A multi-frequency signal processing method for fiber-optic gyroscopes with square wave modulation

Abstract

The bias stability and random walk coefficients (RWC) of interferometric fiber-optic gyroscopes (IFOGs) are directly affected by characteristic noises produced by optoelectronics interactions in optic sensors. This paper documents a novel demodulation method for square wave modulated IFOGs, a method capable of suppressing the white noise that results from optical intensity noises and circuit noises as well as shot noises. In addition, this paper provides a statistical analysis of IFOG signals. Through use of orthogonal harmonic demodulation followed by deployment of matched filters to detract the Sagnac phase from the IFOGs, these channels we then processed, using principle component analysis (PCA), to establish optimal independent synchronous quadrature signal channels. Finally a difference procedure was carried out for the outputs. Our results showed that an experimental sample of the proposed IFOG (1982 m coil under uncontrolled room temperature) achieved a real-time output variance improvement in detecting the Earth's rotation rate, which is well matched with theoretical calculations of its Cram̀er-Rao bound (CRB). © 2014 Optical Society of America.