Technologies

Accelerometers are suitable for use in a wide range of industries. They are perhaps the most common and easily recognizable transducers.

Accelerometers convert acceleration into a measurable electrical signal.
Of the different available technolo-
gies, Delta Metrics manufactures piezoresistive and capacitive accelerometers. In both cases, specially designed silicon micro-
elements are employed. These elements are usually comprised
of a small inertial mass connected
to small beams. The movements of the mass and the deflections of the beams in response to acceleration
are exploited to obtain a proportional electrical signal. For piezoresistive and capacitive accelerometers, small changes in resistance and capacitance, respectively, are what give rise to this signal. Using built-in electrical circuitry, the signal is then filtered and ampli-
fied, allowing measurements to be drawn. It is worthwhile to note that while capacitive accelerometers always produce an amplified signal, piezore-
sistive accelerometers are also capable of an unamplified (mV/V) output.

Depending on application, accelero-
meters can be affixed either by bolt, stud, or screw mounting, and can detect acceleration in one, two, or three axes. They can measure acceleration from one to several hundred times earth’s gravitational pull (g) over a similar range of frequencies.