Multichannel inertial measurement unit and integrated navigation systems on its basis

Abstract

Multichannel inertial measuring unit (MIMU) contains sensors for measurements of vector and scalar parameters of motion (angular speed, specific acceleration, magnetic field, etc.), and independent hardware interfaces to transmit measured data. Measured information is read out from MIMU via each hardware interface irrespective of other hardware interfaces. The format of data presentation for each hardware interface is randomly selected from a predefined list. Measurements from MIMU are generated by a set of sensors within a common timescale. The timescale for synchronization of sensor measurements can be both generated within MIMU by a stable clock generator and transmitted to MIMU from outside, including from one of users of measured data. MIMU also can generate synchronization signals to transmit its timescale to external users. The MIMU allows building navigation systems when the same inertial measurements are used within independent computation modules implementing different algorithms of integrating these measurements with navigation data from satellite measurements, measurements of odometer, altimeter, etc.