Development of Accelerometer for Air-to-Surface Missile Inertial Systems.

The work covered by this report is the fourth phase in a program to develop a 2-Axis Accelerometer with relatively high performance that can be quantity produced at a very low unit cost. Prior phases were reported in AFAL-TR-68-273 and AFAL-TR-71-208. This phase of the development was primarily concerned with designing, fabricating and testing two prototype instruments for delivery to Holloman AFB for independent evaluation. The report tabulates and discusses the performance parameters of the two prototype sensors obtained during development tests. The remaining error mechanisms are analyzed and recommendations for their reduction or elimination made. The performance data indicates that all specifications were met or exceeded. However, a significant error mechanism and a potential problem in the operation of the suspension system not previously observed was uncovered. Further development is recommended to completely resolve these mechanisms, together with the development of a smaller size and weight sensor with an increased g measurement range. The microcircuit packaging task was found to be unrealistic within the available funding because of the inability of electronic houses to undertake microcircuit efforts of this kind at a reasonable cost without a production requirement. Some microcircuit design work, however, was carried out and the two sensors have been delivered with electronics suitable for the intended test program.