Abstract: A vibrating surface gyroscope includes a piezoelectric resonator 10 of material arranged to have a plurality of poles 12, 14 of opposite sense or polarity disposed around the sensing axis. The resultant bi-directional (forward and reverse) poling establishes the mode and modal position of a vibration in the resonator 10. One surface of the structure includes a surface electrode having a surface resistivity comparable with the reactance of the piezoelectric material adjacent resonance so that a bridge circuit can be made up of the electrode and the piezoelectric material. A wideband closed loop system provides feedback into the bridge to maintain it at balance and provides rate output. Scale factor compensation techniques are also disclosed as well as alternative electrode arrangements.

Abstract: A gimbal assembly for carrying a gyroscope rotor for spin about a z axis is described which has an inner boss (3), and outer ring (6), first and second gimbal frames (4 and 5) situated between the two, first outer pivots (8) pivoting the first frame (4) to the outer ring (6) about a y axis, second outer pivots (10) pivoting the second frame (5) to the outer ring (6) about an x axis, first inner pivots (11) pivoting the second frame (5) to the boss (3), and second inner pivots (9) pivoting the first frame to the boss (3) about the x axis, the gimbal frames (4 and 5) being interlaced one with another.A preferred method of forming the inner boss (3), the outer ring (6), and the gimbal frames (4 and 5) from a billet of solid material is also described.