I have been wanting to use the IDG500 gyros for a project, but I have a question about AREF.
The gyros provide an AREF voltage, but it is half of the maximum output voltage of the sensor line. Does anyone know why this is?
Either it's the reference for the gyro's zero point, and it's able to return "negative" values, or the signal is sent in an AC waveform of some type?
Turn rate of 0 is 1/2 the max output. Turning in one direction goes above this voltage. Turning the other goes below.
But it isn't useful for connecting the sensor to an Arduino or similar ADC, correct?
Not directly. However, you could either a) measure it and feed that into your data reduction or b) drop a railsplitter between AREF & GND and attach it to that.