Frequency Modulated Micro Gyro (FM Gyro)

Micro vibratory gyros (micro gyros) have many advantages that include small size, low power and low cost. The performance of these micro gyros, however, is significantly lower than the more expensive optical gyros, thus preventing use of micro gyros in defense applications. One of the major limiting factors in micro gyros’ performance is due to the electronic noise; micro gyros are typically a few millimeters in size, and the signals produced require significant amplification. ISC proposes development of the Frequency Modulate Micro Gyro (FM Gyro). Unlike conventional micro gyros which produce amplitude modulated (AM) signals, the FM Gyro produces output signals that are intrinsically frequency modulated (FM). A micro gyro element that generates FM signals would provide a new way to combat the electronic noise issue. In the Phase I, a baseline FM Gyro design has been developed. Analysis of the baseline FM Gyro design showed that it can achieve the performance benchmarks established by the Army, while maintaining the MEMS advantages of size, weight, and power.