A Virtual Accelerometer Array Using One Device Based on Time Domain Measurement

This paper reports for the first time a virtual accelerometer array using one device based on time domain measurement. The device can simultaneously offer multiple acceleration measurements, thus implementing a virtual array. The acceleration is calculated by measuring the time intervals between triggering events generated when a harmonically oscillating mass-on-spring passes a set of predefined displacement reference points. The multiple measurements are obtained by predefining multiple sets of displacement reference points and measuring the corresponding time intervals. Accuracy is improved via combining all the measurements. The amplitude and frequency of the oscillation trajectory, trigger gap selection, and predefined displacement reference points are analyzed in detail. Finally, a virtual accelerometer array comprising six component sensors is implemented to test its performance. The experimental results show that the 1σ noise, noise floor, and velocity random walk of the virtual accelerometer are reduced by factors of 4.45, 1.29, and 1.36, respectively, compared with the individual component sensor.