Sensor: Accelerometer vs Vibration

ACDC. Accelerometer responds to static changes and is usually sensing by whatever means (usually weight of a mass) in some gravitational field. From zero to some rather low upper frequency. Vibration sensors use usually a weight pressing against a crystal producing zero output when there is no change and responding to changes similar to a gramophone crystal needle from some low frequency to whatever. Both are vector sensitive. You use whichever answers your needs.

Note: compare frequency responses of both products.

HTH

Stanislaw Slack user from Ulladulla.

So only the sensor technology is different between each of them? If so, why most of the web site have them separated as two different types of sensor? They do the same, work the same, have same characteristic, except the technology... Correct me if I am wrong!

Thanks

Thats because a vibration is a periodic acceleration. (and also the other way around).

"Wrong?" Yes and no. What do _you_ want to measure? Example from few scores years back. We wanted to measure accelerations acting on a missile on launch. So +-1g accelerometers were installed on

3 axial support and sent by truck to the launching site. On test they all failed. Reading the specs we found that their non powered limit to shock is +-10g's. In a car? So we put vibration meter and recorded what happens during regular travel on road. The meter gave us a proper shock. More than 100g's. On proper investigation you find that for such short shocks there does not exist a suspention that can absorb them so on recording you find the frequency of the groves on tires and can count every pebble on clear road. The moral of this is, if you *know* what you want to measure, use sensors built to measure it, no matter what technology. BTW for 6 digit precission of earth gravity in standards lab the expert used known pendulum and counted the period against universal clock for 24 hours.

HTH

Stanislaw Slack user from Ulladulla.