High g MEMS Inertial Measurement Unit

"We plan to develop a 6-axis, MEMS-based inertial measurement unit(IMU). This IMU is based on proprietary surface-bulk-micromachining (SBM) technology used for the MEMS sensors.Readout of the sensors is by capacitive means using a proprietarydesign for an ultra-sensitive signal conditioning circuit.Design goals are for a tactical-grade IMU with a stability-noisefloor of 1 deg/hour and 1 milli-g for rotational sensing andacceleration, respectively. Another key design goal is to providean IMU output signal that has an extremely large dynamic range ofup to 120 dB. Other important specifications are for temperaturestability, power supply rejection ratio, and RFI immunity.Milestone schedules proposed for Phase II and the Phase IIOptions lead to proto- IMUs that are ready for packaging intospecific Phase III mission-oriented configurations.BENEFITS: The successful development and manufacture of the IMU to the specs targeted will vastly expand the application systems opportunities in the Navy and other sectors. The IMU proposed willgreatly reduce the cost of ownership for tactical-grade IMUs. Applications include navigation systems, location systems, positioning systems, stable platforms for munitions and equipment, and related sensors. These applications cover shipboard,aircraft, and mobile systems both for specific Navy systems. Based on our target IMU manufacturing costs, much larger markets outside the military exist for simi