Controlling and Management of the MEMS IMU's temperature with a Peltier Plate

Sok Hun Kim; Thae Ju Ri; Hyon Jin Kim; Ung Cha

Abstract

Due to its small size, light weight, low consumption of electricity, and low cost, micro-electro-mechanical systems, or MEMS, IMUs (Inertial Measurement Units) have been increasingly popular in robotics, UAVs, and UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) in recent years. MEMS IMUs combine a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis magnetometer, thermometer, and other components into a single microchip; nevertheless, the accuracy of MEMS gyroscopes is sometimes poor, particularly when temperature is considered, and error correction is typically needed in real-world applications. Temperature fluctuations significantly alter the zero-bias. We propose both software and hardware design strategies for thermostatic management of a MEMS IMU utilizing a peltier plate, considering the requirements of simplification and real-time. The internal temperature of the MEMS IMU enclosure is then stabilized by the Neural Predictive PID (Proportion Integration Differentiation) controller through regulation of the amount of heating and cooling of a peltier plate. The experiment demonstrates that the thermostatic control system's dynamic response property is much improved over other techniques, with the transient time being less than 3 minutes, the rising time being less than 5 seconds/°C, and the falling time being less than 10 seconds/°C. The hardware and software are simple to implement, and the total cost is less than $100. As a result, this has broad applications in robotics, UAVs, and UGVs.

Abstract

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