APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR DEAD BAND ERROR SUPPRESSION IN FIBER OPTIC GYROSCOPES

摘要

A phase jump amplitude and timing controller for suppressing the voltage- dependent errors responsible for the dead band is provided. The phase jump amplitude and timing controller inserts a phase/voltage jump into feedback signal of the loop closure electronics of the fiber optic gyroscope. The phase/voltage jump is provided at a frequency regular enough to ensure that the fiber optic gyroscope will not have enough time to settle into the dead band before the phase/voltage jump is supplied to the loop closure electronics. By providing a recurring phase/voltage jump with amplitude to move the signal out of the dead band, the loop closure electronics averages the voltages-dependent errors over the full feedback voltage range. This err or averaging process effectively eliminates the voltage-dependent errors that cause the dead band phenomenon and allows the loop closure electronics to sense the actual rate of the rotation for the fiber optic gyroscope.