Micromachined inertial devices are presented having multiple linearly-moving masses coupled together by couplers that move in a linear fashion when the coupled masses exhibit linear anti-phase motion. Some of the described couplers are flexural and provide two degrees of freedom of motion of the coupled masses. Some such couplers are positioned between the coupled masses. Using multiple couplers which are arranged to move in linearly opposite directions during linear anti-phase motion of the coupled masses provides momentum-balanced operation.

Micromachined inertial devices are presented having multiple linearly-moving masses coupled together by couplers that move in a linear fashion when the coupled masses exhibit linear anti-phase motion. Some of the described couplers are flexural and provide two degrees of freedom of motion of the coupled masses. Some such couplers are positioned between the coupled masses. Using multiple couplers which are arranged to move in linearly opposite directions during linear anti-phase motion of the coupled masses provides momentum-balanced operation.

Gyroscopes are sensors that measure angular rate and angular orientation. A three-dimensional fused silica micro shell rate-integrating gyroscope is presented. One aspect of the gyroscope includes the use of optical sensors to detect motion of the resonator. The proposed gyroscope is attractive because it achieves several magnitudes higher accuracy as well as high vibration and shock insensitivity from a novel resonator design as well as other unique manufacturing processes.

Gyroscopes are sensors that measure angular rate and angular orientation. A three-dimensional fused silica micro shell rate-integrating gyroscope is presented. One aspect of the gyroscope includes the use of optical sensors to detect motion of the resonator. The proposed gyroscope is attractive because it achieves several magnitudes higher accuracy as well as high vibration and shock insensitivity from a novel resonator design as well as other unique manufacturing processes.

A gyroscope includes a MEMS sensor having a drive signal input terminal, a drive signal output terminal, and a sense signal output terminal. The gyroscope further includes a quadrature demodulator that demodulates a modulated sense signal and offset canceller circuits that cancel a direct current offset component included in an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal of the sense signal. The gyroscope has a quadrature error detector that detects a quadrature error based on the signals input from the offset canceller circuits and outputs an error signal. The gyroscope also has an IQ corrector circuit that receives the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal of the sense signal as inputs, and outputs a phase signal with a phase based on the error signal.

A gyroscope includes a MEMS sensor having a drive signal input terminal, a drive signal output terminal, and a sense signal output terminal. The gyroscope further includes a quadrature demodulator that demodulates a modulated sense signal and offset canceller circuits that cancel a direct current offset component included in an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal of the sense signal. The gyroscope has a quadrature error detector that detects a quadrature error based on the signals input from the offset canceller circuits and outputs an error signal. The gyroscope also has an IQ corrector circuit that receives the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal of the sense signal as inputs, and outputs a phase signal with a phase based on the error signal.

A phase-locked loop for a driver circuit for operating a MEMS gyroscope, including a seismic mass that is excitable into oscillations. The phase-locked loop including an input interface for receiving position signals that represent the present position of the oscillating seismic mass of the MEMS gyroscope, a phase detector for ascertaining the phase and frequency of the present oscillation movement of the seismic mass, based on the received position signals, at least two oscillators that are alternatively activatable, the alternatively activatable oscillators having different energy consumptions and/or different noise properties, and at least one output interface for outputting a signal that is provided by the oscillator that is presently activated.

A phase-locked loop for a driver circuit for operating a MEMS gyroscope, including a seismic mass that is excitable into oscillations. The phase-locked loop including an input interface for receiving position signals that represent the present position of the oscillating seismic mass of the MEMS gyroscope, a phase detector for ascertaining the phase and frequency of the present oscillation movement of the seismic mass, based on the received position signals, at least two oscillators that are alternatively activatable, the alternatively activatable oscillators having different energy consumptions and/or different noise properties, and at least one output interface for outputting a signal that is provided by the oscillator that is presently activated.

Micromachined inertial devices are presented having multiple linearly-moving masses coupled together by couplers that move in a linear fashion when the coupled masses exhibit anti-phase motion. The couplers move in opposite directions of each other, such that one coupler on one side of the movable masses moves in a first linear direction and another coupler on the opposite side of the movable masses moves in a second linear direction opposite the first linear direction. The couplers ensure proper anti-phase motion of the masses.

Micromachined inertial devices are presented having multiple linearly-moving masses coupled together by couplers that move in a linear fashion when the coupled masses exhibit linear anti-phase motion. Some of the described couplers are flexural and provide two degrees of freedom of motion of the coupled masses. Some such couplers are positioned between the coupled masses. Using multiple couplers which are arranged to move in linearly opposite directions during linear anti-phase motion of the coupled masses provides momentum-balanced operation.