igure 1: The MiniSense 100 Vibration Sensor is a cantilever-beam accelerometer that detects

continuous or impulsive vibration or impacts (Courtesy of Measurement Specialties).

These sensors can be used to detect continuous vibration or sudden impact in such applications
as washing machine load imbalance, vehicle motion sensor, anti-theft devices, vital signs
monitoring, and tamper detection. Features include:

High Voltage Sensitivity (1 V/g)

Over 5 V/g at Resonance

Horizontal or Vertical Mounting

Shielded Construction

Solderable Pins, PCB Mounting

Low Cost

< 1% Linearity

Up to 40 Hz (2,400 rpm) Operation Below Resonance

Another feature-packed example is the ADIS16223 Digital Tri-Axial Vibration Sensor from
Analog Devices (Figure 2) a vibration sensor system that combines the companys iMEMS
sensing technology with signal processing, data capture, and a convenient serial peripheral
interface (SPI). The SPI and data buffer structure yield convenient access to wide bandwidth
sensor data. The 22 kHz sensor resonance and 72.9 kSPS sample rate provide a frequency
response that is suitable for machine health applications.

Figure 2: ADIS16223 Digital Tri-Axial Vibration Sensor (Courtesy of Analog Devices).

In this case, an internal clock drives the data sampling system during a data capture event, which
eliminates the need for an external clock source. The data capture function has four different
modes that offer several capture trigger options to meet the needs of several applications. The
ADIS16223 also offers a digital temperature sensor, digital power supply measurements and
peak output capture. It is available in a 15 mm x 15 mm x 15 mm module with a threaded hold
for stud mounting with a 10-32 UNF screw. Applications include vibration analysis, shock
detection and event capture, condition monitoring, machine health, instrumentation diagnostics,
safety shutoff sensing, security sensing including tamper detection.

Also well worth considering, particularly for energy harvesting applications, is the Mid
Technology Volture Piezoelectric energy harvester (Figure 3), which converts otherwise wasted
energy from mechanical vibrations into usable electrical energy. The Volture does this by using
normally brittle piezoelectric materials.

Figure 3: Mids Volture Piezoelectric Energy Harvester converts wasted energy from vibration
(Courtesy of Mid).
The piezoelectric materials are packaged in a protective skin with pre-attached electrical leads,
producing a robust component with no soldered wires. The skin also provides electrical
insulation and defense against humidity and harsh contaminants. Applications include:

Industrial health monitoring network sensors

Condition Based Maintenance Sensors

Wireless HVAC Sensors

Mobile Asset Tracking

Tire Pressure Sensors

Oil and Gas sensors

All air, land and sea vehicle sensors

Battery and hard-wired power replacement

The first step in applying a device such as the Volture is to fully understand the vibration
environment in which the part will be operating. The most effective means to accomplish this is
to measure the vibration using an accelerometer, capture the data, and perform an FFT (Fast
Fourier Transform) on the data to extract the relevant frequency information.
Some applications will not require this step since their dominant frequencies are well known. An
example of this would be a 120 Hz AC motor or a 60 Hz appliance. However, most applications
will require some form of vibration characterization to be successful.
If you do not know what the vibration frequency content and amplitude levels are, Mid offers a
vibration characterization product and service, the VR001. The Slam Stick VR001 is a small
device that can be easily installed into many different vibration environments. Simply attach it to
the vibrating structure using any means available (double sided tape is recommended), hit the
one button and wait for the recording to finish. Next, plug the Slam Stick into a USB port and
download the data just like it was a memory stick.

Vibration analysis is an essential part of machinery maintenance. By monitoring pumps, motors,

fans and other types of rotating machinery, troubleshooting and fault diagnosis will be easier, and
ultimately will result in cost saving. This article has outlined some of the critical parameters that
must be considered when choosing a vibration sensor. Following these to-dos and considering
examples such as the parts presented will increase the effectiveness of your vibration monitoring
program and improve the productivity of machinery as well as allow you to consider energy
harvesting applications.