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Vernier LGA-BTA Quick Start Manual

Vernier LGA-BTA Quick Start Manual

Low-g accelerometer

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Low-g
Accelerometer
(Order Code LGA-BTA)
The Low-g Accelerometer can be used for a
wide variety of experiments and
demonstrations, both inside the lab and
outside.
Note: Vernier products are designed for educational use. Our products are not
designed nor are they recommended for any industrial, medical, or commercial
process such as life support, patient diagnosis, control of a manufacturing
process, or industrial testing of any kind.
Compatible Software
See
www.vernier.com/manuals/lga-bta
Low-g Accelerometer.
Getting Started
1. Connect the sensor to the interface (LabQuest Mini, LabQuest 2, etc.).
2. Start the appropriate data-collection software (Logger Pro, Logger Lite,
LabQuest App, or Graphical Analysis 4) if not already running, and choose
New from File menu. The software will identify the sensor and load a
default data-collection setup. You are now ready to collect data.
If you are collecting data using a Chromebook™, mobile device such as iPad
or Android™ tablet, or a Vernier wireless interface, please see the following
link for up-to-date connection information:
www.vernier.com/start/lga-bta
Videos
View videos related to this product at
Calibrating the Sensor
Optional Calibration Procedure
You do not need to calibrate this sensor. Each sensor is calibrated prior to being
shipped to you. The measurement being made by this sensor is complex and can
be difficult to analyze, so be sure to read the Frequently Asked Questions
below. In most experiments you can simply use the default calibration, but then
use the software's zeroing option and zero the sensor along the axes.
Most accelerometers, including this one, sense gravity as well as acceleration.
This can make results more difficult to understand, but it provides an easy
calibration method. Calibration may be done using the acceleration due to
gravity. To calibrate the sensor for measuring acceleration in the horizontal
direction, position the accelerometer with the arrow pointing down for the first
calibration point. Define this as –9.8 m/s
for a list of software compatible with the
www.vernier.com/lga-bta
2
or –1g. Rotate the accelerometer so
the arrow points up and use the reading for the second calibration point. Define
2
this as +9.8 m/s
or +1g. The accelerometer will then read 0 with no
acceleration when held horizontally. If you want to calibrate for measuring
acceleration in the vertical direction, follow the procedure above, but define the
first calibration point as 0g or 0 m/s
Specifications
Power
Range
Accuracy
Frequency response
12-bit resolution
Stored calibration
Care and Maintenance
Do not wrap the cable tightly around the sensor for storage. Repeatedly doing
so can irreparably damage the wires and is not covered under warranty.
How the Sensor Works
The Low-g Accelerometer senses acceleration using an integrated circuit (IC) of
a type originally designed to control the release of air bags in an automobile.
®
This IC is micro-machined with very thin "fingers" carved in silicon. These
fingers flex when accelerated. They are arranged and connected like the plates
of a capacitor. As the fingers flex, the capacitance changes, and a circuit
included in the IC monitors the capacitance, converting it into a voltage. An
external op-amp circuit amplifies and filters the output from the IC.
The Low-g Accelerometer measures acceleration along the line marked by the
arrow on the sensor. Accelerations are normally measured in either meters per
second per second (m/s
Earth's surface, or 9.8 m/s
range of –5g (-49 m/s
a human body could experience without damage. Many collisions will produce
much larger accelerations. In fact, dropping the accelerometer on a hard surface
from even a few centimeters can produce accelerations of 100g's. The Low-g
Accelerometer will not be damaged by accelerations up to 1000g.
Note that the Low-g Accelerometer also senses the effect of gravity. We use this
to provide an easy way to calibrate the accelerometer. Also, it allows you to use
the Low-g Accelerometer as an "Inclinometer" to measure angles. Its reading
will change as its orientation is changed from horizontal to vertical. You can
measure angles to the nearest degree.
1
2
and the second point as 2g or 19.6 m/s
30 mA @ 5 VDC
±50 m/s
±0.5 m/s
0–100 Hz
0.037 m/s
slope: 22.924 m/s
intercept: –51.751 m/s
2
) or g's. One g is the acceleration due to gravity at the
2
. This accelerometer will measure accelerations in the
2
2
) to +5g (+49 m/s
). This is a range of accelerations which
2
.
2
(±5g)
2
(±0.05g)
2
2
/V
2

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Summary of Contents for Vernier LGA-BTA

  • Page 1 Power 30 mA @ 5 VDC outside. Range ±50 m/s (±5g) Note: Vernier products are designed for educational use. Our products are not Accuracy ±0.5 m/s (±0.05g) designed nor are they recommended for any industrial, medical, or commercial Frequency response 0–100 Hz...
  • Page 2 Warranty than 9.8 N/kg for one making a corner. Vernier warrants this product to be free from defects in materials and This normal force interpretation works even for a one-axis accelerometer being workmanship for a period of five years from the date of shipment to the accelerated in a horizontal direction.
  • Page 3 • www.vernier.com Rev. 01/31/20 Logger Pro, Logger Lite, Graphical Analysis, Vernier LabQuest, Vernier LabQuest Mini, and other marks shown are our trademarks or registered trademarks in the United States. iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.