# External INS+DVL system for Navigator Flight controller board

**URL:** <https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/external-ins-dvl-system-for-navigator-flight-controller-board/21728>\
**Category:** ArduSub\
**Created:** [October 1, 2025, 4:17pm UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/external-ins-dvl-system-for-navigator-flight-controller-board/21728 "2025-10-01T16:17:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![thomas\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@thomas\_G](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/thomas_G)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2025, 4:17pm UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/external-ins-dvl-system-for-navigator-flight-controller-board/21728/1 "2025-10-01T16:17:19Z")

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Hello,

I hope you are well.

I’d like to ask about the possibility of integrating an external INS and DVL system with the Navigator board. I have reviewed the parameters available in ArduSub 4.5.6 (stable) via the BlueOS autopilot interface. While I noticed options to specify yaw, position, and velocity sources using the EK3\_SRC\*\*\*\* parameters, I did not find a parameter that directly allows selection of an external IMU (for example, INS\_USE does not appear to support this).

Could you please clarify whether it is possible to fully replace the onboard INS with an external system? If so, I would appreciate any recommendations you might have for compatible INS and DVL sensors, as well as any guidance or documentation on how to proceed with the integration.

Thank you very much for your assistance.

Best regards,  
Thomas

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**Author:** ![AshROC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f1d935/32.png) [@AshROC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/AshROC)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 8:34am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/external-ins-dvl-system-for-navigator-flight-controller-board/21728/2 "2026-01-23T08:34:56Z")

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Bump! I am curious about this too 🙂

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**Author:** ![EliotBR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.bluerobotics.com/eliotbr/32/6937_2.png) [@EliotBR](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/EliotBR)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 10:08am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/external-ins-dvl-system-for-navigator-flight-controller-board/21728/3 "2026-01-23T10:08:20Z")

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Hi @thomas_G / @AshROC,

> [@thomas\_G](#):
>
> I’d like to ask about the possibility of integrating an external INS and DVL system … I did not find a parameter that directly allows selection of an external IMU (for example, INS\_USE does not appear to support this).
> 
> Could you please clarify whether it is possible to fully replace the onboard INS with an external system?

As I understand it ArduPilot’s [External AHRS functionality](https://ardupilot.org/sub/docs/common-external-ahrs.html) (accessible via [`AHRS_EKF_TYPE`](https://ardupilot.org/sub/docs/parameters.html#ahrs-ekf-type-use-navekf-kalman-filter-for-attitude-and-position-estimation)) allows either fully replacing the autopilot’s EKF in favour of an external estimator, or (depending on the backend) just [using an external setup as a sensor set](https://ardupilot.org/sub/docs/common-external-ahrs-vectornav.html#use-as-an-external-sensor-set) (in which case it seems the IMU would need to be included in [`EAHRS_SENSORS`](https://ardupilot.org/sub/docs/parameters.html#eahrs-sensors), likely with relevant `ExternalNav` values set in the [`EK3_SRC`](https://ardupilot.org/sub/docs/parameters.html#ek3-src-parameters) parameters).

> [@thomas\_G](#):
>
> I would appreciate any recommendations you might have for compatible INS and DVL sensors, as well as any guidance or documentation on how to proceed with the integration.

I’m aware WaterLinked’s DVL offerings include an AHRS, so could be a candidate for developing a new EAHRS backend to support using that (and/or the sensors in it). I imagine other high end systems would also include them.