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Tilt Sensors: Tilt Sensor Working Principle

Tilt sensors produce an electrical signal that varies with angular movement and are used to measure slope and tilt. They consist of a rolling ball inside that allows electrical connection in one position but not when tilted. In a basic circuit, the sensor connects an LED when upright but disconnects it when tilted. Tilt sensors come in different types including force balance, MEMS, fluid filled electrolytic and capacitive sensors, which work using different mechanisms but all produce a signal based on angle of tilt.

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Gnanam R
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257 views

Tilt Sensors: Tilt Sensor Working Principle

Tilt sensors produce an electrical signal that varies with angular movement and are used to measure slope and tilt. They consist of a rolling ball inside that allows electrical connection in one position but not when tilted. In a basic circuit, the sensor connects an LED when upright but disconnects it when tilted. Tilt sensors come in different types including force balance, MEMS, fluid filled electrolytic and capacitive sensors, which work using different mechanisms but all produce a signal based on angle of tilt.

Uploaded by

Gnanam R
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tilt sensors

Tilt sensors are devices that produce an electrical signal that varies with an
angular movement. These sensors are used to measure slope and tilt within a
limited range of motion. Sometimes, the tilt sensors are referred to as
inclinometers because the sensors just generate a signal but inclinometers
generate both readout and a signal.

Tilt Sensor Working Principle

Tilt Sensor working

These sensors consist of a rolling ball with a conductive plate beneath them.
When the sensor gets power, the rolling ball falls to the bottom of the sensor
to form an electrical connection. When the sensor is tilted, the rolling ball
doesn’t fall to the bottom so that the current cannot flow the two end terminals
of the sensor.

Tilt Sensor Circuit


Required components for tilt sensor circuit

 Tilt Sensor
 470 Ohms Resistor
 Led or Load
 DC Voltage Sour
A basic circuit that uses a tilt sensor is shown below.

Sensor Circuit

When the device gets power and is in its upright position, then the rolling ball
settle at the bottom of the sensor to form an electrical connection between the
two end terminals of the sensor. Next the circuit becomes short circuit and the
LED gets sufficient current. If the circuit gets tilted so that the rolling ball
doesn’t settle at the bottom of the sensor with the electrical conduction path,
then the circuit becomes open. This is about the circuit operation.

Tilt Sensor Types


These Sensors are classified into different types and the classification of
these sensors includes different devices and technologies to measure tilt,
slope, elevation and inclination.

Force Balance Sensor


Force Balance Sensor

These sensors are gravity referenced sensors and are anticipated for DC
acceleration measurements like ships, vehicles, aircraft and seismic events.
These sensors are frequently used in inclinometers and tilt meters. Force
balance sensors are capable of measuring levels from 0.0001g to 200g, and
the frequency range is from DC to 1000Hz. The advantages of these sensors
include their high accuracy, a change in broad measurement, insensitivity to
temperature change and their high accuracy. The disadvantage of this sensor
is its high cost.

MEMS Sensor
MEMS Sensor

Solid state MEMS are small sensors as they consist of movable proof mass
plates that are attached to a reference frame through a mechanical
suspension system. This is a technique of combining mechanical and
electrical components together on a chip to generate a system of miniature
dimensions. Small means that the dimensions are less than the thickness of
human hair. MEMS sensors are key components in many medical, industrial,
aerospace, consumer and automotive applications. These sensors are used in
anything from smart phones, gaming, medical tests and satellites

Fluid filled Sensor:


These Sensors can either be capacitive or electrolytic.

Electrolytic Sensor
Electrolytic Sensor

The electrolytic sensor is used to measure an angle and the angle may be
expressed in degrees, arc minutes, or arc seconds. Electrolytic sensors
produce extremely accurate pitch measurements in many applications. These
sensors easily maintain their high accuracy and small size. These sensors
function by using cavity filled with fluid or a glass. The fluid performs between
a common positive and negative electrode. When the electrolytic sensor is
levelled, both the positive and negative electrodes get consistently submerged
within the fluid and produce a balanced signal output. When the sensor is
rotated, an imbalance is created between the two electrodes. So, the
imbalance of any one of the electrodes is proportional to the angle of the
rotation.

Capacitive Tilt Sensors


These types of sensors are designed to take non-contact measurements of
inclination and tilt. These can operate both as switches and sensors. When
the geometry of the capacitor is changed, the capacitor sensor relies on
variation of capacitor. Here, the capacitive sensing is independent of the base
material. These devices consist of a suspension beams, comb drive
capacitors and central proof mass. When a tilt occurs, the central mass moves
towards one of the combs so the capacitance increases at one side and
decreases at the other side. The main advantage of the capacitive sensor is
its performance ratio and cost-effectiveness, whereas a limited response is
the main disadvantage of this sensor.
Specifications
When selecting a tilt sensor, we should consider a few distinct specifications
as shown below:

 Number of Axes
 Resolution
 Measuring Range
 Sensitivity
 Noise Tolerance
 Output
 Vibration
Applications of Tilt Sensors
These sensors are used in many different applications. They are:

 Cameras
 Video Cameras
 Aircraft Flight Controls
 Construction Equipment
 Robotic Technology
 Automobile Air Bags
 Videos Game Controllers
 Studying Human Movement
 Thermostats
 Automobile Security Systems

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