How MEMS Micro Accelerometers Work

MEMS sensor is the most popular type of sensor today, MEMS technology makes it possible to miniaturize sensors, low power consumption and integration, and is one of the development directions of future sensor technology. The evolution trend of sensor technology is towards the development of ultra-miniaturization or microsystem technology. One subsystem in this area is MEMS (Microelectric System). MEMS devices have both electronic and mechanical components, which means that at least one of them is movable or deformable, and electricity is a necessary part of their operation.
The two major components of microengineering are microelectronics and micromachining. Microelectronics, the manufacture of electronic circuits on silicon wafers, is a fully developed technology. Micromachining refers to the technology used to manufacture the structure and moving parts of microengineering devices.
One of the main purposes of microengineering is to be able to integrate microelectronic circuits into micromechanical structures to create fully integrated systems (Microsystems). Like the silicon chips manufactured in the microelectronics industry, this system also has the advantages of low cost, reliability and small size. ER-MA-5 has the characteristics of small size, light weight and low power consumption, and its bias repeatability is 5 ug, it can also be combined with the accelerometer to form an IMU, and is often used in inertial navigation systems, inclinometer and other equipment.

The working principle of the accelerometer can be summarized as follows: When the accelerometer accelerates with the external object (the acceleration of the object is the acceleration to be measured), the mass is moved by the inertial force in the opposite direction. The displacement of the mass is limited by the spring and damper. Obviously, the displacement has a one-to-one correspondence with the external acceleration: when the external acceleration is fixed, the mass has a certain displacement; when the external acceleration changes (as long as the change is not fast), the displacement of the mass also changes accordingly. On the other hand, when the mass is displaced, the capacitance between the movable arm and the fixed arm (ie, the inductor) changes accordingly; if the change in the output voltage of the sensor is measured, it is equivalent to the measured execution. Displacement of the mass (mass). Since the displacement of the actuator has a certain one-to-one correspondence with the acceleration to be measured, the output voltage has a certain relationship with the external acceleration, that is, the external acceleration can be measured by the output voltage.

Application field

Uav application

In terms of UAV flight attitude control technology, MEMS sensors still have room to play, combined with accelerometers and gyroscopes, can calculate the Angle change, determine the position and flight attitude. MEMS sensors can operate in a variety of harsh conditions while achieving high-precision output. The application of MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes in drones can be said to be brilliant.

Industrial application

MEMS makes sensors miniaturized and intelligent, and MEMS sensors will have great potential in the era of intelligent industry. MEMS temperature and humidity sensors can be used to detect environmental conditions, and MEMS accelerometers can be used to monitor vibration and rotational speed of industrial equipment. High-precision MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes can provide precise position information for navigation and rotation of industrial robots.

Aerospace application
There are five main uses of MEMS sensors in the aerospace field:

1. To provide spacecraft working information, play a role in fault diagnosis;

2.Judge the coordination of the work between the subsystems, verify the design scheme;

3. Provide the whole system self-test

4.Provide the internal test parameters of each subsystem and the whole machine to verify the correctness of the design.

5. Monitor the internal and external environment of the aircraft, provide necessary living conditions for pilots and astronauts, and ensure normal flight parameters.

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