Silicon Sensing Upgrades Gyro for Downhole Surveying

Silicon Sensing Systems is delivering its latest generation of gyroscopes, as the new CRS39A has been designed for use in severe environments including downhole drilling operations.  

This upgrade of Silicon Sensing’s established CRS39 gyro includes a move to a single board from two. This has reduced the unit’s mass by 40% and allows it to be installed far more easily in space-limited applications, such as the 25mm diameter cylinders typically used in downhole drilling equipment.

CRS39A also incorporates upgraded micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and electronics, including new drive electronics and improvements to the sensor head. These have delivered significant performance enhancements in critical areas such as bias instability, angle random walk, noise and vibration tolerance whilst multiple on-board temperature sensors allow CRS39A performance to be tuned to suit each operating environment.

“Our new CRS39A represents a cost-effective and extremely rugged alternative to fibre optic and dynamically tuned gyros," said Steve Capers, GMr, Silicon Sensing Systems. "We have refined both the form and performance of CRS39A to deliver a gyro that is ideal for tasks such as down-hole surveying, non-magnetic north-finding, platform stabilisation, ship stabilisation and control, and autonomous vehicle control, as well as for installation in high-end attitude and heading reference systems.”