Testing the Z-Axis Accelerometer MMA1220D

Overview

The project illustrates a simple test of the Z-Axis MMA1220D accelerometer sensor which was soldered with SOIC16 package.

Explanation

The MMA1220D sensor contains an output signal that is passed through 4 pole low pass filter while having a capacitive sensor and an internal self-test capability. It also has integral conditioning and linear output. The calibration is done through self test and has ratio metric performance. It can survive high shocks with detection of low voltage, clock monitoring, and EEPROM parity check status.

During the test, an RC filter was included the sensor output in order to minimize the clock noise. The system functionality is being verified with a full system self-test capability. The device can be used in sport diagnostic devices & systems, virtual reality input devices, computer mouse & joysticks, computer hard drive protection, mechanical bearing monitoring, appliance control, and vibration monitoring & recording.

During the self-test, it allows the verification of the mechanical and electrical integrity of the accelerometer at any time before or after installation which is critical in applications such as automotive airbag systems where system integrity must be ensured, that it is functioning, over the life of the vehicle.