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How critical is the accelerometer cross axis?

Cross axis is the effect of a vibration input to an accelerometer from a direction perpendicular to the measurement axis, i.e.

 

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A cross axis diagram d

 

 

What does this mean for the user?

Every 1% of the cross axis is a 1% error in your data, so a 5% maximum error for a new accelerometer is a maximum 5% error in your data.

How do accelerometer manufacturers control the cross axis?

By pre-polarising the piezoelectric sensing material to operate in the primary measurement axis, however, this is not 100% perfect.

What happens to pre-polarisation?

It degrades due to age, temperature, and use, so inevitably cross axis will deteriorate and errors will increase.

What can I do to minimise errors?

Always have the cross axis checked during the annual calibration, otherwise, errors can accumulate to exceed 35%.

How does DJB control Cross Axis?

The Konic Shear design which is unique to DJB has a natural cross-axis cancellation due to the nature of its design, coupled with pre-polarisation it gives long-term cross-axis stability, unrivaled by any other accelerometer on the market today.