Need to find accelerometer and make op amp integrator

[LappingLuke]

Hi everyone my name is Luke. I'm a junior EE student and I'm working on a little personal project. I need an accelerometer that fits this description: measures up to 2g, analog output, pretty small, bonus points if I can put it on a breadboard. I've been searching the web but haven't found anything really interesting. I also need to make an op amp integrator. The integrator will be taking the signal from the accelerometer which from what I can gather won't be more than maybe a couple volts. I've read that I'll need a resistor before the inverting input, as well as a resistor in parallel with the integrating capacitor so my questions are what resistors and capacitor values should I use? Does it really matter very much or will it integrate nicely anyway?

Thanks!

 

[poor mystic]

Hmmm but
I think you need to learn electronics properly, and I recommend that you immediately purchase a copy of "The Art of Electronics" by Horowitz and Hill.


... did you try googling for an accelerometer?

 

[davenn]

The ADXL05 accelerometer is easily PCB mountable and will measure up to +-5g

datasheets for it are readily available on the www and they show examples of its use and the circuitry needed

cheers
Dave

 

[LappingLuke]

Hmmm but
I think you need to learn electronics properly, and I recommend that you immediately purchase a copy of "The Art of Electronics" by Horowitz and Hill.


... did you try googling for an accelerometer?

I said in my post using plain English that I searched the web but didn't find anything I liked...

 

[gorgon]

ADXL206 from AD is still active, you should take a look and see if you could get to like it.

(BTW ADXL05 is listed as obsolete)

TOK

 

[LappingLuke]

ADXL206 from AD is still active, you should take a look and see if you could get to like it.

(BTW ADXL05 is listed as obsolete)

TOK

Oh lord. $570 dollars is a bit steep for my tastes...My friend just suggested this one (http://adafruit.com/products/163) which looks like it will work well for my application.

Does anyone have any input on my integrator needs?

 

[gorgon]

He, he, didn't look at the price. Yeah, it's way over the top, sorry about that. I suppose its because its a MEMS part.

TOK

 

[gorgon]

Try to take a look at these parts from Freescale http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/taxonomy.jsp?nodeId=01126911184209

They are not too expencive, at least.

TOK

 

[poor mystic]

The first thing you'll need to know when you come to design the signal conditioning circuits must be the source from which the signal is coming. Is it high or low impedance? What currents and voltages can be expected?
The power of the signal is also very important - a high power signal is less easily swamped by noise than is a low power signal.
The final use to which the measurements will be put also plays a part in the design. You need to set out terms of reference for yourself as a designer - instead of saying to yourself "I want an accelerometer" you need to specify range and accuracy, you need to know what sort of readout you will use, where you will use it, and lots of other things you'll think of as you go along.
The answers to such questions play a part in power supply design, the type of case you'll use, the type of circuitry you'll use in the interface, the amount of money you're prepared to spend...

I'm sorry my previous post might have seemed foolish; if you read between the lines you'll see I believe you'll need to accommodate yourself to a high-priced reality.

I find myself a little shy of mentioning anything I might have found on the web. However as we are presently violating your proscription against web-based information I presume you really hope for a feat of magic, which I cannot perform for you.
Otherwise, try googling for model aircraft accelerometers. The signals are preconditioned, the units are cheap and guaranteed. Model aircraft gear is really good.


I liked gorgon's link