MTR100: Silicon Sensing Systems

With a heritage dating back more than 100 years, Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd and its predecessor companies have a unique record in delivering gyroscope systems to the marine industry. Based in Plymouth in the southwest of the U.K., Silicon Sensing Systems produces low-cost highly reliable gyros. Having gained entry into the consumer car market, the company now produces up to 4 million devices per year, and more than 30 million to date. The company is now jointly owned by UTC Aerospace Systems, co-located in Plymouth, and Sumitomo Precision Products Amagasaki, Japan, bringing inertial expertise from the U.K./U.S. side, and silicon MEMS fabrication from Japan.

The patented construction of its silicon MEMS gyros – based on a vibrating ring – makes the Silicon Sensing Systems gyros highly resistant to shock and vibration, increasing the reliability and quality of its inertial portfolio. An in-house MEMS foundry has manufactured all of the core gyro technology since the birth of the joint venture. Among its unique fabrication equipment is a deep reactive-ion etching capability, developed in-house in Japan. Most recently, Silicon Sensing Systems has leveraged the inherent capability of its MEMS devices to create a new range of high performance gyros and inertial systems. Sensitive enough to detect earth rotation rate, these devices enable a North-seeking capability to be offered to the market – offering performance equivalent to fiber-optic systems but at a greatly reduced price. Specific new products now on offer include, CRS39 and CRH02 gyros (with performance better than 0.1deg/hr bias instability), plus DMU10, DMU11 and DMU30 inertial measurement units. 

Email: sales@siliconsensing.com

Website: http://www.siliconsensing.com

(As published in the July/August 2016 MTR100 edition of Marine Technology Reporter)