Dynamic characterization of MEMS-based Inertial Unit under combined vibration stresses

MEMS-based Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) are becoming essential components in automotive applications, as well as in many other fields. However, current literature misses to extensively consider dynamic characterization of such devices under the actual operating conditions typical of the field of application. In this work, a specific test plan and a customized experimental setup have been developed in order to characterize the dynamic performances of low-cost IMU enduring a combined vibration stress. More in detail, the specific test plan is composed by two simultaneous stimuli: a standard movement generated by a specific Pan-Tilt unit, and a high-frequency random noise provided by a vibration shaker in order to emulate the real conditions typical of automotive field of application. The analysis of the experimental results emphasized the necessity of corrective actions in case low-cost IMU are used in presence of harsh operating conditions in terms of vibration noise.