IMU PCB Isolation Portion Reduces Mechanical Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional inertial measurement units (IMUs) in unmanned aerial vehicles suffer from noise and zero offset issues due to mechanical stress from fixing structures, which degrade the precision and stability of gimbal control systems.
Innovation Solution
The design of an inertial measurement apparatus featuring a PCB board with a slotted isolation portion and connection seats, where the IMU is separated from the PCB body, reducing mechanical stress and optimizing the PCB structure to minimize noise and zero offset, thereby enhancing the performance of gyroscopes and accelerometers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the IMU is fixed to the PCB using traditional screw locking and rigid connection methods, then the structural stability and ease of manufacture are improved, but mechanical stress is generated that causes noise and zero offset in the gyroscope and accelerometer, deteriorating measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The PCB is divided into a PCB body portion and an isolation portion that are separately formed and then connected. The isolation portion is symmetrically disposed relative to the symmetry axis of the PCB body portion, creating a segmented structure that isolates the IMU from stress-generating areas while maintaining overall structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The isolation portion is extracted as a separate component from the PCB body, fixedly connected through the connection seat. This extraction allows the IMU to be isolated from the main PCB structure that generates mechanical stress, thereby reducing noise and zero offset while maintaining structural stability
2Ease of manufacture
If the PCB is designed based only on layout guidance of gyroscope or accelerometer IC with symmetric wiring and no additional elements, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the PCB cannot withstand large external unbalanced mechanical stress from screw locking and hard fitting, causing deterioration of noise, zero offset and other performance parameters
Solution Approach 1:
While maintaining overall symmetry for stress balance, the design introduces asymmetric stress-dissipating elements such as the isolation portion with connection seats and isolation areas around installation seats. These elements create controlled asymmetric stress paths that protect the IMU from unbalanced mechanical stress while remaining manufacturable
Solution Approach 2:
The isolation portion and connection seats are pre-designed into the PCB structure before IMU installation. This preliminary action ensures that stress-dissipating features are already in place to withstand external mechanical stress from screw locking and hard fitting, preventing performance deterioration before it occurs
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an inertial measurement apparatus and a mechanical device. The inertial measurement apparatus includes a PCB board and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The PCB board includes a PCB body portion and an isolation portion that is formed by slotting a side of the PCB board and fixedly connected to the PCB body portion. The IMU is disposed on the isolation portion. In the present invention, PCB board design of an inertial measurement structure is optimized, so that mechanical stress transferred to the inertial measurement structure is reduced or even eliminated, and IMUs such as a gyroscope and an accelerometer in the inertial measurement structure are less affected by the mechanical stress, which reduces noise and zero offset, helps achieve optimal performance of the gyroscope and the accelerometer, and improves control precision of the inertial measurement structure, being particularly applicable to devices or fields such as gimbals, robots, unmanned aerial vehicles or manned aircrafts.