FIBEROPTIC PRESSURE SENSOR HAVING DRIFT CORRECTING MEANS FOR IN SITU CALIBRATION

摘要

An improved intensity-encoded fiber optic sensor incorporating novel drift correction means is disclosed. Disclosed is an improved technique for long-term temporal drift cancellation in a fiber optic pressure sensor by periodically applying pressure to the sensor tip (160) in order to ascertain the measured voltage at which the sensor diaphragm (176) contacts other elements of the sensor (182). This measured voltage is subtracted from an initial calibration voltage, and the result is applied to the measured signal as a constant correction term.