Gyro finds the perfect balance

Gyro finds the perfect balance

Plymouth based silicon sensing is to provide a miniature precision micro electro-mechanical system gyro to Fataba,a leading Japanese manufacture of remote control model helicopter electronics for use in its next generation servo – controllers. The Pinpoint gyro was chosen for its combination of tiny footprints [6×5] mm, ultra-low power consumption [12mW] and wide measurement range [900 o/s].

Silicon Sensing said that compared to gross helicopter market less than two years ago. Pinpoint delivers the same function and performance in a package that is under 1/100^th the size and weight, draw less than 1/10^th of the power and is 1/3^rd of the cost.

 Its performance brings improved endurance and precision control to a wide range of aircraft. Silicon sensing said that pinpoint is the only MEMS gyro to use a fully balanced vibrating silicon ring, whereas others use various forms of simple open loop vibrating mass structures. The 3-mm diameter balanced ring of the gyro, which resonates at 22 kHz in a closed –loop control system can be thought of as an infinite number of tuning forks integrated to create a fully balanced vibrating circular structure. This provides unrivalled rate output stability over time, temperature, vibration and shock for a MEMS GYRO IN ITS CLASS.

THE YAW RATE INFORMATION FROM THE GYRO WILL BE USED BY THE Futaba controller to automatically stabilize the helicopter’s heading by controlling the tail rotor , thus reducing pilot workload and allowing him/her to concentrate on flying the aircraft. It is available in two surface mount configurations, designated CRM 100 AND CRM 200,which allows full yaw, pitch and roll control, to be achieved on a single small printed circuit board assembly.

Eric WHITLEY, business development executive at silicon sensing, said: “Several low cost gyros have been launched recently with impressive claims but these have left the designer disappointed with the real –world performance delivered. The difference with our MEMS gyros is in our patented balanced resonating ring sensor design which is common across all silicon Sensing’s gyros. This design is proven to provide a reliable yaw single even under quit severe vibrations.