Abstract
The main application of a ring laser gyroscope is navigation. It is currently the most widely used device for strapdown inertial navigation systems. However, it is also applicable for high-precision angle metrology systems. This paper discusses the properties of a laser dynamic goniometer (LDG) based on the ring laser gyroscope and designed for the calibration of optical polygons and digital angle converters, and for the measurement of angles between external mirrors (theodolite operating mode). We consider the main sources of uncertainty, such as the ring laser gyro bias due to an external magnetic field and the instability caused by the velocity of rotation along with applicable methods of their compensation. The reversal method providing separation of uncertainties of the LDG and the calibrated angle converter is analyzed in detail. The simplified cross-calibration method is also considered. The results of calibration of optical encoders of various designs—with and without their own rotors (on-axis and off-axis in Euramet terminology)—are presented. Some results of the dynamic goniometer for the measurement of angles between external mirrors are presented. It is shown that the LDG in this mode of operation demonstrates better accuracy than modern theodolites and total stations.
Highlights
The ring laser gyro (RLG) is a well established rotation sensor for inertial navigation systems, implemented in aircraft and other moving objects [1,2]
The simplified cross-calibration method is used to eliminate the systematic error caused by errors in installing the optical encoder on the laser dynamic goniometer (LDG) axis
Dynamic goniometry has been developed over 30 years
Summary
The ring laser gyro (RLG) is a well established rotation sensor for inertial navigation systems, implemented in aircraft and other moving objects [1,2]. It soon became clear after the very beginning of the ring laser development that the RLG is a very suitable tool for angle metrology. The Italian Metrological Institute recently created an angular comparator with two radial scales, one of which rotates [4]. This approach allows the averaging of errors in the radial scale manufacturing and avoids interpolation errors
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