Capacitive Vs Thermal MEMS for high-vibration applications

Capacitive Vs Thermal MEMS for High-Vibration Applications By James Fennally, MEMSIC Business Development Manager – Automotive and Industrial Sensing Design engineers involved in the development of heavy equipment that operate in high shock and vibration environments need to make some choices regarding the type of accelerometer that is used to measure inclination. In equipment such as tractors, cranes, wood chippers, and construction equipment, designers use accelerometers to measure pitch and roll using two (2D) or three orthogonal (3D) axes.  

In most cases, equipment designers have a choice between capacitive-based or thermal MEMS (microelectromechanical) accelerometers. To select the right accelerometer for the application, they need to consider several design variables, including sensor structure, sensor resonance, reliability, stability, bandwidth, and power consumption, together with cost.

Designers also need to understand the key principles of each technology and how these devices measure inclination in high-vibration environments.  Here’s what designers need to know.

Accelerometers can directly measure the acceleration due to gravity along 1, 2, or 3 orthogonal axes. Inclination is calculated from the amount of acceleration due to gravity being measured on the axes.

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