A2C-IMU inertial sensor with CAN Bus, aluminium enclosure with cable connector

A2C-IMU Series

Inertial Measurement Unit
with CAN Bus

Rugged, compact multi-axis inertial sensor with CAN Bus (ISO 11898) interface. Designed for industrial automation, logistics conveyors, mobile machinery, and aerospace ground support equipment. Available in six configurations across two connector styles, two enclosure materials, and with or without logic output.

Configure the A2C-IMU

Choose Options

Logic output only available with M12 connector.

Selected part number:

A2C-IMU-M12-A-N

Prices shown are indicative. Contact us for volume pricing, delivery, and customs information.

A2C-IMU side view showing compact aluminium body
A2C-IMU 3/4 angle view showing axis labelling

Specifications

Interface CAN Bus ISO 11898, up to 1 Mbit/s
Connector (M12 variants)M12, 5-pin, A-coded
Connector (Cable variants)Cable exit, 1 m standard
Supply Voltage 9–32 V DC
Current Consumption ≤ 80 mA @ 24 V
Measurement Axes 3-axis acceleration + 3-axis angular rate
Output Rate Up to 200 Hz
Logic Output Available on M12 variants (-O suffix)
Enclosure — Aluminium Anodised aluminium, IP67
Enclosure — Stainless 316L stainless steel, IP68
Operating Temperature −40 °C to +85 °C
Vibration IEC 60068-2-6
Shock IEC 60068-2-27

Part Number Guide

A2C-IMU-[Connector]-[Material]-[Output]
  M12 = M12 connector  |  C = Cable
  A = Aluminium  |  S = Stainless steel
  O = Logic output (M12 only)  |  N = No output

6 DOF Inertial Measurement Unit with CAN Bus

The A2C-IMU is a rugged, compact 6-degree-of-freedom inertial measurement unit housed in an IP69K-rated enclosure with CAN Bus connectivity. A high-performance 32-bit DSP processor runs onboard sensor fusion algorithms to calculate accelerations, angular velocities, Euler angles, linear acceleration, quaternions, and more — at data rates of up to 1 kHz. Each output can be configured to report at user-defined intervals, and programmable alarms can trigger when any measured value exceeds a set threshold. Built-in EMC protection is provided on both data and power lines, and the unit operates from 9–30 V DC with a power consumption of just 0.4 W.

Two mechanical variants are available: the A2C-IMU-C with a 1 m CAN Bus cable exit, and the A2C-IMU-M12 with a robust M12 circular connector. The M12 variant can also operate in a standalone mode — after initial programming via the optional USB programmer, no CAN Bus connection is required. When a configured alarm limit is exceeded, the onboard PNP output activates and can directly drive a relay, indicator light, or PLC input. The USB programmer makes configuration straightforward; no knowledge of CAN Bus communication is required.

Acceleration Comparison — A2C-IMU vs A2C-TRI

Dynamic testing in a vehicle (car park ascent) shows excellent correlation between the A2C-IMU and the A2C-TRI accelerometer. Both sensors were configured at 250 samples per second (4 ms interval). The IMU bandwidth was set to 45 Hz and the A2C-TRI to 50 Hz; the IMU full-scale range was ±2 g. Both units were mounted in the same sedan. The plots below show the measured acceleration and inclination data recorded simultaneously from both sensors.

Dynamic Vehicle Test Data

Graph comparing dynamic acceleration data from A2C-IMU and A2C-TRI sensors recorded during a vehicle test in a car park
Dynamic acceleration comparison — A2C-IMU vs A2C-TRI, vehicle test (250 Hz, ±2 g)
Graph comparing inclination and sensor fusion output from A2C-IMU and A2C-TRI sensors during a car park ascent test
Inclination & sensor fusion comparison — car park ascent, sensor fusion output

Technical Details

Accelerometer

  • Ultra-low noise: 100 µg/√Hz
  • Selectable full-scale range: ±2 / ±4 / ±8 / ±16 g
  • Selectable bandwidth: 220 / 100 / 45 / 21 / 10 / 5 Hz

Gyroscope

  • Ultra-low drift: ±4 mdps/√Hz
  • Selectable full-scale range: ±250 / ±500 / ±1000 / ±2000 dps
  • Selectable bandwidth: 176 / 92 / 41 / 20 / 10 / 5 Hz

Sensor Fusion Outputs

  • Linear accelerations (gravity-compensated)
  • Tilt and roll (Euler angles)
  • Predictive quaternion
  • Gravity vector

Standard Outputs

  • 3-axis accelerations
  • 3-axis angular velocity
  • Min / max values on all outputs (readable and clearable)

Programmable Alarms

  • Linear acceleration threshold
  • Tilt and roll angle threshold
  • Raw acceleration threshold
  • Angular velocity threshold
CAN Bus Interface ISO 11898, up to 1 Mbit/s
Maximum Data Rate 1000 Hz (1 kHz)
Processor 32-bit DSP with sensor fusion
Supply Voltage 9–30 V DC
Power Consumption 0.4 W
EMC Protection Built-in on data and power lines
Logic Output (M12 -O) PNP, alarm-triggered (relay / PLC input)
Connector — M12 variant M12, 5-pin, A-coded
Connector — Cable variantCable exit, 1 m standard length
IP Protection IP69K
Enclosure — Aluminium Anodised aluminium
Enclosure — Stainless 316L stainless steel
Dimensions 55 × 55 × 16 mm
Operating Temperature −40 °C to +85 °C
Vibration IEC 60068-2-6
Shock IEC 60068-2-27

Downloads

All files hosted on lilliesystems.com — links open in a new tab

Product Flyer

Quick-reference overview

PDF Download

Full Datasheet

Complete technical specification

PDF Download

STEP File — Cable

A2C-IMU-C 3D model

ZIP Download

STEP File — M12

A2C-IMU-M12 3D model

ZIP Download

Where the A2C-IMU is Used

🏭

Industrial Automation

Conveyor system monitoring, crane anti-sway, and robotic orientation.

🚜

Mobile Machinery

Platform levelling, tilt detection, and stability monitoring on vehicles.

✈️

Aerospace Ground Support

Equipment orientation and motion measurement in ground support applications.

Energy & Utilities

Structural monitoring, vibration analysis, and tilt measurement.