Development of a vibration measurement device based on a MEMS accelerometer

Abstract

This paper proposes a portable and low cost vibration detection device. Enhanced vibration calculation, reduction of error and low storage memory are complementary accomplishments of this research. The device consists of a MEMS capacitive accelerometer sensor and microcontroller unit, which operates based on a novel algorithm designed to obtained vibration velocity, bypassing the usual time-based integration process. The proposed algorithm can detect vibrations within 15Hz-1000Hz frequencies. Vibration in this frequency range cannot be easily and accurately evaluated with conventional low cost digital sensors. The proposed technique is assessed and validated by comparing results with an industrial grade vibration meter.