Sensor apparatus and methods for operating the same for measuring acceleration are disclosed. In some embodiments, circuitry inside a sensor digitizes a measured acceleration signal from an accelerometer into a digitized acceleration signal, which is processed by a digital equalization filter within the sensor to provide an equalized acceleration signal. The equalized acceleration signal may have a frequency response that is substantially flat over a frequency range that extends beyond the resonant frequency of a MEMs sensor within the accelerometer of the sensor.

An inertial measurement device includes: an inertial sensor; a first signal processing circuit; a second signal processing circuit; a first communication unit and a second communication unit configured to communicate with an external device; and a mode selection unit configured to select a processing mode from a plurality of modes including a first processing mode and a second processing mode. The first processing mode is a mode in which the inertial measurement device is used alone and outputs a signal processed by the first signal processing circuit from the first communication unit, and the second processing mode is a mode in which the inertial measurement device is used in a state of being coupled to another inertial measurement device, a first signal processed by the first signal processing circuit and a second signal from another inertial measurement device received from the second communication unit are subjected to a calculation process by the second signal processing circuit, and a signal subjected to the calculation process is output from the first communication unit.

An example system comprising: a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) vibrating beam accelerometer (VBA) comprising: a proof mass; and a first resonator mechanically coupled to the proof mass; a first electrode configured to apply a force to the proof mass.

Accelerometers are described herein that have RMS outputs. For instance, an example accelerometer may include a MEMS device and an ASIC. The MEMS device includes a structure having an attribute that changes in response to acceleration of an object. The ASIC determines acceleration of the object based at least in part on changes in the attribute. The ASIC includes analog circuitry, an ADC, and firmware. The analog circuitry measures the changes in the attribute and generates analog signals that represent the changes. The ADC converts the analog signals to digital signals. The firmware includes RMS firmware. The RMS firmware performs an RMS calculation on a representation of the digital signals to provide an RMS value that represents an amount of the acceleration of the object.

A method for operating a micromechanical inertial sensor, including: translating an acceleration into a deflection of two detection electrodes that are displaced in opposite directions; ascertaining a difference in the spacing of the two detection electrodes; converting the difference in the spacing into an acceleration value using a scaling factor; and applying a linearization process to the acceleration value.

Methods and systems for compensation of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor may include associating test temperature values with input test signal values, identifying temperature-input signal pairs, and applying one of the test temperature values and one of the test signal values to the MEMS sensor. Desired output signal values may be determined, with each of the desired output signal values corresponding to one of the applied temperature-input signal pairs. Measured output signal values from the MEMS sensor may be measured, with each of the measured output signal values corresponding to one of the applied temperature-input signal pairs. Compensation terms may be determined based on the plurality of temperature-input signal pairs, the corresponding plurality of measured output signal values, and the corresponding plurality of desired output signal values. Compensation terms may be used to modify a sense signal of the MEMS sensor.

An apparatus for performing a remote test of range of motion of a person operating a user device includes a transceiver, a processor, and a display. The transceiver is configured to transmit a link to the user device and to receive motion data from the user device. The processor is configured to calculate in real time, based on the motion data, the position of the user device to enable real-time display to a test provider of the performance of the test and to determine in real time the quality of the test. The display is configured to show in real time a continuous indication of the performance of the test and quality results of the test. A method for performing a remote test of range of motion of a person operating a user device is also described and claimed.

A sensor for parallel measurement of pressure and acceleration of a vehicle, including a substrate, a sensor element disposed on the substrate, a material being connected with the sensor element and being exposed to the environment of the sensor, wherein the material is configured to act as a seismic mass, and an electronic circuitry connected with the sensor element and including a first filter and a second filter, wherein the first and second filters have different filter characteristics so that an output of the first filter is representative for the pressure and an output of the second is representative for the acceleration.

This disclosure describes techniques of configuring capacitive comb fingers of an accelerometer resonator into discreet electrodes with drive electrodes and at least two sense electrodes. The routing of electrical signals is configured to produce parasitic feedthrough capacitances that are approximately equal. The sense electrodes may be placed on opposite sides of the moving resonator beams such that the changes in capacitance with respect to displacement (e.g. dC/dx) are approximately equal in magnitude and opposite in sign. The arrangement may result in sense currents that are also opposite in sign and result in feedthrough currents of the same sign. The sense outputs from the resonators may be connected to a differential amplifier, such that the difference in output currents may mitigate the effect of the feedthrough currents and cancel parasitic feedthrough capacitance. Parasitic feedthrough capacitance may cause increased accelerometer noise and reduced bias stability.

A physical quantity sensor includes a physical quantity sensor element including a lid joined to a substrate to define a housing space in the inside and a physical quantity sensor element piece housed in the housing space and a circuit element bonded to the outer surface of the lid via an adhesive material. In the lid, an electrode is provided to extend from an inner wall of a through-hole, which pierces through the lid from the housing space to a surface on the opposite side of the side of the physical quantity sensor element piece and is sealed by a sealing member, to a peripheral edge of the through-hole at the surface on the opposite side. In a sectional view, thickness of a region at the peripheral edge of the electrode is smaller at the opposite side of the side of an opening of the through-hole than the opening side.