I’m looking for a higher performance alternative to the IDG300 series gyros for my INS application. The Analog ADXRS series are neat but relatively expensive in low quantity ($39) and also not in stock until JULY!
I found the Melexis MLX90609 gyros which come in 75, 150 and 300 degree/sec versions. They are really neat for a number of reasons. Firstly, they include both SPI and analog interfaces that allow you to measure both angular rate and temperature (using either interface). Also they have lower noise than the ADXRS series gyros [Melexis - 0.03 vs. Analog - 0.05 deg/sec/sqrt(Hz)]. Lastly, they’re potentially less expensive than the Analog Devices parts and could even be competitive with the IDG300. A quote for for qty. 100 was $30/each and a 1000 qty. was $22/each. [All numbers are for 150 deg/sec part]
It would be great if Sparkfun would carry this item to improve their gyro line.
If you’d be interested in one or more of these, please reply. If Sparkfun doesn’t come through, I’d be willing to front a reasonably sized group purchase. We’d probably need about 25 units to make it worthwhile.
Here’s the website:
http://www.melexis.com/ProdMain.aspx?nID=582
Thanks for your interest,
David Carr
As an update, I found that Future Electronics stocks this part for $48.6 (1-25) and for $28.6 (26+).
$29 is not a bad deal, although I’m not sure whether or not they’ll sell you 26 or if you have to buy 50.
-DC
I second this; a cheap digital gyro with an optional breakout board would be awesome; saves me the trouble of having a dedicated ADC chip.
Of the three, I think the 75 d/s one is the most useful.
I would just like to reiterate how awesome this would be, and how I would immediately buy one if it were offered.
OK, I’ll bite. It’s an old post, but yes it is pretty neat and available. The noise performance is also nice.
As for what is most useful, this REALLY depends on the project. A balancing robot would probably love the 75 deg/s part. An airborne INS would either need the 150 deg/s part or the 300 deg/s part (if you’re doing tumble applications or have a very maneuverable design). You might be surprised how fast something can turn, especially in the first 5 degrees of a longer turn. Might top out the 75 deg/s part, maybe even the 150 deg/s part.
SOI_Sentinel:
OK, I’ll bite. It’s an old post, but yes it is pretty neat and available. The noise performance is also nice.
As for what is most useful, this REALLY depends on the project. A balancing robot would probably love the 75 deg/s part. An airborne INS would either need the 150 deg/s part or the 300 deg/s part (if you’re doing tumble applications or have a very maneuverable design). You might be surprised how fast something can turn, especially in the first 5 degrees of a longer turn. Might top out the 75 deg/s part, maybe even the 150 deg/s part.
My thought was that, if you're dealing with fast and unpredictable rotations, 300 deg/s may very well be too low for your needs anyway.
In the end, though, I don’t really care; I’d settle for any serial gyro with a breakout board, from anybody.
[I love you SparkFun!
Single Axis MEMs Gyroscope - MLX90609-N2
Description: This is a gyroscope from Melexis featuring both analog and digital (SPI) interfaces. Designed for dead reckoning navigation applications, the MLX90609-N2 is a 75 degree/s max rate gyro with low drift and programmable bandwidth, this gyro is perfect for digital stabilization and control.
Breakout board coming soon.
](Single Axis MEMs Gyroscope - MLX90609-N2 - COM-08294 - SparkFun Electronics)
In the end, though, I don’t really care; I’d settle for any serial gyro with a breakout board, from anybody.
analog devices has been selling them for months…
http://www.analog.com/en/prod/0,ADIS16100,00.html
digidocs:
I’m looking for a higher performance alternative to the IDG300 series gyros for my INS application.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but as I see it, the IDG300 is far superior to the melexis or analog gyros.
It has got a range of 500 deg/s instead of only 300 deg/s, it can survive shocks of 5000g and it got a noise of just 0,014.
hansinator:
digidocs:
I’m looking for a higher performance alternative to the IDG300 series gyros for my INS application.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but as I see it, the IDG300 is far superior to the melexis or analog gyros.
It has got a range of 500 deg/s instead of only 300 deg/s, it can survive shocks of 5000g and it got a noise of just 0,014.
Yea, the IDG 300 noise looks good but…
AD +/2% variation over temp, IDG300 +/- 10%
AD Nonlinearity .1% IDG300 1%
AD specs valid over -40 to 105 Deg C
IDG300 specs valid from 0 to 70 deg C
you can change the range on the AD gryo up to 50000 deg/sec if you want with few external parts, see
http://www.analog.com/UploadedFiles/App … N625_0.pdf
i see
so for my quadrocopter a slightly “tuned” ADXRS series gyro will do i guess 
Provided that i understood right, that a higher dynamic range is better for small fast and unpredictable movements.
Now another question: So the different scale-factor gyros are actually almost the same sensors, just that they have a different stabilized internal voltage for the proof mass?