Data-fusion for Rotation Measurement

The goal of this paper is to design and implement a module to determine the rotation around three axes normal to each other. The paper is divided into six parts. The first part deals with the rate sensor - the gyroscope. It is explicated how the gyroscope is used for rotation measurement. The next part of the paper explains the acceleration sensor – the accelerometer, functioning as an inclination sensor. The third part analyses the magnetic field sensor – the magnetometer, functioning as an electronic compass. With each type of sensor, the problems of parasitic influences are discussed. The foregoing parts constitute the basis for the HW of the module design that is explained in the forth parts. It deals especially with components used for processing the sensor signals. The next part is a description of the software of the module. Here, the software of the particular sensors and measurement methods used with them are discussed. The last part describes the software of the control application in the computer. The attention is paid especially to processing data from the sensors and their compensation against parasitic influences