Mounting Motus

When installing Motus into a vehicle, the mounting position and alignment of the unit are essential for achieving optimal performance. Position refers to the physical location within the vehicle where the unit is installed while alignment refers to the orientation of the unit with respect to the orientation of the vehicle.

Mounting Considerations

Before you install Motus, review the mounting location considerations as follows:

  • Mount the unit in an area that will not exceed the rated temperature range, and with minimal fluctuations in temperature.
  • Mount the unit away from high levels of vibration where possible.
  • Mount the unit within several metres of the GNSS antennas where possible.
  • Mount close to the centre of gravity of the vehicle where possible.
  • Mount the unit at least 10 cm away (and preferably as far as possible) from sources of dynamic magnetic interference such as high current wiring or large motors for best performance.
  • Do not obstruct the two vents on either the side of the enclosure unless Atmospheric Altitude is a feature that is not desired and is to be disabled.

Mounting Plate Layout

The Motus mounting plate and hole guide are shown in the following diagram. The holes are designed for M3 screws.

Mechanical drawings of Motus mounting

Mounting Alignment

The following information outlines instructions on alignment of the unit within a vehicle.

The easiest way to align Motus is by installing the unit with its sensor axes aligned with the vehicle axes. There are notches marked on the X and Y axis to assist with alignment. Install the unit such that the X+ axis points forward towards the front of the vehicle and the Z+ axis points straight down towards the ground as shown below.

If aligning Motus with the vehicle axes is not possible within vehicle size or shape constraints, it may be mounted in a different alignment and the alignment offset can be configured in the Alignment dialogue in the Motus Manager.. For easy roll and pitch alignment, use the Set Zero Orientation button in the Alignment page to set the current orientation as the level alignment.

Note: This will only correct for roll and pitch offsets. Any heading offset will need to be entered manually and saved after using this function.