MEMS gyro motor loop filter

• US 9,581,447 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Ackerman, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): LaBalle, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTLER, KEVIN C
• Application Number:
  US14/325,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20160010994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 735/041.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/56 Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5607 using vibrating tuning forks double-ended tuning forks using planar vibrating masses suspended at opposite ends G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5642 using vibrating bars or beams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5649 Signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5719 using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5776 Signal processing not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719

Abstract

A motor drive loop circuit for a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope is provided. The motor drive loop circuit includes a motor configured to drive a proof mass in the MEMS gyroscope and a minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter. The motor is configured to cause the proof mass to oscillate at a primary-proof-mass mode. The a minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter is configured to: provide a minus 90 degree phase at a motor resonance frequency equal to the primary-proof-mass mode; suppress resonance at undesired mechanical modes of the motor during a startup of the motor; and provide gain at the motor resonance frequency.

Claims

1. A method to suppress undesired mechanical modes of a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope, the method comprising:

coupling at least one pickoff signal to at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter from at least one respective motor configured to drive at least one respective proof mass in the MEMS gyroscope;

suppressing the undesired mechanical modes of the MEMS gyroscope at the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter; and

passing at least one respective primary-proof-mass mode to the at least one respective motor from the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

driving the at least one respective proof mass in the MEMS gyroscope at the at least one respective primary-proof-mass mode from the at least one respective motor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein suppressing the undesired mechanical modes of the MEMS gyroscope at the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter comprises:

adjusting a frequency for a phase-transition point of the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter to suppress the undesired mechanical modes of the MEMS gyroscope.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein suppressing the undesired mechanical modes of the MEMS gyroscope at the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter further comprises:

adjusting a frequency for a gain notch of the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter to suppress the undesired mechanical modes of the MEMS gyroscope.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein suppressing the undesired mechanical modes of the MEMS gyroscope at the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter further comprises:

adjusting a frequency for a gain notch of the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter to suppress the undesired mechanical modes of the MEMS gyroscope.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the at least one pickoff signal to the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter from the at least one respective motor comprises:

coupling a first pickoff signal to a first minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter from a first motor configured to drive a first proof mass in the MEMS gyroscope,

wherein suppressing the undesired mechanical modes of the MEMS gyroscope at the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter comprises;

suppressing the undesired mechanical modes of the MEMS gyroscope at the first minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter,

wherein passing the at least one primary-proof-mass mode to the at least one respective motor from the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter comprises;

passing a first primary-proof-mass mode to the first motor from the first minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein coupling the first pickoff signal to the first minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter from the first motor comprises:

coupling the first pickoff signal to a first charge amplifier; and

coupling the amplified first pickoff signal to the first minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter from the first charge amplifier,

wherein passing the first primary-proof-mass mode to the first motor from the first minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter comprises;

passing the first primary-proof-mass mode to a first drive amplifier from the first minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter; and

passing the first primary-proof-mass mode from the first drive amplifier to the first motor.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

arranging the first proof mass and a second proof mass to sense orthogonal forces;

wherein coupling the at least one pickoff signal to at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter from the at least one respective motor further comprises;

coupling a second pickoff signal to a second minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter from a second motor configured to drive the second proof mass in the MEMS gyroscope,

wherein suppressing the undesired mechanical modes of the MEMS gyroscope at the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter further comprises;

suppressing the undesired mechanical modes of the MEMS gyroscope at the second minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter,

wherein passing the at least one primary-proof-mass mode to the at least one respective motor from the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter further comprises;

passing a second primary-proof-mass mode to the second motor from the second minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein coupling the second pickoff signal to the second minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter from the second motor comprises:

coupling the second pickoff signal to a second charge amplifier; and

coupling the amplified second pickoff signal to the second minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter from the second charge amplifier,

wherein passing the second primary-proof-mass mode to the second motor from the second minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter comprises;

passing the second primary-proof-mass mode to a second drive amplifier from the second minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter; and

passing the second primary-proof-mass mode from the second drive amplifier to the second motor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the at least one pickoff signal to the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter from the at least one respective motor comprises:

coupling the at least one pickoff signal to at least one respective charge amplifier; and

coupling the amplified at least one pickoff signal to the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter from the charge amplifier,

wherein passing the at least one respective primary-proof-mass mode to the at least one respective motor from the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter comprises;

passing the at least one respective primary-proof-mass mode to at least one respective drive amplifier from the at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter; and

passing the at least one respective primary-proof-mass mode from the at least one respective drive amplifier to the at least one respective motor.

11. A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope configured to suppress undesired mechanical modes during a startup of the MEMS gyroscope, the gyroscope comprising:

at least one proof mass including a first proof mass and a second proof mass; and

at least one respective motor drive loop circuit, the at least one motor drive loop circuit including;

at least one motor configured to drive the at least one respective proof mass in the MEMS gyroscope, the at least one motor configured to cause the at least one respective proof mass to oscillate at a respective at least one primary-proof-mass mode; and

at least one respective minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter configured to;

provide a minus 90 degree phase at a motor resonance frequency equal to the at least one primary-proof-mass mode;

suppress resonance at undesired mechanical modes of the at least one motor during a startup of the at least one motor; and

provide gain at the motor resonance frequency;

wherein the least one respective motor drive loop circuit includes a first motor drive loop circuit and a second motor drive loop circuit.

12. The gyroscope of claim 11, wherein the first motor drive loop circuit includes:

a first motor configured to drive the first proof mass to cause the first proof mass to oscillate at a first primary-proof-mass mode; and

a first minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter configured to;

provide a minus 90 degree phase at a motor resonance frequency equal to the first primary-proof-mass mode of the first proof mass;

suppress resonance at undesired mechanical modes of the MEMS gyroscope; and

provide gain to the first primary-proof-mass mode of the first proof mass.

13. The gyroscope of claim 12, wherein the first minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter includes:

a first resistor in series with a second resistor;

a first capacitor in series with a second capacitor, the first capacitor in parallel with the first resistor and the second capacitor in parallel with the second resistor;

a third capacitor connecting a common node of the first resistor and the second resistor to ground; and

a third resistor connecting a common node of the first capacitor and the second capacitor to the ground.

14. The gyroscope of claim 13, wherein the first minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter further includes:

an amplifier having a positive input communicatively coupled to the second resistor and the second capacitor and having a negative input communicatively coupled to input feedback from an output of the amplifier.

15. The gyroscope of claim 14, wherein the second minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter includes:

a fourth resistor in series with a fifth resistor;

a fourth capacitor in series with a fifth capacitor, the fourth capacitor in parallel with the fourth resistor and the fifth capacitor in parallel with the fifth resistor;

a sixth capacitor connecting a common node of the fourth resistor and the fifth resistor to the ground; and

a sixth resistor connecting a common node of the fourth capacitor and the fifth capacitor to the ground.

16. The gyroscope of claim 15, wherein the amplifier is a first amplifier, wherein the second minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter further includes:

a second amplifier having a positive input communicatively coupled to the fifth resistor and the fifth capacitor and having a negative input communicatively coupled to input feedback from an output of the second amplifier.