A physical disturbance sensor includes a plurality of piezoresistive elements configured in a resistive bridge configuration. A signal transmitter is electrically connected to the physical disturbance sensor and configured to send an encoded signal to the piezoresistive elements of the resistive bridge configuration. A signal receiver is electrically connected to the piezoresistive elements and configured to receive a signal from the physical disturbance sensor. The received signal from the physical disturbance sensor is correlated with the sent encoded signal in determining a measure of physical disturbance.

A self-diagnosis method for a vibration sensor attached to vibrating equipment includes measuring vibration data of the vibrating equipment by the vibration sensor, integrating the vibration data, and diagnosing whether or not the vibration sensor is abnormal by comparing an integrated value of the vibration data with a reference value.

One example is a shock gauge system for measuring an external blast to a hull. The shock gauge system includes at least one accelerometer to produce acceleration data in response to the external blast, a mass with an accelerometer affixed to it, a crush block, a linear displacement potentiometer (LDP), a camera, and a processor logic. The LDP device generates displacement data of a mass being pushed into the crush block when reacting to the external blast. The camera captures images of movement of the mass. The processor logic verifies if the acceleration data is valid by correlating the acceleration data to the displacement data, the images, and/or an amount of displacement into the crush block by the mass. When the acceleration data is valid, the acceleration data may be used to create a more blast resistant hull.

In a physical quantity sensor, a first substrate has a recess depressed from a second surface to provide a thin film section adjacent to a first surface, and a second substrate has a first surface bonded to the first surface of the first substrate, and has a hollow depressed from the first surface and facing the recess. The recess and the hollow have such sizes that a projected line defined by projecting an end of a bottom surface in the recess to the first surface of the first substrate surrounds an open end of the hollow. When the thin film section is displaced toward the hollow, a maximum tensile stress is generated at a position on a rear surface of the thin film section intersecting an extended line along a normal direction to the first surface of the first substrate and passing through the open end of the hollow.

In a physical quantity sensor, a first substrate has a recess depressed from a second surface to provide a thin film section adjacent to a first surface, and a second substrate has a first surface bonded to the first surface of the first substrate, and has a hollow depressed from the first surface and facing the recess. The recess and the hollow have such sizes that a projected line defined by projecting an end of a bottom surface in the recess to the first surface of the first substrate surrounds an open end of the hollow. When the thin film section is displaced toward the hollow, a maximum tensile stress is generated at a position on a rear surface of the thin film section intersecting an extended line along a normal direction to the first surface of the first substrate and passing through the open end of the hollow.

An example device for detecting acceleration using a spintronic Hall effect includes a spin Hall effect structure, a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) element, a magnetic structure, and processing circuitry. The MTJ element includes a free structure, a pinned structure, and a tunnel barrier arranged between the free structure and the pinned structure. The magnetic structure is spaced apart from the spin Hall effect structure such that a magnetic field generated by the magnetic structure is moved relative to the spin Hall effect structure during acceleration. The processing circuitry is configured to generate electrical current through the spin Hall effect structure, measure a resistance at the MTJ element, and determine acceleration based on the resistance at the MTJ element.

A mechanical link for a microelectromechanical and/or nanoelectromechanical structure, the structure includes a mobile component, a fixed component extending on a main plane and means for detecting the displacement of the mobile component relative to the fixed component, the mechanical link comprising: a first link linked to the fixed component and to the mobile component and capable of allowing the rotation of the mobile component relative to the fixed component about an axis of rotation; a second link connecting the mobile component to the detection means at a given distance relative to the axis of rotation in a direction at right angles to the axis of rotation; a third link linked to the fixed component and to the detection means, and configured to guide the detection means in translation in a direction of translation in the plane of the fixed component; such that the combination of the second link and of the third link is capable of transforming the rotational movement of the mobile component into a translational movement of the detection means in the direction of translation.

A physical quantity sensor includes an acceleration sensor having an acceleration sensor element and a package accommodating the acceleration sensor element, a support member having a first surface and supporting the acceleration sensor on the first surface, and an IC chip to which a second surface facing the first surface of the support member is attached, in which, in a plan view from a stacking direction of the acceleration sensor and the support member, in a case where an area of a region surrounded by an outer edge of the package is S1 and an area of the first surface is S2, S1S2 is satisfied.

An accelerometer and a linear resonant actuator (LRA) are mechanically coupled, such as by being mounted to the same circuit board. The output of the accelerometer is evaluated in order to select a drive frequency for the LRA. For example, the drive frequency may be varied while measuring the magnitude of acceleration induced by the LRA. The output of the accelerometer may further be used to perform a fitness tracking function, such as counting steps or detecting an activity level.

An accelerometer and a linear resonant actuator (LRA) are mechanically coupled, such as by being mounted to the same circuit board. The output of the accelerometer is evaluated in order to select a drive frequency for the LRA. For example, the drive frequency may be varied while measuring the magnitude of acceleration induced by the LRA. The output of the accelerometer may further be used to perform a fitness tracking function, such as counting steps or detecting an activity level.