| WHAT IS AN ACCELEROMETER?An accelerometer is | | | | Accelerometers are now also used in aerospace |
| an instrument for measuring acceleration, | | | | and many military applications, such as |
| detecting and measuring vibrations, or for | | | | missile launch, weapon fire system, rocket |
| measuring acceleration due to gravity | | | | deployment etc. Many a times these |
| (inclination). Accelerometers can be used to | | | | accelerometers are used to protect fragile |
| measure vibration on vehicles, machines, | | | | equipment during cargo transportation, and |
| buildings, process control systems and safety | | | | report any strain that might cause a possible |
| installations. They can also be used to | | | | damage. Some companies have also managed to |
| measure seismic activity, inclination, | | | | develop a wireless 3-axis accelerometers |
| machine vibration, dynamic distance and speed | | | | which are not only low in cost but are also |
| with or without the influence of gravity.HOW | | | | shock durable. This 3-axis accelerometer has |
| DOES AN ACCELEROMETER WORK?Used for | | | | sensors that are used to protect mobiles and |
| calculating acceleration and measuring | | | | music players. Also these sensors are used in |
| vibrations, the accelerometer is capable of | | | | some of the devices used for traffic |
| detecting even the slightest movements, from | | | | navigation and control.PIEZOELECTRIC |
| the tilting of a building to smallest | | | | SENSORDepending upon the kind of work, the |
| vibration caused by a musical instrument. | | | | accelerometers vary in the way they are |
| Inside the accelerometer sensor minute | | | | prepared and how they work. Some |
| structures are present that produces | | | | accelerometers use piezoelectricity, these |
| electrical charges if the sensor experiences | | | | are man-made. In such accelerometers the |
| any movement. | | | | acceleration is calculated based upon the |
| | | | charges derived from the microscopic |
| Accelerometers need to be placed on the | | | | crystalline structures when they are |
| surface of the object in order to determine | | | | accelerated due to motion.MEMS |
| the vibrations. It is not capable of work in | | | | ACCELEROMETERAnother kind works with the |
| isolation or apart from the object it is | | | | capacitance and the changes initiated within |
| required to assess, it must be firmly | | | | it as a result of some accelerative force. |
| attached to the object in order to give | | | | This technology is used from automotive |
| precise readings.KINDS OF ACCELEROMETERThe | | | | industry to agriculture industry and from |
| two kinds of basic accelerometers are:1. | | | | NASA to military researches and |
| ANALOG ACCELEROMETERAt times Inputs and | | | | operations.STRAIN GAUGEThis device is used to |
| output readings also matter especially when | | | | measure strain in an object, which is |
| it comes to determining the kind of | | | | detected by a foil strain element. If the |
| accelerometer that needs to be placed on a | | | | object, to which the gauge is attached is |
| certain object. If the output is digital then | | | | some how deformed that creates electrical |
| a digital accelerometer must be placed and | | | | charges and is known as the gauge |
| vice versa. The main feature of this | | | | factor.ACCELEROMETER IS USED IN:AUTOMOTIVE |
| accelerometer is that the output tends to | | | | INDUSTRYDue to high demand and wide spread |
| change when there is even a slight change in | | | | use of accelerometers in the automotive |
| the input. | | | | industry and new hi-tech technology, these |
| | | | sensors are now light weight and are |
| The most common type of this accelerometer | | | | available at low cost and reduced |
| is used in airbags of automobiles, to note | | | | prices.MICROPHONESMicrophones also carry |
| the sudden drop in the speed of the vehicle | | | | accelerometers. That is how they are able to |
| and to trigger the airbag release. Even | | | | detect the minute frequencies.ROBOTICSThe |
| laptops are now being equipped with | | | | forces that can cause vibrations which are |
| accelerometers in order to protect the hard | | | | detected by the accelerometer can be static, |
| drive against any physical dangers, caused | | | | dynamic or gravitational. Certain |
| mainly due to accidental drops.2. DIGITAL | | | | accelerometers are rated G. G stands for |
| ACCELEROMETERThe digital accelerometer is | | | | Gravity. Such accelerometers are used mostly |
| more sophisticated than the analog. Here the | | | | in robotics. They are more sensitive to |
| amount of high voltage time is proportional | | | | motion and can be triggered at the slightest |
| to the acceleration. One of its major | | | | changes in gravitational pulls.Read more |
| advantages is that it is more stable and | | | | about Accelerometer.copyrights - RiekerInc. |
| produces a direct output signal. | | | | |