First Pre-Research Assignment

Leonardo Campello
April 2015

Accelerometer

Accelerometers are used to measure acceleration (static or dynamic). They are

usually used as tilt-sensing, but they can also be used to sense motion or to
detect if a device is in a state of free fall [1]. To choose one, some characteristics
should be analyzed:
Range: the upper and lower limits of what the accelerometer can measure. In most cases, a smaller full-scale range means a more sensitive
output; so a more precise reading can be obtained out of an accelerometer with a low full-scale range. There some accelerometers that feature
selectable ranges.
Interface: accelerometers will have either an analog, PWM, or digital interface. Accelerometers with an analog output will produce a voltage that
is directly proportional to the sensed acceleration. Accelerometers with
a PWM interface will produce a square wave with a fixed frequency, but
the duty cycle of the pulse will vary with the sensed acceleration. Digital
accelerometers usually feature a serial interface be it SPI or I2C. Digital
accelerometers are popular because they usually have more features, and
are less susceptible to noise than their analog counterparts.
Number of axes measured: sense the acceleration out of the three
axes possible. Three-axis accelerometers are the most common and they
are really no more expensive than equivalently sensitive one or two axis
accelerometers.
Power Usage: this characteristics should be considered if the project is
battery powered. The required current consumption will usually be in the
100s of A range, and some of them have sleep functionality.
Bonus Features: some accelerometers have extras features like selectable
measurement ranges, sleep control, 0-g detection, and tap sensing.
When the accelerometer moves, two signals are transmitted to a microcontroller. Each signal is a square signal with variable duty cycle, which is where is
contained the desired information. The microcontroller then performs a pulse
1

count to calculate the ratio T1/T2 where T1 is the sign of time at a high level
and T2 is the signal period. Calculating this relationship we obtain the acceleration in x and y that the board has obtained and, consequently, with the
kinematics equations, we obtain the velocities in x and y and, finally, the offset
in x and y.

Gyro

Gyroscopes measure angular velocity, how fast something is spinning about an

axis. They are usually used to make a complement of the accelerometer and
they are not affected by gravity. The angular velocity is normally represented
in units of rotations per minute (RPM), or degrees per second ( /s). The three
axes of rotation are either referenced as x, y, and z, or roll, pitch, and yaw.
They are used alongside accelerometers for applications like motion-capture and
vehicle navigation [1]. To select an ideal gyro it should be considered some
characteristics:
Range: take care with the maximum angular velocity youre expecting
to measure doesnt exceed the maximum range of the gyro.
Interface: almost all of the gyros feature an analog output. There are a
few that have a digital interface - either SPI or I2C.
Number of axes measured: gyros are a little behind the curve. Pay
attention to which of the three axes the gyro will measure; for example,
some two axis gyros will measure pitch and roll, while others measure
pitch and yaw.
Power Usage: The required current consumption will usually be in the
100s of A range.
Bonus Features: Many gyros feature a temperature output, which is
very useful when compensating for drift.

IMU

Gyroscopes and accelerometers are great, but alone they dont give you calculate
things like orientation, position, and velocity. They were combined to create an
inertial measurement unit (IMU) which provides two to six degrees of freedom
(DOF). They can be used as tools in the study of body motion [1].

References
[1] Accelerometer,
gyro
and
imu
https://www.sparkfun.com/pages/accel gyro guide.
2015.
2

buying
Accessed:

guide.
04-28-