Sensor Fusion Toolbox for Windows in 2023

[TheUncle]

Hello,
I am approaching sensor fusion on NXP MCUs (LPC series) and I've been collecting information about the sensing solutions and development support (libraries and tools) from NXP.

According to my findings, the Sensor Fusion Toolkit for Windows has somehow been superseded by Freedom Sensor Toolbox (CE), which in turn gave way to Freemaster.

I want however to give a try to the former solutions, but [1] the Sensor Fusion Toolkit for Windows installer won't install on Windows 11 ("This installation package could not be opened") and [2] the CE Freedom Sensor Toolbox seems not reachable from the official download link. Also, I am wondering if source code for the Toolbox has ever been publicly released, as mentioned here.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

Best regards,
Stefano

[AmitPurohit]

Brendon has provided correct information on the sensor fusion library for supported MCUs (K22F, K64F). The embedded library is delivered through ISSDK (available as middleware component for MCUXpresso SDK collaterals).

Sensor fusion offers algorithms with fusing 9-axis data (3-axis Accelerometer, 3-axis Magnetometer, 3-axis Gyroscope) to detect object orientation in 3-D space.

Sensor fusion has embedded algorithm library for supported platforms like FRDM-K64F and FRDM-K22F. And then there is a windows 10 GUI installer for sensor fusion available at https://www.nxp.com/design/sensor-developer-resources/nxp-sensor-fusion:XTRSICSNSTLBOXX. There is no development planned for sensor fusion algorithm and Win 10 GUI. The algorithm sources are released (with ISSDK) under BSD-3 clause open source license that allow developers to use, modify, re-distribute as long as NXP copyright information in source files are not removed.

With our legacy sensors gone EOL, we only have 3-axis accelerometers in our low-g portfolio. This is the reason, we see no requirement to upgrade this software. We still offer sensor fusion as open source library through ISSDK and GUI installer through link provided above as we still receive request to get access to this existing SW.

In summary, the link is valid (only available and tested with Windows version before Win 10) and it contains a windows GUI for sensor fusion. It is not replaced by STB-CE tool or FreeMASTER Sensor Tool. As mentioned, sensor fusion windows GUI is a demo GUI offered to visualize sensor fusion algorithm (on supported MCU, that can take 9-axis sensor data to accurately detect object orientation in 3-D space), 

[brendonslade]

At one point we had a sensor fusion library implementation based around a library from Bosch (before NXP acquired Freescale), and this ran on LPC5411x. We no longer offer that but have our ISSDK instead.

I seems like you came across this older software: 

https://www.nxp.com/design/sensor-developer-resources/nxp-sensor-fusion:XTRSICSNSTLBOXX

…as it’s the first result when you search for “sensor fusion” (something we will get corrected). 

We provide a kit using FRDM-K22F with the ISSDK but its also usable with most of our MCUs as an optional component in the MCUXpresso SDK. You can find the boards that support this by typing ISSDK in the middleware filter on the SDK builder site at https://mcuxpresso.nxp.com :

Here's the page about the ISSDK. It should work just fine with Windows 11:

https://www.nxp.com/design/software/sensor-toolbox/iot-sensing-software-development-kit-issdk-embedd...

FreeMASTER is a general purpose debugging and visualization tool that our Sensor Team used to help implement the sensor evaluation tools:

https://www.nxp.com/design/software/sensor-toolbox/freedom-sensor-toolbox-community-edition-sensor-e...

[VassiliN]

Brendon, 

looking at the IoT Sensing Software Development Kit (ISSDK): Embedded Software Framework page, it seems that Sensor Fusion library is part of ISSDK now. It also states that it is available for i.MX platform. So as you advised I selected ISSDK as in the middleware filter on the SDK builder site. After that I was able to go to the boards selection.  

Then I selected MIMXRT1170-EVKB board with ISSDK filer enabled and built SDK version 2.15.100: 

Next I imported the SDK I built to the MCUXpresso. 

The problem is I don't see any ISSDK or IoT sensor-related components I selected to include to the SDK in the list of the SDK Components, all you see below is something else: 

So how can I get the ISSDK for MIMXRT1170-EVKB?