Test and Evaluation of High Performance Micro Electro-Mechanical System Based Inertial Measurement Units

Stephen J. Pethel

Abstract:	In the last 10 years, Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) processing techniques have been refined to produce increasingly higher performance inertial sensing elements. As little as four or five years ago, the cost/performance gap between well established tactical grade Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) and the new MEMS technology seemed almost unbridgeable. However, the vision and funding behind the US Army Common Guidance Common Sense program has accelerated the process and spurred serious consideration of MEMS-based IMUs for use on several missile platforms as well as guided munitions. Given the burgeoning demand for a small, lightweight, lowcost AND high performance IMU, high fidelity test methods are necessary to evaluate the current state of the available technology. Through the use of the Inertial Test Lab (ITL) at the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) at Redstone Arsenal, AL, a series of in-depth tests have been performed on cutting-edge MEMS-based IMUs, and in some cases, the results have been instructive in modifying test procedures to specifically address the characteristics of MEMS sensors. This paper addresses the testing methodologies that have been used to effectively evaluate the continually evolving MEMSbased IMU over a variety of environments, including acceleration, vibration, shock, and temperature. A summary of the latest performance results are presented along with a discussion of the PC-based hardware and software used to acquire, reduce and analyze system data.
Published in:	Proceedings of IEEE/ION PLANS 2006 April 25 - 27, 2006 Loews Coronado Resort Hotel San Diego, CA
Pages:	405 - 414
Cite this article:	Pethel, Stephen J., "Test and Evaluation of High Performance Micro Electro-Mechanical System Based Inertial Measurement Units," Proceedings of IEEE/ION PLANS 2006, San Diego, CA, April 2006, pp. 405-414. https://doi.org/10.1109/PLANS.2006.1650630
Full Paper:	ION Members/Non-Members: 1 Download Credit Sign In