ACCELEROMETERS

SUBMITTED BY: NIDHI ARORA(11104047)

VAISHALI LALIT(11104088)

AGENDA

INTRODUCTION TO ACCELEROMETERS
TYPES OF ACCELEROMETER
COMPARISON BETWEEN TYPES
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

An accelerometer is a device that

measures proper acceleration . Proper
acceleration is not the same as coordinate
acceleration . For example, an
accelerometer at rest on the surface of the
Earth will measure an acceleration g
straight upwards. By contrast,
accelerometers in free fall orbiting and
accelerating due to the gravity of Earth will
measure zero.

 Accelerometers are used to

measure dynamic forces

associated with moving objects.
A typical accelerometer consists
of a proof mass supported by a
spring and a dashpot for
damping of the vibrating proof
mass.
In miniaturizing the
accelerometers to the micro-scale,
there is no room for the coil spring
and the dashpot for damping on
the vibrating mass.

TYPES OF ACCELEROMETER

COMPARISON
PIEZOELECTRIC ACCELEROMETER
UNMATCHED IN UPPER FREQUENCY RANGE
LOW PACKGAGED WEIGHT

HIGH TEMPERATURE RANGE

PIEZORESISTIVE ACCELEROMETER
PREFERRED IN HIGH SHOCK APPLICATIONS

CAPACITIVE ACCELEROMETER
SUPERIOR IN LOW FREQUENCY RANGE

HIGH STABILITY
GOOD LINEARITY

Piezoelectric accelerometer

Piezoelectric plates are

sandwiched between the
casing and the seismic mass,
which exerts on them a force
proportional to acceleration.
In MEMS technology a silicon
cantilever with deposited
piezoelectric film, e.g. BaTiO3
is used.

1. seismic mass
2. piezoelectric plates (with
magnification)
3. tension control
4. FET preamplifier
5. cable attachment

CAPACITIVE

ACCELEROMETER

A change in any of these parameters will be measured as a change of

capacitance and variation of each of the three variables has been used in
MEMS sensing
Typical MEMS accelerometer is composed of movable proof mass
with plates that is attached through a mechanical suspension system
to a reference frame

Movable plates and xed outer plates represent capacitors.

The deection of proof mass is
measured using the capacitance difference
The free-space (air) capacitances between the
movable plate and two stationary outer plates C1 and C2 are
functions of the corresponding
displacements x1 and x2 :

If the acceleration is zero, the capacitances C1 and

C2 are equal because x1 = x2 . The proof
mass displacement x results due to acceleration. If
x = 0, the capacitance difference is found to be

Measuring C, one nds the displacement x by

solving the nonlinear algebraic equation

This equation can be simplied. For small

displacements, the term Cx2 is negligible. Thus ,we
can say displacement is proportional to change in
capacitance.

Vx is square wave with the right amplitude proportional to acceleration. When

there is no acceleration(a1 = 0), the proof mass doesnt move, and therefore, the
voltage output is zero. If we accelerate the sensor (a1 > 0), the voltage output Vx
changes proportional to alternating voltage input V0. To avoid signal
attenuation, we read Vx with voltage follower (buffer), therefore signal Vy is
actually Vx multiplied by 1. If we inverse the acceleration (a1 < 0), signals Vx and
Vy get negative sign. Demodulator then gives us the sign of the acceleration,
because it multiplies the input signal Vy with the square waves V0 coming from
oscillator. Now we nally have voltage output Vout with the right sign of
acceleration and the right amplitude.

APPLICATIONS

AIRBAG SYSTEMystem
Required by Government law since 1999

model year
Capacitive Pressure Sensor and Capacitive
Accelerometer Sensor are used for
passenger protection

Sense a crash
Capacitive Accelerometer Sensor

A change in electrical capacitance with respect to

acceleration

Measuring the movement of Wii joystick /

orientation and movement of
smartphones (COMMERCIAL)