Rockwell International Corporation

William T Schmars

Kenneth L Steele

Frederick Vescial

Frederick Aronowitz

Francis M Erdmann

Thomas M Wirt

The ACCELERATION DISTORTION RESISTANT RING LASER GYRO (RLG) (10) shown here includes a control mirror (12) subject to distortion beyond the path length control capabilities of the RLG (10) when subjected to intense translational acceleration in the direction (20) perpendicular to the face of the control mirror (12). An anti-parallel compensating mirror (14) is provided to offset the path length change. Additional design flexibility may be obtained by replacing the compensating mirror (14) with a compensating group of mirrors.

Acceleration distortion resistant ring laser gyro

An alignment and path length control apparatus having a mirror housing having a base and a closed wall. The base has a mirrored external surface. The closed wall has a central axis. The closed wall is joined to the base at a base end of the closed wall by a flexible web. The closed wall extends above the base and terminates at a rim defining an aperture. The base has a central region coupled to the cylindrical wall. A post extends from the central region of the base within the cylindrical wall to a top end. A mirror axis extends from the mirrored external surface through the post. The central axis is substantially parallel to the mirror axis. An alignment transducer responds to a first alignment control signal by applying at least a first force between the post and the wall to deflect the mirror axis with respect to the central axis. A linear transducer responds to a linear displacement control signal by applying an axial force to the post to displace the central region longitudinally along the central axis.

Interferometer alignment control apparatus

A synthetic quadrature generating apparatus responsive to an input reference signal of the form SIN(wt) from an input reference signal source and to an error shifted quadrature signal of the form COS(wt+L) for forming a quadrature output signal of the form COS(wt)*COS(L) substantially free of error shift. The apparatus comprises an error signal synthesizing filter means responsive to the input reference signal and to the error shifted quadrature signal for forming a filtered signal of the form SIN(L); a correction means responsive to the input reference signal and to the filtered signal for forming their product as a filtered product signal; and a means responsive to the filtered product signal and the error shifted quadrature signal for forming their sum as an output quadrature signal of the form COS(wt)*COS(L).

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Fullerton, CA, United States of America

William T Schmars