accelerometro

Accelerometro is a sensor that measures acceleration forces acting on an object. It provides information about movement along one or more axes and can detect both dynamic motion and static forces such as gravity. The device converts mechanical motion into an electrical signal, which may be output as an analog voltage or a digital value.

Most modern accelerometers are MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) devices. The dominant type is capacitive MEMS, where a small proof mass moves under acceleration and changes a set of capacitors, producing a signal proportional to acceleration. Other MEMS approaches include piezoelectric accelerometers, which generate charge in response to motion and are well-suited for high-frequency measurements but generally do not measure static acceleration, and piezoresistive variants, which detect resistance changes in a suspended element.

Accelerometers are available in single-axis, dual-axis, and tri-axis configurations. They are commonly integrated into inertial measurement units (IMUs) that may also include gyroscopes and magnetometers. Outputs can be raw analog signals or digital data accessed via interfaces such as I2C or SPI. Key specifications include measurement range (for example, ±2 g to ±16 g or higher), sensitivity, bias and offset, noise density, bandwidth, cross-axis sensitivity, temperature drift, and power consumption.

Applications span consumer electronics, automotive safety (airbags, stability control), wearables, robotics, aerospace, and industrial vibration monitoring. In smartphones and tablets, accelerometers support screen orientation, activity recognition, and motion tracking; in vehicles, they enable safe deployment of safety systems. Calibration and testing ensure accuracy over temperature and time.