Single axis rate gyro and piezotransistor angular rate detector

Abstract

Abstract THE SINGLE AXIS RATE GYRO HAS A PIEZOTRANSISTOR PICKOFF FOR MEASURING ANGULAR RATES OF MOTION ABOUT A SELECTED AXIS. ATTITUDE DEVIATION ABOUT THE GYRO SENSITIVE AXIS DEVELOPS CORRESPONDING STRESSES IN A PAIR OF PIEZOTRANSISTORS ARRANGED ALONG THE INPUT AXIS. OUTPUT VOLTAGES ARE COUPLED FROM THE TRANSISTOR TO A DIFFERENT AMPLIFIER WHEN AN ANGULAR RATE OCCURS ABOUT THE INPUT AXIS. THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE FROM EACH TRANSISTOR IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE SPECIFIC ANGULAR RATE INPUT. ERROR PRODUCING COMPONENTS OF THE OUTPUT SIGNAL ARE CANCELED IN THE DIFFEENTIAL AMPLIFIER AND A LINEAR OUTPUT COMPONENT IS DOUBLED WITHOUT AMPLIFICATION OF UNWANTED SIGNALS. A PAIR OF PIEZOTRANSISTORS ARE FIXED ALONG THE GYRO INPUT AXIS AND ARE EQUALLY SPACED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SPIN AXIS. WHEN AN INPUT ANGULAR RATE OCCURS, A FORCE TRANSFERRING DEVICE RESPONDS TO DEVIATION BETWEEN THE SPINNING WHEEL AND RELATED SUPPORT STRUCTURE TO PLACE TENSION AND COMPRESSION ON RESPECTIVE PIEZOELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF THE TRANSISTORS, VARYING THE VOLTAGE THEREON AND THEREBY CHANGING THE TRANSISTORS OUTPUT VOLTAGE. A CURRENT SOURCE MAINTAINS THE TRANSISTORS IN A LINEAR CONDUCTIVE STATE PRIOR TO RECEIPT OF STRESS FORCES AND IS ADJUSTABLE TO PROVIDE EQUAL TRANSISTOR OUTPUT SIGNALS BEFORE STRESS IS APPLIED.

Inventors

• 👤 Joe S Hunter
• 👤 Little J Little

Bibliographic Details