Vertical Reference Gyro VRS-E132-1AD (Single Axis)

Description

The Watson Industries Vertical Reference System is a solid-state gyro package used to measure angular displacement and rate, especially where dynamic motion may interfere. Under these conditions, the effects of lateral accelerations severely limit the performance of an ordinary accelerometer or pendulous device. The Watson Vertical Reference achieves improved performance by integrating the output of a vibrating structure gyro to get an estimate of the attitude, which is then compared to the output of conventional accelerometers to find the error. This error is then filtered over a long time constant and subtracted from the rate gyro output to correct biases as a closed loop error correction system. This system lets the gyro dominate the attitude accuracy above the correction loop frequency while the accelerometer reference dominates the lower frequencies.

The Watson Vertical Reference can be a functional replacement for mechanical vertical gyros, which are often more expensive and less reliable than this solid-state sensor. The Vertical Reference System is especially suited for applications where there is limited bank and elevation such as ships, underwater vehicles, some land vehicles, and certain camera applications. This is because the VRS uses a linear coordinate system. For better performance, a full three axis system would be required. Consult the factory about your application.

The VRS is used to stabilize and control ships and submersibles, to stabilize antenna and camera platforms, to instrument industrial equipment, and for many other applications.