Abstract: A rotation rate sensor comprises a substrate and two structures which move relative to the substrate on a design plane (x-y), with the two moving structures being coupled to form a coupled structure such that the coupled structure has a first oscillation mode with antiphase deflections of the moving structures in a first direction (x) on the design plane (x-y) as excitation mode. The coupled structure has a second oscillation mode as a detection mode which is excited by Coriolis accelerations when the first oscillation mode is excited and on rotation about a sensitive axis (z) of the rotation rate sensor. The sensitive axis is at right angles to the design plane (x-y), and the coupled structure is designed such that, subject to optimal preconditions, it does not have any oscillation mode which can be excited by linear accelerations of the rotation rate sensor in a direction parallel to the second axis.

Abstract: A Coriolis gyro having an arrangement which comprises a substrate, at least two individual structures and spring elements. The spring elements couple the individual structures to the substrate and to one another. Force transmitters and taps are provided. The arrangement has at least one excitation mode which can be excited by the force transmitters and at least one detection mode which can be measured by the taps. The excitation mode and the detection mode are closed, as a result of which no disturbance excitations of the excitation mode and of the detection mode can be caused by linear accelerations and/or vibrations if there is no need to take account of manufacturing tolerances.

Abstract: A method for producing a component, especially a micromechanical, micro-electro-mechanical or micro-opto-electro-mechanical component, as well as such a component which has an active structure that is embedded in a layer structure. Strip conductor bridges are formed by etching first and second depressions having a first and second, different etching depth into a covering layer of a first layer combination that additionally encompasses a substrate and an insulation layer. The deeper depression is used for insulating the strip conductor bridge while the shallower depression provides a moving space for the active structure with the moving space being bridged by the strip conductor bridge.

Abstract: A method and a switch arrangement for operating a micromechanical capacitive sensor having at least one and at most two fixed electrodes and one differential capacitor formed by a movable central electrode that can be deflected by an external force, wherein the deflection of the electrode is measured. A fraction of the force acting on the central electrode, corresponding to the electrostatic restorative force, is compensated. Under closed-loop operation, a selection signal is influenced by a regulator supplementing a restore crosstalk signal so that the created capacitive restorative force acts in a compensatory manner against deflection of the central electrode.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a microelectromechanical or microoptoelectromechanical component. The method includes producing first and second layer composites. The first has a first substrate and a first insulation layer, which covers at least one part of the surface of the first substrate, while the second has a second substrate and a second insulation layer, which covers at least one part of the surface of the second substrate. An at least partly conductive structure layer is applied to the first insulation layers and the second composite is applied to the structure layer so that the second insulation layer adjoins the structure layer. The first and second layer composites and the structure layer are configured so that at least one part of the structure layer that comprises the active area of the microelectromechanical or microoptoelectromechanical component is hermetically tightly sealed by the first and second layer composites.

Abstract: A digital phase modulator for a fiber-optic measurement device. A predetermined total number of electrodes of different lengths are arranged in parallel and on both sides of a light guidance path in or on an optical substrate. The electrodes are arranged in two or more triples along the light guidance path. In each case, two electrodes of successive length within a triple have the same length ratio with respect to one another. Such length ratio is chosen, in particular, to be ?=1.618. The electrode lengths of this triple are chosen such that the smallest step widths of the output value range of the phase modulator can be formed by subtraction between the values of at least two larger electrodes. This allows the resolution of the phase modulator to be increased from 9 bits to 11 bits without change in chip size.

Abstract: An operating method for a Coriolis gyro. Digital read signals are produced that represent a measure of the instantaneous amplitudes/frequencies of the stimulation oscillation/read oscillation of the gyro resonator. Force signals are applied to the resonator. The force signals are controlled as a function of the digital read signals so that the stimulation oscillation/read oscillation assume specific amplitudes/frequencies. The force signals are produced from quantized output signals from a pulse modulator. The modulator is fed with digital stimulation/compensation signals derived from the digital read signals.

Abstract: A rotation rate sensor comprises a substrate and two structures which move relative to the substrate on a design plane (x-y), with the two moving structures being coupled to form a coupled structure such that the coupled structure has a first oscillation mode with antiphase deflections of the moving structures in a first direction (x) on the design plane (x-y) as excitation mode. The coupled structure has a second oscillation mode as a detection mode which is excited by Coriolis accelerations when the first oscillation mode is excited and on rotation about a sensitive axis (z) of the rotation rate sensor. The sensitive axis is at right angles to the design plane (x-y), and the coupled structure is designed such that, subject to optimal preconditions, it does not have any oscillation mode which can be excited by linear accelerations of the rotation rate sensor in a direction parallel to the second axis.

Abstract: A Coriolis gyro having an arrangement which comprises a substrate, at least two individual structures and spring elements. The spring elements couple the individual structures to the substrate and to one another. Force transmitters and taps are provided. The arrangement has at least one excitation mode which can be excited by the force transmitters and at least one detection mode which can be measured by the taps. The excitation mode and the detection mode are closed, as a result of which no disturbance excitations of the excitation mode and of the detection mode can be caused by linear accelerations and/or vibrations if there is no need to take account of manufacturing tolerances.

Abstract: A pulse modulator has a subtraction stage that produces a control error signal from the difference between a complex input signal and a feedback signal. A signal conversion stage converts the control error signal to a control signal. The control signal is multiplied by a complex mixing signal at the frequency ?0 in a first multiplication stage. At least one of the real and imaginary parts of the up-mixed control signal is then quantized by a quantization stage to produce a real pulsed signal. The pulsed signal is then employed to produce the feedback signal for the subtraction stage in a feedback unit. The pulse modulator according to the invention allows the range of reduced quantization noise to be shifted toward a desired operating frequency ?0.

Abstract: A method for controlling/regulating a physical variable of a dynamic system to a specific desired value profile with use made of a pulse modulator that generates a sequence of discrete modulation signals that affect the control or regulation of the physical variable. The method involves repeated execution of: determining an exact value or an approximation for the deviation between the momentary desired value and the momentary actual value of the physical variable; determining the respective change in the deviation which would result from the maintenance of the momentary modulation signal or the switching over to the other modulation signals; and generating that modulation signal which results in the best approximation of the momentary desired value.

Abstract: A method for quadrature-bias compensation in a Coriolis gyro whose resonator is in the form of a coupled system comprising a first and a second linear oscillator. The quadrature bias of the Coriolis gyro is determined. An electrostatic field is produced by variation of the mutual alignment of the two oscillators with respect to one another. The alignment/strength of the electrostatic field is regulated so that the determined quadrature bias is made as small as possible.

Abstract: A method and arrangement of electrodes for increasing the resolution of a digital phase modulator for a fiber-optic signal transmission or measuring device. A predetermined total number m of electrodes of different lengths are arranged parallel and on both sides with respect to a light guiding path in or on an optical substrate. The electrodes are divided into two groups. A first group n of electrodes represents a coarse modulator with binary and more significant weighted electrodes of length ratio bn+0:bn=2, the longest electrode of which corresponds to the sum of lengths of all the remaining electrodes of the overall modulator. A second, smaller group of n0 non-binary and less significant weighted electrodes represents a fine modulator. The smallest output values are not formed by driving individual electrodes of the fine modulator, but rather by forming the difference, in each case, between two larger electrodes.

Abstract: A Coriolis gyro includes a first and a second resonator, each in the form of a coupled system comprising first and second linear oscillators. The first resonator can be caused to oscillate in antiphase with respect to the second resonator along a common oscillation axis. A system coupled in this way has the advantage that it is possible to measure rotation rate and acceleration simultaneously, with insensitivity to disturbances (e.g., externally or internally acting vibrations).

Abstract: In a method for electronic tuning of the frequency of the read oscillation to the frequency of the stimulation oscillation in a Coriolis gyro, the resonator of the Coriolis gyro has a disturbance force applied to it such that the stimulation oscillation remains essentially uninfluenced. The read oscillation is changed so that a read signal that represents the read oscillation contains a corresponding disturbance component. The frequency of the read oscillation is controlled so that the magnitude of the disturbance component contained in the read signal is a minimum.

Abstract: A method for determination of/compensation for the bias/random walk errors induced by the light source in fiber-optic Sagnac interferometers employing a modulation method for stochastically independent shifting of the operating point to the points of highest sensitivity. A reference beam is output from the light beam emitted from the light source of the interferometer and passed to the fiber coil to produce a proportional reference intensity signal. Such signal is demodulated with the demodulation pattern of the rotation rate control loop to demodulate the rotation rate intensity signal (proportional to rotation rate). The demodulated reference intensity signal measures the bias/random walk errors to be determined. Demodulation of the reference intensity signal is simultaneous with that of the rotation rate intensity signal so that components of the reference and rotation rate intensity signals (each resulting from light components simultaneously emitted from the light source) are identically demodulated.

Abstract: A method for regulating the operating frequency of a closed loop fiber optic gyroscope. The demodulated output signal of a detector, as actual signal, is applied to the input of a main controller and, via a gating filter, to a VCO that determines the system clock of the FOG. An additional modulation signal, as analog signal is fed to separate phase correction electrodes that are formed together with the electrodes of a digital phase modulator in an integrated optical chip.

Abstract: In a method for electronic tuning of the frequency of the read oscillation to the frequency of the stimulation oscillation in a Coriolis gyro the resonator of the Coriolis gyro has a disturbance force applied to it such that the stimulation oscillation remains essentially uninfluenced. The read oscillation is changed so that a read signal that represents the read oscillation contains a corresponding disturbance component. The disturbance force is defined as the force caused by the signal noise in the read signal. The frequency of the read oscillation is controlled so that the strength of the disturbance component contained in the read signal is a minimum.

Abstract: In a method for determining the zero-point error of a Coriolis gyro, the resonator of the Coriolis gyro has a disturbance force applied to it such that a change in the stimulation oscillation of the resonator is brought about. A change in the read oscillation of the resonator, caused by a partial component of the disturbance force, is extracted from a read signal which represents the read oscillation of the resonator as a measure of the zero-point error.

Abstract: A method for determination of the zero error of a Coriolis gyro. Appropriate disturbance forces are applied to the resonator of the Coriolis gyro such that at least one natural oscillation of the resonator is stimulated that differs from the stimulating and read oscillations. A change in a read signal which represents the read oscillation and results from the stimulation of the at least one natural oscillation is determined as a measure of the zero error.