Internet of Things for Architects

MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes

Accelerometers and gyroscopes are common in many mobile devices today, and are used in positioning and movement tracking, such as with pedometers and fitness trackers. These devices will use a MEMS piezoelectric to produce a voltage in response to movement. Gyroscopes detect rotational motion, and accelerometers respond to changes in linear motion. The following diagram illustrates the basic principle of an accelerometer. Typically, a central mass that is fixed to a calibrated location via a spring will respond to changes in acceleration that are measured by varying capacitance in a MEMS circuit. The central mass will appear to be stationary in response to acceleration in one direction.

An accelerometer ...