Inclinometer Sensor Selection & Installation Guide

Selecting and installing an inclinometer sensor requires careful consideration of your specific application and needs. Inclinometer sensors, also known as tilt sensors or tilt meters, measure the angle of inclination or tilt of an object with respect to the force of gravity. These sensors are commonly used in various industries, including construction, geotechnical engineering, automotive, and aerospace. ATO industrial automation edit this article serves as a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the process of inclinometer sensor selection and installation effectively.

How to Select:

The selection of inclinometer sensor should be considered from the following aspects:

1. Type of Inclinometer Sensor
   Firstly, there are basically two types of inclinometer sensors: one type can be called static inclinometer sensors, which are often used for monitoring static or quasi-static objects such as dams and bridges. Another type is dynamic inclinometer sensor, which uses inertial navigation technology to avoid the problem of accuracy loss during movement and vibration. It can be applied to vehicles, aircraft, robots, and other moving carriers to measure the carrier's attitude with high accuracy during movement.
   
   
2. Environmental Factor
   Secondly, when choosing an inclinometer sensor, we need to consider the relevant protection level of the casing based on whether the measurement environment is harsh and the size requirements.
   
   
3. Measurement Range and Accuracy of Inclinometer Sensor
   The dual axis inclinometer sensor can choose a range within 90 degrees, while the single axis inclinometer sensor can choose from 360 degrees in the vertical direction. The requirements for measurement accuracy mainly depend on specific application scenarios. The accuracy of inclinometer sensors can usually reach 0.1 degrees, 0.01 degrees, or even higher. The higher the accuracy, the higher the price.
   
   
4. Resolution Factor
   In addition, the requirements for measurement resolution vary in different application scenarios. Generally speaking, resolution is related to the requirements for reading data. Usually, inclinometer sensors with high resolution can read more data bits.
   
   
5. Interface Type
   Finally, the interface types of inclinometer sensors are relatively diverse. General digital interfaces include RS232, RS485, CAN, TTL serial ports, etc., while analog interfaces include 0-5V, 4-20mA, etc.

Factors that influence Selection

The basic parameters of an inclinometer sensor are range, accuracy, zero offset, frequency response, and hysteresis, they also needed to be take into consideration when making choosing:

1. Range:
   The range is the maximum range that a sensor can measure, referring to the value of the difference between the upper and lower limits of measurement. Each sensor has its own measurement range, and only when the measured value is within this range can the output signal of the sensor maintain a certain degree of accuracy. Acceleration sensors with a range of less than 1G are used as inclinometer sensors, while those with a range of more than 1G are used as acceleration sensors or vibration sensors. The larger the range, the smaller the accuracy. The dual axis inclinometer sensor can select a range within ± 90 °, while the single axis inclinometer sensor can select a range of 360 ° in the vertical direction.
   
   
2. Accuracy:
   During the testing and measurement process, measurement errors are inevitable, mainly including systematic errors and random errors. The reasons for system errors, such as inherent errors in measurement principles and algorithms, inaccurate calibration, environmental temperature effects, material defects, etc., can be reflected by accuracy to reflect the degree of impact of system errors. The causes of random errors include gaps in transmission components, aging of electronic components, etc. Precision can be used to reflect the degree of influence of random errors. Precision is a comprehensive indicator that reflects both systematic and random errors, and higher precision means higher accuracy and precision.
   
   
3. Zero offset:
   Zero offset refers to the small change in the output value of a sensor even when the input of the sensor remains constant. There are many reasons for zero offset, such as changes in the characteristics of sensitive components within sensors over time, stress release, component aging, charge leakage, and environmental temperature changes. Among them, zero offset caused by changes in environmental temperature is the most common phenomenon.
   
   
4. Frequency response:
   The frequency response characteristics determine the frequency range to be measured, and it is necessary to allow for undistorted measurement conditions within the frequency range. In fact, the response of the sensor will have a certain delay. The higher the frequency response of the sensor, the wider the measurable signal range and frequency range, and the greater the interference. The lower the frequency response of the sensor, the narrower the frequency range of the measurable signal, and the lower the interference.
   
   
5. Hysteresis:
   The hysteresis of a sensor refers to the fact that when the input quantity increases from small to small or decreases from large to small, the resulting sensor output curve generally does not coincide. For input signals of the same size, when the sensor is in forward or reverse travel, its output value may vary and there may be a difference. The main reasons for hysteresis phenomenon include the material characteristics and mechanical structural characteristics of sensor sensitive components, such as friction of moving components, clearance of transmission mechanisms, and hysteresis of magnetic sensitive components.

How to Install:

The installation methods of inclinometer sensors generally include horizontal and vertical installation, and different installation methods result in different axial directions. Horizontal installation requires the use of dual axis phase sensors to measure the tilt angle of the X-axis and Y-axis outputs relative to the two axes of the horizontal plane. Vertical installation uses a single axis inclinometer sensor to measure the single axis output, i.e. any 360 ° measurement range in the vertical direction.

Before installing the inclinometer sensor, it is necessary to determine your installation position and which angle you need to measure relative to which plane. During installation, in addition to keeping the sensor installation surface parallel to the surface of the measured object, it is also necessary to keep the sensing line parallel to the axis of the measured surface, that is, there should be no angle between the two axes. Before measurement, the zero button can be used according to the actual situation to achieve the zero function, which is mainly for the convenience of reading the angle and reducing unnecessary errors.