System, device, and method for outputting data from two accelerometers with different operating ranges

A device for outputting data from an inertial measurement unit having two accelerometers with different operating ranges, the device comprising:

• a first accelerometer having a first operating range;
• a second accelerometer having a second operating range greater than the first operating range;
• a data buffer;
• and
• a finite state machine configured to:
• monitor data from the first accelerometer and/or data from the second accelerometer for each of three axes;
• compare an absolute value of the data from the first accelerometer and/or an absolute value of the data from the second accelerometer for each of three axes to a first threshold and a second threshold;
• if the absolute value of the data from the first accelerometer and/or the absolute value of the data from the second accelerometer is less than the first threshold for all of the three axes, write the data from the first accelerometer to a data buffer;
• and
• if the absolute value of the data from the first accelerometer and/or the absolute value of the data from the second accelerometer is greater than the second threshold for any of the three axes, write the data from the second accelerometer to the data buffer.

A system for outputting data from an inertial measurement unit having two accelerometers with different operating ranges, the system comprising:

• (i) an inertial measurement unit (IMU) comprising:
• a first accelerometer having a first operating range;
• a second accelerometer having a second operating range greater than the first operating range;
• a data buffer;
• and
• a finite state machine configured to:
• monitor data from the first accelerometer and/or data from the second accelerometer for each of three axes;
• compare an absolute value of the data from the first accelerometer and/or an absolute value of the data from the second accelerometer for any of three axes to a first threshold and a second threshold;
• if the absolute value of the data from the first accelerometer and/or the absolute value of the data from the second accelerometer is less than the first threshold for any of the three axes, write the data from the first accelerometer to a data buffer;
• and
• if the absolute value of the data from the first accelerometer and/or the absolute value of the data from the second accelerometer is greater than the second threshold for any of the three axes, write the data from the second accelerometer to the data buffer;
• and
• (ii) a microcontroller operatively connected to but physically separated from the IMU, the microcontroller configured to read, from the data buffer, the data written from the first accelerometer and/or the data written from the second accelerometer.