Proceedings of the 2004 International Conference

on intelligent Yechatronics and Automation

Chengdu,China August 2004

Study of Strapdown Inertial

Navigation Integration Algorithms
Yanling Hao, Zhilan Xiong, Wei Gao and Lijuan Li
Coliege of Automation
Harbin Engineering University
Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
xionezhilank9163.com

Absfraci This paper proposes an approach to update the

attitude and velocity synchronously utilizing the fourth order
Runge-Kutta in the strapdown inertial navigation system. The
synchro-updating algorithm is designed for the condition, in
which the outputs of gyroscope are the angular rate and the
outputs of accelerometer are the specific force acceleration. The
synchro-updating algorithm is based on the quaternion. Under
the improved classical coning motion and the generalized
vibrational motion respectively, this paper analyzes and
compares the attitude error and velocity error of the above
algorithm with other algorithms'. The simulation results show
that the synchro-updating algorithm is more effective than the
others for the angular rate outputs and the specific force outputs.

its nonsinguiarity, simplicity, and computational efficiency.

Thus utilizing the quatemion differential equation in the
attitude updating. Two simulations are provided illustrating
the calculation accuracy of the synchro-updating algorithm.
One is the compare of the synchro-updating algorithm and the
coning-sculling algorithm under the improved classical coning
motion. The other is the compare of the synchro-updating
algorithm and the asynchronous updating algorithm under the
generalized vibrational motion. The result of the simulations
shows the synchro-updating algorithm is more effective than
the others for the outputs of the angular rate and the specific
force.

I d e x Terms - strspdowtr iffertial trawgation, attitude

updating, velocio updating.

11. SINS INTEGRATION

ALGORITHMS
A. Quaternion and VelocityDifferential Equation
The key operation of the attitude algorithm is to properly

I. INTRODUCTION
The Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (SINS)
performs the navigation and guidance, using the
measurements from gyros and accelerometers installed
directly on the vehicle body. The key calculations performed
in SINS are updating the body frame attitude by integrating
the angular rate from gyro, and updating the vehicle velocity
by integrating the specific force acceleration from
accelerometer. The noncommutativity of finite rotations is one
of the major error sources in numerical solutions of the SINS
calculation. It is also inevitable to update the attitude and
velocity incorporated in digital data processing. To improve
the accuracy of the attitude and velocity update calculations,
particularly in the environment where the angular rate vector
or specific force acceleration vector rotation rate is large,
designing efficient algorithms has become the attractive
research topic. The concept for optimizing coning
compensation algorithm for strapdown inertial systems was
first introduced and applied by Mille. [I] with subsequent
applications of the technique given in [2-4]. Many algorithms
[5-71 have been developed and analysed for the sculling
correction, which applied in the velocity integration process is
analogous to the coning correction applied in the attitude
integration process.
Considering the instance, in which the output of sensors
are angular rate and specific force acceleration, this paper
proposed an approach to update the attitude and velocity
synchronously utilizing the fourth order Runge-Kutta. The
quatemion method is quite popular due to the advantages of
0-7803-8748-1/04/$20.00 02004 IEEE

update the quatemion. The quaternion update is obtained by

the following quaternion differential equation

where q denotes the attitude quaternion, and &c denotes the

angular rate vector of the body frame relative to the navigation
frame.
can be represented as
(2)
Ofb= CO; - q-yw: + w,:,)q
where wi denotes the angular velocity measured by the gyro.
0,:
denotes the relative angular velocity of earth frame with
respect to inertial frame, and U:, denotes the relative angular
velocity of navigation frame with respect to earth frame. That
is
w, = [0 w, cos p w, sin py

where wie denotes angular velocity of earth frame and Q,

denotes the latitude of the vehicle. R, , RN are the radiuses
of curvature of the reference ellipsoid in north-south and eastwest directions respectively. V, and V, are the east and north
velocity respectively. Substituting (2) into (1) results in
q =-go;
1
--(Ill,;
1
+w,:,)q
(3)

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The velocity of the vehicle is obtained by integrating the

following Coriolis force equation

V(,"= f " - ( 2 4 + a:")x Ven+ j j

(5)

f denotes the specific force with respect to the body frame.

Substituting ( 5 ) into (4) results in
t',= qfbq-I - ( 2 ~ : + U:") :< V,

sin -cos col

.
2
where a denotes the cone half-apex angle and w denotes the
coning angular frequency. According to (l), the body frame
angular rate components are obtained as
r

B. Attitude and Velocity Synchro-updating Algorithm

Combining ( 3 ) with (6) results in
1
1
q = -qw; --(U,: + w&)q
1
2
2
= qfbq-I - ( 2 4 +
Veri + j j
Equation (7) can be expressed in the form
i =f(x,u)
where

pen

(6)

o sin a cos wt
(7)

where

yh f (x(t) + k,,u(t + 14))

h is the updating period of quaternion and velocity.

111. SIMULATION
A. Simulate under Improved Classical Coning Motion
The classical coning motion, which is traditionally
considered as a test input to evaluate the algorithm's
performance, is the worst case from the viewpoint of the
computational errors. In this case, the quaternion can be
written as

Command the east velocity V, and north velocity V,, are zero.
Substituting (10) and (1 l).into (2) yields the angular rate wi
measured by gyro, that is

(8)

Aiming at the condition, in which the outputs of inertial

sensors are the angular.rate and the specific force acceleration,
utilizing the fourth order Runge-Kutta to solve the above
differential equation and to achieve the attitude and velocity
updating. The solving process can be represented as
1
x(t + h) = x(t) + -(k, + 2k2 + 2k, + k,)
(9)

k, =

0
a
4 = sin -cos
wl
2
a

(4)

where V, denotes the velocity vector with respect to the

local-level frame, g = [0 0 -gr denotes the apparent
gravity, and f .denotes the specific force with respect to the
navigation frame, that is
f " = qf-64-1

cos-

0
:

a+
w,=sinasin(p-mt)
2

- 2wsin2

= - wsinasind + w, cospcos2 -+ w, cos(2wt - p)sin2

a+
widsin(2ot - p)sin2 Q
2
2

w s i n a c o s d + w, sin pcos2

Substituting (IO) into (6) yields the specific forge measured

by accelerometer,that is

- g sin a coswt

[(cos2

4-

a
sin2 -cos 2wt)g

The outputs of the gyro and the accelerometer were

simulated in the form of (12) and (13) with parameters:
w = 2 n r a d / s , h = O . l s , a = l 0 ,sample time is 0.05%
simulation time is 30s, to compare the synchro-updating
algorithm with the coning-sculling algorithm [ 1][ 101. The
coning-sculling compensation algorithm utilizes the Simpson
Integration algorithm to obtain the angular increment and
velocity increment from the outputs of inertial sensors. The
compared error curves are showed in Fig.l-4. Fig. 1 and Fig. 3
respectively are the curves of attitude error and velocity error
using the synchro-updating algorithm. Fig. 2 and Fig. 4
respectively are the curves of attitude error and velocity error
using the compensation algorithm. The attitude error includes
pitch, roll and heading error. The velocity includes east
velocity and north velocity. The simulation results show that
the synchro-updating algorithm is more efficient than the
compensation algorithm. Comparing the synchro-updating
algorithm with compensation algorithm, the attitude error is
10-100 lower, and the velocity error is 100 lower.

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B. Simulate under Vibrafional Motion

The generalized vibrational motion model can be
represented as
8 = 8, sin(o,t + 8,)

y = Y, s i d q t + y o )

(14)

y/ = Y , sin(w,t + y o )

v, =o,

V"

=o

where 8, r , y are the pitch, roll, and heading respectively;

the vibrational magnitude e,, r,, Y , are l2',15', and 10'
respectively; the vibrational frequency 0, , 0,, WYr are
0.25Hz. 0.2H2, and 0.4Hz; the initial angle e,, r,, yo are
zero; the east velocity V, and north velocity Vn are zero;
sample time is O.OSs, and simulation time is 100s. Due to the
coning-sculling algorithm is designed under the coning
motion and sculling motion, so it is not correct to use the
algorithm under the vibrational motion. Thus the generalized
SINS algorithm [SI based on quaternion, which updates the
attitude and velocity asynchronous utilizing the RungerKutta
Integral approach, used to simulate. The simulation compares
the synchro-updating algorithm with the asynchronous
updating algorithm under the above condition. The compared
error curves are showed in Fig. 5-8. Fig. 5 and Fig. 7
respectively are the curves of attitude error and velocity error
using the synchro-updating algorithm. Fig. 6 and Fig. 8
respectively are the curves of attitude error and velocity error
using the asynchronous updating algorithm. The simulation
results show that the synchro-updating algorithm is more
efficient than the asynchronous updating algorithm.
Compariig the synchro-updating algorithm with the
asynchronous updating algorithm, the attitude error is 100
lower, and the velocity error is 10-100 lower.

Fig. IAttitude error of the synchro-updating

algorithmunder the extended caning motion

Fig. 2 Attihlde error of the comynsation

algorithm under the extended coning motion

I
/-U

Fig. 3 Velocity error of the synchro-updating

algorithm under the extended coning motion

I
.-I

Fig. 4 Velocity emr ofthe compensation

algorithm under the extended coning motion

753

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Journal of Guidance, Confroland Dynamics, Vol. 13, No. 4, July 1990,

pp. 738-743.
[4] Jiang, Y. F. and Lin, Y. P., Improved Strapdown Coning Algorithm,
IEEE Transacfionson Aerospace and Electronic Systems, Vol. 28, No. 2,
April 1092, pp. 486-489.
[5] Savage, P. G., Strapdown Inertial Navigation Integration Algorithm
Design Part2: Velocity and Position Algorithm, Journal of Guidance,
ConfrolandDynamics,Vol. 21, No. 2, 1998,pp. 208-221.
[a] Ignagni, M. B., Duality of Optimal Strapdown Sculling and Coning
Compensation Algorithms, Journal of the Insfifufeof Navigation, Vol.
45, NO. 2, 1998, pp. 85-95.
[7] Mark. J. G., and Tazartes, D.A., On Sculling Algorithm, 3d St: Petemburg
Intemafional Conference on Integrated NavigafionSysfem, 1996, Part 11,
St. Petemburg, Russia
[8] Chen Zhe, Strapdown Inertial Navigation Theory, Space Navigafion
Publishing Company, 1996, Chinese
[9] Zhang Zhaoxia, Ling Mingxiang, Zhang Shuxia, Study on Attitude
Algorithms for Strapdown ,inertial Navigation System, Journal of
Chinese Inertial Technology,Vol. 7, No. 1, 1999, pp. 13-16, Chinese
[10]Chen Xiaogang, The Research and Design of Strapdown Attitude and
Heading Reference System Based on F O G , Harbin Engineering
Universiy, 2002, Chinese

Fig. 6 Attitude error of the asynchronous updating

algorithm under the vibrational motion

&

m ,U

m-m

Fig. 7 Velocity error of the synchro-updating

algorithm under the vibrational motion

mw

Fig. 8 Velocity error of the asynchronous updating

algorithm under the vibrational motion

IV. CONCLUSION
When the inertial sensor outputs are angular rate and
specific force, The attitude and velocity updating algorithm,
based on the rotation vector, must obtain the incremental
angular and the incremental velocity by integrating the
outputs. This method not only makes the calculation to be
more complicated, but also results in greater algorithm error.
The synchro-updating algorithm updates the attitude and the
velocity synchronously, is easier to calculate. The Simulation
results show that the algorithm is morle effective than the
others for the angular rate outputs anti the specific force
outputs.
REFERENCES
Miller, R. B., A New Strapdown Attitude Algorithm, Journal of
Guidance, Control andLlynamics, Vol. 6, No. 4,July 1983, pp.287-91.
Ignagni, M.B., Optimal Strapdown Integration Algorithms, Journal of
Guidance. Control and Llynamics, Vol. 13, No. 2, March 1990, pp. 363369.
Lee 1. G., Yoon. Y. J., Mark,J. G.. and Tazartes, D. A., Extension of
Strapdown Attitude Algorithm for High-Frequency Base Motion,

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