Comparison between references in a rotating calibration bench for accelerometers

Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) are sensor systems based on MEMS technology, often used on vehicles to manage navigation, positioning and safety tasks. The data from IMUs, when combined with data from other sensing systems, can be used to implement the so called "smart mobility", based on the real-time information exchange among vehicles and infrastructures. However, for "smart mobility" to be safe and trustworthy, it needs to be supported by reliable and traceable sensors. In this work the calibration of MEMS accelerometers integrated in IMU platforms will be faced using a rotating test bench, in order to create conditions close to those in-field. In the analyzed calibration bench, in fact, the axes are subjected to different accelerations in amplitude, phase and frequency, unlike what happens in linear ones. In particular, the problem of choosing the reference signal in a rotating calibration bench will be explored in depth, examining two different possible alternatives and highlighting their advantages and limitations.