Accelerometer

An accelerometer is a type of sensor that measures acceleration, often in the form of gravitational forces. There are different types of accelerometers, including monocrystalline silicon, MEMS (microelectromechanical systems), and piezoelectric accelerometers.

MEMS accelerometers are commonly found in a variety of electronic devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops. They are often used to sense and measure movements and changes in the device's position. In a smartphone, the accelerometer can be used to automatically switch the display orientation from portrait to landscape, or to sense when the device is moving to activate security features such as screen lock.

Accelerometers are also used in medical equipment, such as motion and activity monitors to track patients' movement and activity. In the automotive industry, accelerometers are used to measure vibration and help to monitor the performance of cars and other vehicles, including airplanes and trains.

They can also be used for navigation and positioning in, for example, drones and robotics, they can also be used to measure and compensate for vibrations and shakes in, for example, precision instruments, such as X-ray machines and microscopes. Similarly, accelerometers can be used to measure and monitor seismic activity in agriculture, construction and other industries where vibrations can cause damage to equipment or buildings.

Overall, accelerometers are useful sensors that measure acceleration with high precision and can be used for a variety of applications, from electronic devices and medical devices to automotive and industrial applications.

Accelerometers for shock and vibration measurements

Accelerometers are widely used to measure shock and vibration levels in a wide range of industries and applications. These sensors are designed to sense and measure accelerations in a specific direction, making them very suitable for measuring the high speeds and powerful shocks that often occur in shock and vibration measurements.

To use an accelerometer for shock and vibration measurements, it is first and foremost important to attach the sensor to the object or equipment to be measured. There are various types of fasteners, including glue, tape, and clips, that can be used to secure the accelerometer to the object. Then the accelerometer should be calibrated to ensure that the measurements are accurate.

Once the accelerometer is properly mounted and calibrated, shock and vibration measurements can be performed. This is done by applying a series of shock and vibration loads to the object or equipment to be measured. The accelerometer then records the accelerations under the loads and provides data on the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations. This data can then be processed and analyzed to determine the shock and vibration levels under load.

Shock and vibration measurements using accelerometers are an important tool for checking the performance of equipment and machinery, as well as for monitoring any damage or deterioration that may have occurred due to shock or vibration loads. This can help prevent downtime and unnecessary maintenance, as well as identify and address potential security issues.

Accelerometers with PCB Piezotronics Inc

Since 1967, PCB Piezotronics Inc has been manufacturing sensors used by development engineers and preventive maintenance personnel to test and measure vibration, pressure, force, acoustics, force and shock in research and development and industrial applications. ICP® is a PCB® registered trademark that stands for "Integrated Circuit Piezoelectric" are sensors that contain built-in electronics.

The electronics convert a high-impedance charging signal generated by a piezoelectric crystal into a usable low-impedance voltage signal that can be easily transmitted over standard two-wire or coaxial cables to any data acquisition system.

Manufacturing takes place in Depew, Buffalo, NY and also in Halifax, North Carolina.

Piezoelectric accelerometers

Piezoelectric accelerometers offer tremendous versatility in shock and vibration measurements. These piezoelectric accelerometers can handle most measurement environments. A variety of configurations are available to support most application requirements. Special models are also available, for example accelerometers with built-in mechanical or electrical filters that make it easier to measure in extreme shock measurements.

Industrial accelerometers

IMI Sensors, a division of PCB Piezotronics, is a global player and manufacturer of industrial sensors such as accelerometers, transmitters and switches. These industrial sensors are used to detect imbalance, defective bearings and misalignment by measuring machine vibration, providing early diagnosis of faults and thereby reducing operational disruptions. Our extensive product line connects easily to data collection equipment including online systems and handheld data collectors. IMI offers a full range of piezoelectric accelerometers, speed sensors, dual-connector vibration sensors, 4-20mA vibration transmitters, switches, relays, cables and accessories.

Capacitive MEMS accelerometers PCB

Capacitive MEMS accelerometers are used to measure low frequency motion down to zero Hertz. These accelerometers are used in applications such as structural monitoring, space vibration testing, comfort measurements and gravity measurements. The MEMS series offers measurement ranges all the way from ± 2 g to ± 200 g. These MEMS sensors have low spectral noise and high resolution.

Piezoelectric pressure sensors

Piezoelectric pressure sensors are used for a variety of different types of dynamic pressure measurements. The ability to measure small pressure fluctuations at high pressure levels is a unique characteristic of piezoelectric pressure sensors. With ICP® amplification, the transducers are well suited for continuous operation in harsh environments, underwater and in field applications with long cables. Special cables or separate amplifiers are not needed. These sensors are ideal for virtually all dynamic pressure applications where sensor temperatures range from -196 to +135 °C. For higher temperature applications PCB offers charger type pressure sensors, these are available for use up to +650 °C.

Piezoelectric force sensors

Piezoelectric force and strain transducers are durable measurement sensors that have exceptional properties for measuring dynamic force and strain. Typical measurements include dynamic and quasi-static forces occurring during actuation, compression, impact, impulse, reaction, and tension.

Since the measurement signal is generated by a quartz crystal, the signal will die out over time during long static force measurements. Short-term, or "quasi-static" measurements are possible within certain time limits, depending on the sensor and signal conditioning used.

Microphones

PCB's measurement microphones include a wide range of microphone capsules, preamplifiers and accessories. PCB offers both pre-polarized and 200 volt microphones of the free field, diffuse and pressure field type, for high and low levels and for permanent outdoor use. PCB's microphones have been tested for superior stability in varying temperatures and humidity. You can always trust the measurement results.

Modal hammer

Power transducers can be a challenge to assemble. Therefore, PCBs have many variants that can be pre-stressed for easiest mounting or have an extremely low profile to fit in where space is at a premium. The range also includes triaxial force transducers for both small and large forces.

Impulse/modal hammer is one of the most common tools on the market for determining force transfer functions in structures. PCB's ICP hammers are available from 4.8g to 5.5kg.

Load cells

The load cells that PCB provides help you meet your ever-changing test requirements. PCB's wide selection of load cells will help you meet the most demanding test and measurement requirements. Load cells are used in the automotive, aerospace and defense industries and are designed to provide many years of reliable performance. PCB's load cell offering includes a variety of low profile, single or double bridge configurations, all providing excellent accuracy at an affordable price. PCB also provides a whole range of different accessories for these load cells, such as signal conditioning and tailor-made cables.

Wheel force sensor

PCB® has recently launched the new SWIFT Evo wheel force transducer for rotating and non-rotating vehicle applications. The SWIFT Evo is the next generation wheel force transducer that offers simple installation that saves time and money and outstanding data accuracy during testing. SWIFT Evo now has better thermal stability, built-in TEDS and a new simple graphical user interface. In addition, the SWIFT Evo is designed for all MTS 329 test rigs as the SWIFT Evo can be used both on the test track and in the laboratory. PCB Piezotronics is part of the MTS family, therefore SWIFT Evo will be supported by a strong global team with good service and support, rental opportunities, consultation and calibration services. Customers will benefit from improved performance, sophisticated functionality and very good reliability.

Strain gauge

Traditional strain sensors are based on strain gauge technology. In order to effectively measure the strain values in a force or load measurement, a resistance bridge of the Wheatstone type is usually used. A Wheatstone bridge works well but only in a smaller measurement range and not completely linear in the lower and upper part of a larger and wider measurement range. Therefore, significant measurement errors can occur in these parts of the measurement range. To avoid these measurement errors, PCB manufactures quartz crystal piezoelectric strain sensors that output the same mV/με throughout the useful measurement range. Thus, accuracy is improved. ICP® models RHM240 and 740B02 are the strain sensors for these applications.

Torque transducer

For more than 25 years, PCB has offered torque transducers of various types. These torque transducers have helped customers meet the most demanding test and measurement requirements in the process, automotive, aerospace and defense industries, but also in development laboratories. PCB's torque transducers are built around strain transducer technology with a Wheatstone bridge that converts the physical, mechanical force into an electrical signal that can be filtered, displayed and recorded for further processing. This highly accurate electrical torque signal is proportional to the applied mechanical force.

Sensors Endevco

Endevco is the leading designer and manufacturer of dynamic instrumentation for vibration, shock and pressure measurements.

For 70 years, the Endevco® brand has been recognized for offering a range of products for applications where accurate and reliable data is imperative. Examples include:

Vehicle design/crash test
Testing of aircraft/spacecraft
Ammunition test
Power production maintenance
General laboratory tests

Endevco Corporation was founded in 1947 and became a PCB Piezotronics company in 2019 is part of PCB Piezotronics of North Carolina, Inc.

Endevco offers a full range of test and measurement solutions including:

Accelerometers
Shock sensors
Pressure sensors
Signal amplifiers, amplifiers, cables and accessories.

Manufacturing is located in Irvine, California with a MEMS design and manufacturing center in Silicon Valley, California.

Piezoelectric accelerometers

Piezoelectric accelerometers offer tremendous versatility for shock and vibration measurements. These piezoelectric accelerometers can handle most measurement environments. A variety of configurations are available to support most application requirements. Special models are also available, such as accelerometers with built-in mechanical or electrical filters that make it easier to measure in extreme shock measurements.

Piezoresistive MEMS accelerometers

Piezoresistive MEMS accelerometers are ideal for measuring impact and shock events. Typical applications are crash tests in the automotive industry, drop tests and shock testing in the weapons industry. Some accelerometers are damped to prevent saturation, while others are undamped to provide high measurement bandwidth. Endevco offers these piezoresistive MEMS accelerometers in various sizes and designs to cover most applications encountered today.

Piezoresistive pressure sensors

Piezoresistive pressure sensors measure both dynamic and static pressure in various process control applications, explosion testing, airbag testing, rocket engine analysis measurements, pressure measurements on JET engines, transmission and hydraulic measurements. These piezoresistive pressure sensors are of the MEMS type and are built with resistance bridges that offer precision measurements of the highest class.

Capacitive MEMS accelerometers

Capacitive MEMS accelerometers are accelerometers that measure with variable capacitance. These capacitive MEMS accelerometers can thus measure down to 0 Hz (DC response). Capacitive MEMS accelerometers are ideal for measuring low frequency vibration, motion (constant acceleration) and even tilt. With internal gas damping and overload protection, Endevco's capacitive MEMS accelerometers are also capable of measuring low-frequency vibrations immediately after being subjected to a shock pulse in variable temperatures.

Accelerometer

Accelerometers for shock and vibration measurements