British Aerospace Public Limited Company

Huw D Thomas

Malcolm P Varnham

Diana M Hodgins

Timothy S Norris

A single axis rate sensor comprising a cylinder positioned about an axis and having primary and secondary drive and pick-off transducers and primary and secondary control loops. The primary control loop is provided for maintaining resonance of the cylinder by generating a ninety-degree phase shift between the primary drive transducer and the primary pick-off transducer. The secondary control loop is provided for receiving a signal from the secondary pick-off transducer indicative of rotation of the cylinder and for nulling the secondary drive transducer to zero. The primary control loop includes a phase-locked loop having a phase detector configured to operate at quadrature. By operating the demodulator in quadrature the demodulator and loop filter combination are a linear device which will not mix the microphonic baseband signal with the carrier. There will therefore be a reduction and possibly an elimination of the modulation of the voltage controlled oscillator by microphonic noise.

Single axis rate sensor noise reduction

A vibrating planar ring or hoop-like structure is disclosed. The structure is suspended in space by a suitable support mount for detecting turning rate, linear acceleration and angular acceleration. Turning rate is sensed by detecting vibrations coupled by Coriolis forces, whereas linear acceleration and angular acceleration are sensed by lateral, vertical and rocking movement of the entire ring or hoop-like structure within its mount.

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Stevenage Herts, United Kingdom

Huw D Thomas