THE MEMS-BASED BAROMETRIC ALTIMETER INACCURACY AND DRIFT PHENOMENON

Abstract

MEMS technology has made sensors for measuring barometric pressure and altitude above sea level very cheap and widely used in many consumer electronic devices. This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the sources and types of errors in the barometric altimeter using the standard atmosphere model (ISA). Methods for correcting principal errors caused by non-standard sea level conditions are described and compared. A method of correcting errors in the case of altimeter horizontal movement to the air column and total pressure measurement was proposed. It was compared with another method known from the literature. In the numerical experiment, data recorded by a bicycle computer equipped with a MEMS-based barometric altimeter was analyzed. As the GPS data of the route covered was also known, it was possible to compare the recorded altimeter data with the heights determined from the digital terrain model (DTM), which in this case were considered accurate. The error of the measured altitude calculated in this way was tried to be divided into the principal error, the external error caused by the sensor movement, and the barometer drift. Hence, a numerical experiment was carried out in which, based on the recorded data, an attempt was made to reconstruct non-standard sea level conditions and the impact of speed on the sensor measurements. Furthermore, a method of solving such a reverse problem was proposed. The results of the presented studies can be used in the design of systems correcting the indications of barometric altimeters. The accuracy of the altitude measurement is especially important for small controlled flying objects (UAH) and when recording the route of vehicles moving on the ground.