What's the difference between an X/Z and an X/Y 2-axis gyro?

[Randy Forgaard]

Hi, Bob. Yes, what you say does indeed seem to be correct. From Eric's email, I discovered a little diagram in the datasheets for both the X/Z gyro and the X/Y gyro that showed what they mean about the X, Y, and Z-axes.

My confusion stemmed from the fact that I thought that X/Y/Z was yaw/roll/pitch, but (at least as far these gyros is concerned) X/Y/Z is pitch/roll/yaw. That explains why an X/Y gyro is not simply a 90° rotated X/Z gyro -- they are fundamentally different parts, because the Z-axis (the yaw) is in a plane that is normal (orthogonal) to the plane of the X-axis (pitch).

I'm all set. We went ahead and ordered the X/Z gyro, and we're excited to receive it and give it a try. Thanks for your note!

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by Randy Forgaard

Okay, now imagine that we take that X/Z 2-axis gyro, mounted on its little circuit board, and we rotate the whole board 90 degrees, horizontally, in the same plane as the circuit board itself.

Then instead of an X/Z gyro you get an Y/Z gyro. The Z axis goes straight up through the board.