SBIR-STTR Award

A smaller high performance Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) is required. The Line-Of-Sight-Stabilization system for the Next Generation THAAD advanced dual mode seeker requires total IMU error to be less than 2.5 uRadians and must have gyro data rates greater than 20kHz. The proposed gyro is critical to the electronic image stabilization that is performed in the advanced seeker's image processing system. An IMU of less than 2 cubic-inches is possible, which is 10 times smaller that existing IMUs. Performance of 1 degree/hour bias stability and capable of surviving high-G environments is possible by utilizing a novel rate sensing device developed by Sandia National Laboratories. The MKV Kill Vehicle program, presently base-lining a MEMS IMU, is also a good candidate for a compact IMU with the performance characteristics expected from this micro-optical gyro based IMU. The objective of the proposed effort is to develop a fully functional micro-optical gyroscope and interface it to support electronics. The Sandia Planar Lightwave Circuit (PLC) and Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) provide the baseline for the gyro. The proposed effort is to design the required control loop and readout circuitry that will be integrated with the existing capability and components that Sandia has already demonstrated

A small form factor IMU with the performance capability to meet the requirements of advanced kill vehicle control and line of sight stabilization does not presently exist. The advanced strap down seekers being developed for programs such as MKV Carrier Vehicle, MKC Kill Vehicle and even THAAD potential future enhancements all require an IMU that can be mounted directly to the seeker camera detector platform. A small form factor IMU can be mounted in closer proximity to the seeker camera detector, which is typically an IR focal plane array. Having the IMU in a tightly coupled mount to the detector array allows for the best detector motion compensation due to being able to minimize any differences in motion between the detector and IMU. By producing the gyro component of the small form factor IMU using a resonant micro optic waveguide it is felt that Fiber Optical Gyro (FOG) level performance can eventually be achieved while reducing the volume and mass significantly from FOG solutions. This is primarily due to the resonant waveguide not requiring the lengthy optical path that FOGs must have to achieve the same level of performance.

Keywords:
Resonant Micro Optic Gyro, Control Loop, Ifog, Rfo