A PiezoMEMS Lissajous Frequency-Modulated Gyroscope: Stability, Vibration Robustness, and Challenges

This article reports the characterization measurements for a piezoelectric frequency-modulated (FM) gyroscope. The presented sensor has an exceptionally stable and robust output, as it combines drift rejection of Lissajous frequency modulation (LFM) and the high linearity of piezoelectric transduction. Measurement with a field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based verification platform verifies that the output bias is steady for at least 7 h, where bias instability (BI) is 5 degrees/h. The measured angle random walk (ARW) is high, 111 mdps/root Hz. The operation frequency of 68 kHz and the quad-mass design make the sensor highly resistant to environmental vibrations. The system is operated with a low voltage level of 0.4 Vpp, which opens the possibility to realize the control electronics in small linewidth semiconductor processes.