed through defense-funded R&D, EEPTS™ extracts real-time motion paths from body-worn or hand-carried equipment with no GPS, beacons, or infrastructure: indoors, underground, in dense urban areas, and where GPS is jammed. Floor-level altitude changes are tracked by the onboard barometer.
Integrated World Magnetic Model (WMM)
The onboard WMM corrects for magnetic declination at your location automatically, returning tilt-compensated heading referenced to true, magnetic, or grid north from a simple command. No lookup tables, no manual offsets, no host-side math.
An open protocol, not a black box
Every parameter is documented and reachable: human-readable ASCII or fast binary, Python and C APIs on GitHub, raw or fully calibrated data. No software license fees, and free firmware updates for the life of the product.
Engineered here, changed for you
Firmware, form factor, interface, calibration profile: all of it is ours to modify. Yost Labs designs, assembles, and tests in Portsmouth, Ohio, and takes custom builds from prototype to production.
A full AHRS/IMU/VRU in the space of a postage stamp.
Every 3-Space™ V3 footprint carries the complete system. From the 16 x 15 mm LX3 to the IP68 Watertight, the sensors, 2000 Hz QGRAD3™ fusion, and the World Magnetic Model (WMM) are all processed onboard. The 3.8 x 5.2 mm Nano puts a full QGRAD2™ AHRS in a single DFN chip. No bare IMU, no host processor required.
- Nano: 3.8 x 5.2 mm
- LX3: 16 x 15 mm
- Embedded EM3: 23 x 23 mm
- USBC-H-B: 32 x 25 mm
- Data Logger: 40 x 40.9 mm
- Watertight: 59 x 95 mm
One family. Six ways to deploy it.
Pick the packaging your program needs. Every model runs Yost Labs QGRAD™ sensor fusion onboard. Firmware generation, EEPTS™, and GPS support vary by model, so check each product for the details.3-Space™ Watertight WT3 (TSS-WT3-HU1 / HU2)
3-Space™ Watertight WT3 (TSS-WT3-HU1 / HU2)
- End-use-ready in an IP68-rated ruggedized cast aluminum case
- Communication options: High-Speed USB 2.0, UART or RS232
- Communication options: High-Speed USB 2.0, UART or RS232
- Strap it to a hull, a mast, or a vehicle and leave it there
- 59 x 95 x 35 mm, 158 grams
- Best for: maritime, UGV, impact analysis
3-Space™ Data Logger Family: Core, Link, and Nav
- If it moves, we can track it: motion tracking, micro-SD logging, and power in one end-use-ready unit
- EEPTS™ GPS-denied tracking standard on every model
- Core logs standalone, Link adds BLE 5.4, Nav adds BLE 5.4 and GPS
- Communication options: High-Speed USB-C, micro-SD, BLE 5.4 (Link and Nav)
- Up to 20+ hours of battery life (700 mAh Long-Life option)
- Portable form factor, 40 x 40.9 x 14.2 mm, 20 grams
- Screwdown/Strapdown mounting available with the Quick-Mount Kit
3-Space™ USBC (TSS-USBC-H-B / H-C)
Screwdown/Strapdown USB/RS232 AHRS in two sizes
- H-B: 32 x 25 x 6.35 mm, 4.0 grams, with SPI, I²C, UART, and RS232
- H-C: 36.7 x 40 x 10.85 mm for screw-down or strap-down mounting
- Communication options: USB 2.0, UART, RS232
- Best for: maritime compassing, robotics
3-Space™ Embedded EM3 (TSS-EM3-H-v3.1)
- One module, two jobs: precision orientation and high-g event capture from ±2 to ±320 g
- EEPTS™ and the World Magnetic Model (WMM) running onboard
- Communication options: USB 2.0, SPI, I²C, asynchronous serial
- Castellated SMT edge pads for secure SMT mounting with optional through-hole mounting
- 23 x 23 x 1.95 mm, 1.3 grams
- Best for: robotics, UAV, stabilization
- Evaluation kit available for fast design-in
3-Space™ LX3 (TSS-LX3)
- Ultra-miniature SMT AHRS at 16 x 15 x 1.7 mm and 0.9 grams
- 2000 Hz Kalman and QGRAD3™ filtering
- Castellated edge pads for SMT or through-hole mounting
- Communication options: USB 2.0, SPI, I²C, asynchronous serial
- Best for: space-constrained embedded designs
3-Space™ Nano (TSS-NIC)
- A complete AHRS in a 24-pin DFN IC: 3.8 x 5.2 x 1.1 mm, 0.01 grams
- QGRAD2™ core, 200 Hz, ±1.5° accuracy
- Onboard magnetometer auto-calibration adapts quickly to changing magnetic environments
- 20 mA operating current
- Communication options: SPI, I²C, asynchronous serial
- Best for: wearables, high-volume OEM
The numbers behind the V3 line.
Applies to the Watertight, Data Logger, USBC, Embedded EM3, and LX3. Package-specific values (battery life, ingress rating, connector, GNSS, EEPTS™) are in each product’s technical brief. The Nano runs QGRAD2™ at 200 Hz with ±1.5° accuracy and does not include the World Magnetic Model.
Orientation
- Range: 360° all axes
- Accuracy: ±1° dynamic
- Resolution: <0.08°
- Repeatability: 0.085°
- Output: quaternion, Euler, matrix, axis-angle
Inertial sensors
- Gyro scale: ±250 to ±4000 °/s
- Gyro bias at 25 °C: 1.5 °/hr
- Accelerometer scale: ±2 g to ±320 g
- Accelerometer noise density: 60 μg/√Hz
- Magnetometer: ±8.0 Ga, 18-bit
System
- Filter rate: 2000 Hz
- Filter modes: QGRAD3™, EKF, IMU
- Shock: 5000 g
- Heading (WMM): true, magnetic, grid north
- Operating temperature: −40 to 85 °C
- Tooling: Sensor Suite, Python and C APIs
Common questions.
What is the difference between an AHRS and an IMU?
An IMU (inertial measurement unit) reports raw motion data from its gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer. An AHRS (attitude and heading reference system) adds onboard sensor fusion that turns that data into orientation and heading. Every 3-Space™ sensor is a full AHRS, and each can also output raw IMU data.
Which 3-Space™ sensor should I choose?
Choose by environment and integration.
- Watertight: IP68 field unit for wet, outdoor, and harsh environments
- Data Logger family: standalone recording with battery and micro-SD, plus BLE (Link) or BLE and GPS (Nav)
- USBC: Screwdown/Strapdown USB/RS232 sensor for vehicles, robotics, and compassing
- Embedded EM3: board-level module for robotics, UAVs, and high-g event capture
- LX3: the smallest V3 sensor, an SMT module for space-constrained designs
- Nano: single-chip AHRS for wearables and high-volume OEM products
How is the Nano different from the V3 sensors?
The Nano is a single-chip AHRS built on our previous-generation QGRAD2™ core. It runs at 200 Hz with ±1.5° accuracy and does not include the World Magnetic Model or EEPTS™. The other five sensors use the V3 core: QGRAD3™ sensor fusion at 2000 Hz with ±1° accuracy. For a small footprint with full V3 performance, start with the LX3.
What are MOTS and NRE custom development?
MOTS (modified off-the-shelf) starts from a standard 3-Space™ sensor and changes the firmware, board, or enclosure to fit your program. NRE (non-recurring engineering) custom development designs a sensor around your requirements. Use the contact form to start either one.
Is there a software license fee?
No. There are no software license fees, and firmware updates are free for the life of the product. Python and C APIs are available on GitHub.
Which sensors track position without GPS?
Every 3-Space™ sensor tracks orientation without GPS. For GPS-denied position and motion-path tracking, choose a model with EEPTS™, including the Data Logger family and the Embedded EM3. The Data Logger Nav also adds GPS for when a signal is available.
Off the shelf, modified, or built for you.
Every 3-Space™ sensor ships ready to use. When your program needs something different, we offer modified off-the-shelf (MOTS) versions with changes to firmware, board, or enclosure, and full NRE custom development for sensors designed around your requirements. Tell us what you are working on, and an engineer will follow up.
Designed, assembled, and tested in the United States.
Additional information
- User’s Manual for 3-Space™ v3 Sensors: https://yostlabs.com/v3usermanual
- Sensor Suite for 3-Space™ v3 Sensors: https://github.com/YostLabs/3SpaceSuite-Python/releases
- Python 3 API for 3-Space™ v3 Sensors: https://github.com/YostLabs/3SpacePythonPackage
- All 3-Space™ v3 Downloads: https://yostlabs.com/support/3-space-downloads-v3/