Miniaturized smart self-calibration electronic pointing method and system
An innovative configuration of Miniaturized Smart Self-calibration EPD for mortar applications, as the azimuth/heading and elevation measurement device. This innovative EPD configuration uses only two FOGs or DTG and accelerometers and it is self-contained. This leads to a new EPD implementation that produces a small and light device with lower cost and adequate accuracy for the small dismounted mortar applications.
1. A self-calibration electric pointing device, comprising:
a sensors/actuator assembly wherein further comprises:
a 2-axis DTG (Dynamically Tuned Gyro) for sensing the earth rate and said device angular motion;
a first accelerometer;
a second accelerometer with said first accelerometer for sensing gravity; and
an indexing device carrying said 2-axis DTG, said first accelerometer, and said second accelerometer for real-time multiple position sensor calibration, wherein said indexing device moves said 2-axis DTG, said first accelerometer, and said second accelerometer when said system is starting or during said system operation for sensor calibration, wherein said sensor calibration is a two-position calibration that said indexing device only needs to stop at two points from an original point to a stop point to complete said sensor calibration;
a sensor interface circuits; and
a computation platform electrically connected with said sensors/actuator assembly by said sensor interface circuits for processing measurement from said sensors/actuator assembly for pointing.
2. The device, as recited in claim 1 , wherein an exact motion angle of said indexing device is known for said two-position calibration.
3. The device as recited in claim 2 , wherein said sensors/actuator assembly further comprises a device communicatively connected with said indexing device for testing and motion detection aiding.
4. The device, as recited in claim 3 , wherein said sensor interface circuits further comprises: 2 channels high accuracy ADC module for said two accelerometer measurement outputs; and 2 channels high accuracy ADC module, for two DTG angular measurement outputs, wherein said ADC modules have standard interfaces to the computation platform.
5. A self-calibration electric pointing device, comprising:
a sensors/actuator assembly wherein further comprises:
a 2-axis DTG (Dynamically Tuned Gyro) for sensing the earth rate and said device angular motion;
a first accelerometer;
a second accelerometer with said first accelerometer for sensing gravity; and
an indexing device carrying said 2-axis DTG, said first accelerometer, and said second accelerometer for real-time multiple position sensor calibration, wherein said indexing device moves said 2-axis DTG, said first accelerometer, and said second accelerometer when said system is starting or during said system operation for sensor calibration, wherein said sensor calibration is a multi-position calibration that said indexing device needs to stop at three or more stopped points to complete said sensor calibration;
a sensor interface circuits; and
a computation platform electrically connected with said sensors/actuator assembly by said sensor interface circuits for processing measurement from said sensors/actuator assembly for pointing.
6. The device as recited in claim 5 , wherein said sensors/actuator assembly further comprises a device communicatively connected with said indexing device for testing and motion detection aiding.
7. The device, as recited in claim 6 , wherein said sensor interface circuits further comprises: 2 channels high accuracy ADC module for said two accelerometer measurement outputs; and 2 channels high accuracy ADC module, for two DTG angular measurement outputs, wherein said ADC modules have standard interfaces to the computation platform.
8. The device, as recited in claim 7 , wherein motion angles of said indexing device are unknown and are not zero.
9. The device, as recited in claim 8 , wherein said stop points are approximately evenly distributed in a range of (−90, 90) degrees.