compass

[hairbox]

Hi all
heading sensor or (rate Gyro is this the same?) fluxgate compass and radar
can anyone tell me how these bits of kit interface together ie what bit of kit is connected to what and how do they work together.



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[gjeffery]

Rate gyro is not the same as a heading sensor. A heading sensor measures azimuth directly (ie degrees). Such sensors include magnetic compasses and gyro compasses. Magnetic compasses sense the earth's magmetic field and include fluxgate, and other magnetic field sensors.

Rate Gyros usually comprise a fast rotating mass (ie flywheel). One end of the axis of rotation is constrained to a frame, by a pivot. The other end of the axis is held by a spring. When the frame is moved in rotation, the gyro is reluctant to follow, and the spring is extended or compressed. The change in length of the spring is measured, and is proportional to the rate which the frame is accelerating. This measurement may be utilised directly (eg V2 missile), or processed, perhaps to give a correction signal.

If the requirement were to determine azimuth, the rate output might be integrated to give displacement, but the system would drift relatively quickly, and would have to be referenced to a heading sensor!



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[hairbox]

Wow great
explaination but I need to know in laymans terms how one sets up a system that comprisess of an autopilot, radar/chartplotter, heading sensor and fluxgate compass. I know that you have to swing the fluxgate compass by doing 2 360 turns slowly. But what I dont understand is how to set up the heading sensor and how this fits into the system ie what it is the difference between the heading sensor and the compass

or I am I talking complete B*****ks


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[MarkV]

It sounds to me like the heading sensor is simply a component of the fluxgate compas. thinking back to my airforce days, the aircraft were fitted a gyro magnetic compase, they had a displacement gyro (not a rate gyro) to provide short ter stability and a flux valve to provide long ter stability, the fluxvalue provided a signal to move the gyro at around 2 degrees per minute which is sufficient to stop it wandering. How it all fits together is a question of NMEA and the facilities available within the components that you have.


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