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14 August 2020

VBOX 3i Firmware released


We are pleased to announce there is new firmware available to download for the VBOX 3i. The new firmware (v2.7) lets you reliably test in areas with limited or no satellite coverage, such as indoor car parks, tunnels and deep urban canyons, using the VBOX 3i.

What are the new features?

  • CAN Wheel speed integration
  • Compatibility with AB Dynamics steering robots
  • Seamless indoor / outdoor testing when used with VBOX Indoor Positioning System

Is your VBOX compatible with the new firmware?

The new firmware can be installed on v3, v4 and v5 variants of the VBOX 3i. VBOX v3 hardware variants started shipping at serial number 32390 (Jan 2014), but may be available on older units if they have been upgraded to V3 'IMU04 ready'. Look for the silver 'IMU04 ready' sticker if you are unsure.

If you have an earlier model, you can trade it in and get a significant discount when you upgrade to the latest generation VBOX 3i (v5), which will come with the new firmware pre-installed.

Test in areas with poor satellite coverage

When you update your VBOX 3i to the latest firmware, or purchase a new VBOX 3i, you will be able to utilise wheel speed data from the vehicle’s CAN bus to enhance the accuracy of your data in areas with poor GNSS.

Combining wheel speed data with GNSS and inertial measurements makes a huge improvement to the accuracy of the estimated speed and position in tunnels, urban canyons and indoor car parks, or anywhere else with limited or no satellite coverage.

As you can see in the image above, our vehicle was tracked with great accuracy using a VBOX in a difficult, GPS obscured area in London. We achieved this impressive level of accuracy using a combination of GNSS, inertial and CAN wheel speed data, which meant our position and velocity measurements were maintained at all times, even when we drove through two long tunnels.

Compatibility with AB Dynamics steering robots

We have been working closely with AB Dynamics to ensure the compatibility of the VBOX 3i with their robots.

We are pleased to say the new firmware (v2.7) will enable you to use your VBOX 3i with an ABD robot. AB Dynamics are currently in the process of updating their software to include 'VBOX' as an option when configuring their robots.

VBOX Indoor Positioning System integration

If you have a requirement to test indoors, you might be interested in the new VBOX Indoor Positioning System, which enables you to test in areas with no GNSS with an industry-leading 2cm accuracy.

When you update your VBOX 3i to the latest firmware (v2.7), you can benefit from seamless indoor / outdoor testing when you use your VBOX 3i with VIPS.