System and method for continuous monitoring of a gyroscope

1. A system for monitoring operation of a sensing device, the sensing device including a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope and a quadrature feedback loop coupled to the MEMS gyroscope, the quadrature feedback loop including a quadrature feedback controller, the system comprising:

a test signal generator coupled to the quadrature feedback loop at an input of the quadrature feedback controller, the test signal generator configured to generate a test signal and apply the test signal to the quadrature feedback loop during operation of the MEMS gyroscope; and

a fault detector coupled to the quadrature feedback loop at an output of the quadrature feedback controller, the fault detector configured to receive a quadrature feedback signal from the quadrature feedback controller, detect effects of the test signal in the quadrature feedback signal, and generate a monitor output indicative of the operation of the sensing device based on the detected effects of the test signal, wherein the test signal generated by the test signal generator is a direct current (DC) test signal, and a polarity of the DC test signal generated by the test signal generator is opposite the polarity of a quadrature signal component of the quadrature feedback signal, the quadrature signal component being used to cancel a native quadrature motion of the MEMS gyroscope.

2. A system for monitoring operation of a sensing device, the sensing device including a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope and a quadrature feedback loop coupled to the MEMS gyroscope, the quadrature feedback loop including a quadrature feedback controller, the system comprising:

a test signal generator coupled to the quadrature feedback loop at an input of the quadrature feedback controller, the test signal generator configured to generate a test signal and apply the test signal to the quadrature feedback loop during operation of the MEMS gyroscope wherein the test signal generated by the test signal generator is a direct current (DC) test signal; and

a fault detector coupled to the quadrature feedback loop at an output of the quadrature feedback controller, the fault detector configured to receive a quadrature feedback signal from the quadrature feedback controller, detect effects of the test signal in the quadrature feedback signal, and generate a monitor output indicative of the operation of the sensing device based on the detected effects of the test signal, wherein the test signal generator is configured to generate the DC test signal at a first amplitude at start-up of the sensing device, and when the fault detector determines that the sensing device is operating nominally based on the detected effects of the DC test signal, the test signal generator is further configured to generate the DC test signal at a second amplitude during operation of the sensing device following start-up of the sensing device, the second amplitude being less than the first amplitude.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the DC test signal generated by the test signal generator is continuously applied to the quadrature feedback loop during operation of the MEMS gyroscope.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the quadrature feedback signal includes the quadrature signal component and a test signal component of the DC test signal, and the fault detector is further configured to distinguish the test signal component from the quadrature signal component and detect the effects of the DC test signal utilizing the test signal component.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein fault detector further comprises a comparator configured to determine whether the test signal component deviates outside of predetermined upper and lower threshold limits, wherein a fault condition in the sensing device can be ascertained when the test signal component deviates outside of the predetermined upper and lower threshold limits, and the monitor output is indicative of the fault condition.

6. A system for monitoring operation of a sensing device, the sensing device including a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope and a quadrature feedback loop coupled to the MEMS gyroscope, the quadrature feedback loop including a quadrature feedback controller, the system comprising:

a test signal generator coupled to the quadrature feedback loop at an input of the quadrature feedback controller, the test signal generator configured to generate a test signal and apply the test signal to the quadrature feedback loop during operation of the MEMS gyroscope; and

a fault detector coupled to the quadrature feedback loop at an output of the quadrature feedback controller, the fault detector configured to receive a quadrature feedback signal from the quadrature feedback controller, detect effects of the test signal in the quadrature feedback signal, and generate a monitor output indicative of the operation of the sensing device based on the detected effects of the test signal, wherein the quadrature feedback signal includes a quadrature signal component and a test signal component of the test signal, and the fault detector is further configured to distinguish the test signal component from the quadrature signal component and detect the effects of the test signal utilizing the test signal component, wherein the fault detector further comprises a comparator configured to determine whether the test signal component deviates outside of predetermined upper and lower threshold limits, and wherein a fault condition in the sensing device can be ascertained when the test signal component deviates outside of the predetermined upper and lower threshold limits, and the monitor output is indicative of the fault condition; and

a compensation circuit operably coupled with the comparator, the compensation circuit being configured to apply at least one adjustment factor to the quadrature feedback signal to produce a compensated quadrature signal in which the test signal component is distinguished from the quadrature signal component, the compensated quadrature signal being input to the comparator.

7. A sensing device comprising:

a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope;

a quadrature feedback loop coupled to the MEMS gyroscope, the quadrature feedback loop including a quadrature feedback controller;

a test signal generator coupled to the quadrature feedback loop at an input of the quadrature feedback controller, the test signal generator being configured to generate a direct current (DC) test signal and apply the DC test signal to the quadrature feedback loop during operation of the MEMS gyroscope, wherein the DC test signal generated by the test signal generator is continuously applied to the quadrature feedback loop during operation of the MEMS gyroscope; and

a fault detector coupled to the quadrature feedback loop at an output of the quadrature feedback controller, the fault detector being configured to receive a quadrature feedback signal from the quadrature feedback controller, detect effects of the DC test signal in the quadrature feedback signal, and generate a monitor output indicative of the operation of the sensing device based on the detected effects of the DC test signal, wherein a polarity of the DC test signal generated by the test signal generator is opposite the polarity of a quadrature signal component of the quadrature feedback signal, the quadrature signal component being used to cancel a native quadrature motion of the MEMS gyroscope.

8. A sensing device comprising:

a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope;

a quadrature feedback loop coupled to the MEMS gyroscope, the quadrature feedback loop including a quadrature feedback controller;

a test signal generator coupled to the quadrature feedback loop at an input of the quadrature feedback controller, the test signal generator being configured to generate a direct current (DC) test signal and apply the DC test signal to the quadrature feedback loop during operation of the MEMS gyroscope, wherein the DC test signal generated by the test signal generator is continuously applied to the quadrature feedback loop during operation of the MEMS gyroscope; and

a fault detector coupled to the quadrature feedback loop at an output of the quadrature feedback controller, the fault detector being configured to receive a quadrature feedback signal from the quadrature feedback controller, detect effects of the DC test signal in the quadrature feedback signal, and generate a monitor output indicative of the operation of the sensing device based on the detected effects of the DC test signal, wherein the test signal generator is configured to generate the DC test signal at a first amplitude at start-up of the sensing device, and when the fault detector determines that the sensing device is operating nominally based on the detected effects of the DC test signal, the test signal generator is configured to generate the DC test signal at a second amplitude during operation of the sensing device following start-up of the sensing device, the second amplitude being less than the first amplitude.

9. The sensing device of claim 7 wherein the quadrature feedback signal includes the quadrature signal component and a test signal component of the DC test signal, and the fault detector is further configured to distinguish the test signal component from the quadrature signal component and detect the effects of the DC test signal utilizing the test signal component.

10. The sensing device of claim 9 wherein fault detector further comprises a comparator configured to determine whether the test signal component deviates outside of predetermined upper and lower threshold limits, wherein a fault condition in the sensing device can be ascertained when the test signal component deviates outside of the predetermined upper and lower threshold limits, and the monitor output is indicative of the fault condition.

11. A method of monitoring operation of a sensing device, the sensing device including a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope and a quadrature feedback loop coupled to the MEMS gyroscope, the quadrature feedback loop including a quadrature feedback controller, the method comprising:

generating a test signal;

applying the test signal to the quadrature feedback loop at an input of the quadrature feedback controller during operation of the MEMS gyroscope;

receiving a quadrature feedback signal from the quadrature feedback controller;

detecting effects of the test signal in the quadrature feedback signal, wherein a polarity of the test signal is opposite the polarity of a quadrature signal component of the quadrature feedback signal, the quadrature signal component being used to cancel a native quadrature motion of the MEMS gyroscope; and

generating a monitor output indicative of the operation of the sensing device based on the detected effects of the test signal.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the test signal comprises a direct current (DC) test signal.

13. A method of monitoring operation of a sensing device, the sensing device including a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope and a quadrature feedback loop coupled to the MEMS gyroscope, the quadrature feedback loop including a quadrature feedback controller, the method comprising:

generating an initial direct current (DC) test signal at a first amplitude at start-up of the sensing device;

applying the initial DC test signal to the quadrature feedback loop at an input of the quadrature feedback controller during the start-up of the MEMS gyroscope;

receiving a quadrature feedback signal from the quadrature feedback controller in response to the applying the initial DC test signal;

detecting effects of the initial DC test signal in the quadrature feedback signal at the start-up of the sensing device;

determining that the sensing device is operating nominally at the start-up of the sensing device based on the detected effects of the initial DC test signal;

in response to determining that the sensing device is operating nominally at the start-up, generating a successive DC test signal at a second amplitude during operation of the sensing device following startup of the sensing device, the second amplitude being less than the first amplitude, the successive DC test signal following the initial DC test signal;

applying the successive DC test signal to the quadrature feedback loop at the input of the quadrature feedback controller during operation of the MEMS gyroscope;

receiving the quadrature feedback signal from the quadrature feedback controller in response to the applying the successive DC test signal;

detecting effects of the successive DC test signal in the quadrature feedback signal; and

generating a monitor output indicative of the operation of the sensing device based on the detected effects of the successive DC test signal.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the applying operation comprises continually applying the test signal to the quadrature feedback loop during operation of the sensing device; and

continuously repeating the receiving, detecting, and generating operations during operation of the sensing device.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the quadrature feedback signal includes the quadrature signal component and a test signal component of the test signal, and the method further comprises:

distinguishing the test signal component from the quadrature signal component; and

utilizing the test signal component to detect the effects of the test signal.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the utilizing operation comprises:

determining whether the test signal component deviates outside of predetermined upper and lower threshold limits; and

ascertaining that a fault condition in the sensing device exists when the test signal component deviates outside of the predetermined upper and lower threshold limits, wherein the monitor output is indicative of the fault condition.