ACCELEROMETERS:

An accelerometer is an electromechanical device that will measure acceleration forces.

These forces may be static, like the constant force of gravity pulling at your feet, or they
could be dynamic - caused by moving or vibrating the accelerometer.

An accelerometer is a device that measures the vibration, or acceleration of motion of a structure.

The force caused by vibration or a change in motion (acceleration) causes the mass to "squeeze"
the piezoelectric material which produces an electrical charge that is proportional to the force
exerted upon it. Since the charge is proportional to the force, and the mass is a constant, then the
charge is also proportional to the acceleration.

There are two types of piezoelectric accelerometers (vibration sensors). The first type is a "high
impedance" charge output accelerometer. In this type of accelerometer the piezoelectric crystal
produces an electrical charge which is connected directly to the measurement instruments. The
charge output requires special accommodations and instrumentation most commonly found in
research facilities. This type of accelerometer is also used in high temperature applications
(>120C) where low impedance models can not be used.

TRIAXIAL:

Triaxial accelerometers measure the vibration in three axes X, Y and Z. They have three crystals
positioned so that each one reacts to vibration in a different axis. The output has three signals,
each representing the vibration for one of the three axes. The ACC301 has lightweight titanium
construction and 10 mV/g output with a dynamic range of +/-500 g's over a range of 3 to 10 kHz.
The second type of accelerometer is a low impedance output accelerometer. A low impedance
accelerometer has a charge accelerometer as its front end but has a tiny built-in micro-circuit and
FET transistor that converts that charge into a low impedance voltage that can easily interface
with standard instrumentation. This type of accelerometer is commonly used in industry. An
accelerometer power supply like the ACC-PS1, provides the proper power to the microcircuit 18
to 24 V @ 2 mA constant current and removes the DC bias level, they typically produces a zero
based output signal up to +/- 5V depending upon the mV/g rating of the accelerometer. All
OMEGA(R) accelerometers are this low impedance type.
±1.5g - 6g Three Axis Low-g Micro machined Accelerometer:

Features:

• Selectable Sensitivity (1.5g/2g/4g/6g)

• Low Current Consumption: 500 µA
• Sleep Mode: 3 µA
• Low Voltage Operation: 2.2 V – 3.6 V
• 6mm x 6mm x 1.45mm QFN
• High Sensitivity (800 mV/g @ 1.5g)
• Fast Turn On Time
• Integral Signal Conditioning with Low Pass Filter
• Robust Design, High Shocks Survivability
• Pb-Free Terminations
• Environmentally Preferred Package
• Low Cost

PIN DIAGRAM:
Pin Descriptions
Simplified Accelerometer Functional Block Diagram

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

The Freescale accelerometer is a surface-micromachined integrated-circuit accelerometer.

The device consists of two surface micromachined capacitive sensing cells (g-cell) and a
signal conditioning ASIC contained in a single integrated circuit package. The
sensing elements are sealed hermetically at the wafer level using a bulk micromachined
cap wafer.

The g-cell is a mechanical structure formed from semiconductor materials (polysilicon)

using semiconductor processes (masking and etching). It can be modeled as a set
of beams attached to a movable central mass that move between fixed beams. The
movable beams can be deflected from their rest position by subjecting the system to an
acceleration Figure.

As the beams attached to the central mass move, the distance from them to the fixed
beams on one side will increase by the same amount that the distance to the fixed
beams on the other side decreases. The change in distance is a measure of acceleration.
The g-cell beams form two back-to-back capacitors Figure. As the center beam moves
with acceleration, the distance between the beams changes and each capacitor's
value will change, (C = A€/D). Where A is the area of the beam, is the dielectric
constant, and D is the distance between the beams.
The ASIC uses switched capacitor techniques to measure the g-cell capacitors and extract
the acceleration data from the difference between the two capacitors. The ASIC also
signal conditions and filters (switched capacitor) the signal, providing a high level output
voltage that is ratiometric and proportional to acceleration.

Simplified Transducer Physical Model

g-Select
The g-Select feature allows for the selection among 4 sensitivities present in the device.
Depending on the logic input placed on pins 1 and 2, the device internal gain will be
changed allowing it to function with a 1.5g, 2g, 4g, or 6g sensitivity (Table 3). This
feature is ideal when a product has applications requiring different sensitivities for
optimum performance. The sensitivity can be changed at anytime during the operation of
the product. The g-Select1 and g-Select2 pins can be left unconnected for applications
requiring only a 1.5g sensitivity as the device has an internal pull-down to keep it at that
sensitivity (800mV/g).
g-Select Pin Descriptions

Sleep Mode
The 3 axis accelerometer provides a Sleep Mode that is ideal for battery operated
products. When Sleep Mode is active, the device outputs are turned off, providing
significant reduction of operating current. A low input signal on pin 12 (Sleep Mode) will
place the device in this mode and reduce the current to 3 µA type. For lower power
consumption, it is recommended to set g-Select1 and g-Select2 to 1.5g mode.
By placing a high input signal on pin 12, the device will resume to normal mode of
operation.

Filtering
The 3 axis accelerometer contains onboard single-pole switched capacitor filters. Because
the filter is realized using switched capacitor techniques, there is no requirement for
external passive components (resistors and capacitors) to set the cut-off frequency.

Ratiometricity
Ratiometricity simply means the output offset voltage and sensitivity will scale linearly
with applied supply voltage. That is, as supply voltage is increased, the sensitivity and
offset increase linearly; as supply voltage decreases, offset and sensitivity decrease
linearly. This is a key feature when interfacing to a microcontroller or an A/D converter
because it provides system level cancellation of supply induced errors in the analog to
digital conversion process. Offset ratiometric error can be typically >20% at VDD = 2.2
V. Sensitivity ratiometric error can be typically >3% at VDD = 2.2 V. Consult factory for
additional information.
Accelerometer Selection When selecting an accelerometer for our application many parameters
must be considered.

 What is the vibration amplitude to be monitored?

 What is the frequency range to be monitored?
 What is the temperature range of the installation?
 What is the size and shape of the sample to be monitored?
 Are there electromagnetic fields?
 Is there a high level of electrical noise in the area?
 Is the surface where the accelerometer is to be mounted grounded?
 Is the environment corrosive?
 Does the area require intrinsically safe or explosion proof instruments?
 Is the area a wet or a wash down area?

APPLICATIONS:

• HDD MP3 Player: Freefall Detection

• Laptop PC: Freefall Detection, Anti-Theft
• Cell Phone: Image Stability, Text Scroll, Motion Dialing, E-Compass
• Pedometer: Motion Sensing
• PDA: Text Scroll
• Navigation and Dead Reckoning: E-Compass Tilt Compensation
• Gaming: Tilt and Motion Sensing, Event Recorder

• Robotics: Motion Sensing

Accelerometers can be used to measure vehicle acceleration. They allow for performance
evaluation of both the engine/drive train and the braking systems. Useful numbers like 0-
60mph, 60-0mph and 1/4 mile times can all be found using accelerometers.

Accelerometers can be used to measure vibration on cars, machines, buildings, process

control systems and safety installations. They can also be used to measure seismic
activity, inclination, machine vibration, dynamic distance and speed with or without the
influence of gravity. Applications for accelerometers that measure gravity, wherein an
accelerometer is specifically configured for use in gravimetry, are called gravimeters.