Ring Microgyroscope Modeling and Performance Evaluation

This paper discusses the effects of substrate motions on the performance of microgyroscopes modeled as ring structures. Using the Extended Hamiltonian Principle, the equations of motion of a ring micro-gyroscope are derived, and the natural frequency equation and response characteristics are extracted in closed form for the case where the substrate undergoes normal rotation. The Galerkin approximation is then used to arrive at the ordinary differential equations of motion for the ring. In these equations, the effects of angular, centripetal and Coriolis accelerations are all apparent. The response of the system to different inputs is studied and the system sensitivity to variation in input parameters is examined. Finally, the sources of error in the measurement of input rotational rate are recognized. The study demonstrates the importance of errors caused by cross axis inputs on the gyroscope output measurements.