sbg_driver

ROS2 driver package for SBG Systems IMU, AHRS and INS.
This driver package uses the sbgECom binary protocol to read data and configure SBG Systems devices.

Initial work has been done by ENSTA Bretagne.

Author: SBG Systems
Maintainer: SBG Systems
Contact: support@sbg-systems.com

Features

The driver supports all SBG systems sensors, IMUs, AHRS and INS, with a various degree of configurations available.

The driver supports the following features:

• Parse IMU/AHRS/INS/GNSS using the sbgECom protocol
• Publish standard ROS2 messages and more detailed specific SBG Systems topics
• Subscribe and forward RTCM data to support DGPS/RTK mode with centimeters-level accuracy
• Calibrate 2D/3D magnetic field using the on-board ELLIPSE algorithms
• Configure ELLIPSE products using yaml files (see note below)

[!NOTE] While the ROS2 drivers can be used with all SBG Systems sensors, the drivers can only be used to configure the Ellipse family. For other INS such as EKINOX, APOGEE and QUANTA, please use the sbgInsRestApi For the PULSE-40, please use the sbgEcom encapsulation of the sbgInsRestApi: see our Getting started Guide

Installation

Installation from Packages

User can install the sbg_ros2_driver through the standard ROS2 installation system.

• Humble sudo apt-get install ros-humble-sbg-driver
• Galactic sudo apt-get install ros-galactic-sbg-driver
• Foxy sudo apt-get install ros-foxy-sbg-driver

Building from sources

Dependencies

• Robot Operating System (ROS2)
• sbgECom C Library (embeds v4.0.1987-stable - compatible with ELLIPSE firmware 2.5 and above)

Building

1. Clone the repository (use a Release version)
2. Build using the ROS2 colcon build system

cd colcon_ws/src
git clone https://github.com/SBG-Systems/sbg_ros2_driver.git
cd sbg_ros2_driver
rosdep update
rosdep install --from-path .
cd ../..
colcon build
source install/setup.bash

Usage

To run the default ROS2 node with the default configuration file

ros2 launch sbg_driver sbg_device_launch.py

To run the magnetic calibration node

ros2 launch sbg_driver sbg_device_mag_calibration_launch.py

Config files

Default config files

Every configuration file is defined according to the same structure.

• sbg_device_uart_default.yaml This config file is the default one for UART connection with the device.
  It does not configure the device through the ROS2 node, so it has to be previously configured (manually or with the ROS2 node).
  It defines a few outputs for the device:
  • /sbg/imu_data, /sbg/ekf_quat at 25Hz
  • ROS2 standard outputs /imu/data, /imu/velocity, /imu/temp at 25Hz
  • /sbg/status, /sbg/utc_time and /imu/utc_ref at 1Hz.
• sbg_device_udp_default.yaml This config file is the default one for an UDP connection with the device.
  It does not configure the device through the ROS2 node, so it has to be previously configured (manually).
  It defines a few outputs for the device:
  • /sbg/imu_data, /sbg/ekf_quat at 25Hz
  • ROS2 standard outputs /imu/data, /imu/velocity, /imu/temp at 25Hz
  • /sbg/status, /sbg/utc_time and /imu/utc_ref at 1Hz.

Example config files

• ellipse_A_default.yaml Default config file for an Ellipse-A.

• ellipse_E_default.yaml Default config file for an Ellipse-E with an external NMEA GNSS.

• ellipse_N_default.yaml Default config file for an Ellipse-N using internal GNSS.

• ellipse_D_default.yaml Default config file for an Ellipse-D using internal GNSS.

Launch files

Default launch files

File truncated at 100 lines see the full file

Changelog for package sbg_driver

3.3.0 (2025-10-17)

• Update README.md
• Don't apply scale factor on SbgImuData message, it already has the good unit
• Update sbgECom to latest stable
• Fix transformations to use correct parents and children frames
• Issue-35 Add Ellipse STL and URDF files
• fix lon&lat minutes snprintf format error in NMEA sentence for ntrip
• Update README
• uart: implement baudrate discovery mechanism
• Apply LSB on IMU messages
• Add file mode to replay sbgECom logs on the driver
• Provide /imu/data topic even if orientation is not available
• Handle INS internal clock rollover
• Fix timestamp computation for out-of-order messages
• Use cmake fetch content to get sbgECom, get the latest release and fix compilation issue
• Send odometry topic as soon as the solution mode is full navigation instead of waiting for position valid flag
• Use imu_short to populate standard topics
• Improved documentation
• Contributors: Christoph Gruber, Kaoutar Benmakhlouf, Samuel Toledano, djason-todd

3.2.0 (2024-10-17)

• Update README with ROS2 commands to launch magnetic calibration

• Fix segfault when running magnetic calibration

• Removed unused flags from SbgEkfStatus message

• Added new flags to SbgShipMotionStatus message

• Improved SbgStatusAiding message with new flags

• Improved SbgPosStatus message with new flags

• Improved SbgEkfStatus message with new flags

• Improved SbgStatusGeneral message with datalogger and cpu flags

• Updated documentation for sbgGpsPos message

• Updated documentation for sbgGpsHdt message

• Improved SbgUtcTime message with internal clock quality indicators

• Improved SbgStatusCom message with ethernet tx and rx status

• Improved SbgGpsHdt message with number of SV tracked and used

• Improved SbgGpsPos message with numSvTracked

• Improved SbgGpsPosStatus message with spoofing, jamming and OSNMA status

• Updated config files with new messages

• Removed obsolete documentation

• Updated published topic list

• Added missing topic names

• Updated dependencies requirement

• Added settings log_ekf_rot_accel_body / log_ekf_rot_accel_ned / log_ekf_vel_body

• Fixed functions description

• Added SbgEkfRotAccel body and NED messages

• Added SbgEkfVelBody message

• Fixing compiling issues

• Updated sbgECom lib with version 4.0-1987-stable

• Fixed typos about lever arm

• Fixed config applier for IMU Alignment / Aiding / Odometer lever arms

• Remove boost dependency (cherry picked from commit ab54c33f1e442c3737dd8e1c09a8b6f36c2c1afa)

• Cleanup

• Moved LLAtoECEF into a helper

• Variable naming

• WIP code cleanup

• Class documentation

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