Controlled acceleration platform

A method for testing a device on an acceleration platform assembly which comprises a pendulous assembly and pivot means for pivotably supporting said pendulous assembly, said pendulous assembly including a primary platform with an upper surface suspending means for suspending said primary platform from said pivot means, said method comprising:

• disposing a device under test at a known location with respect to the center of percussion of said pendulous assembly;
• causing a movable member positioned on and supported by said primary platform to move relative to said primary platform in a reciprocal manner along an axis aligned with a sensitive axis of the device under test so as to cause said primary platform to move in response to movement of said movable member in a manner which is detected by the device under test and wherein said movable member is a secondary pendulous assembly which reciprocates in a pendulous fashion with respect to said primary platform;
• and
• monitoring an output signal produced by the device under test to determine absence of error in the device under test.

A method for testing a device on an acceleration platform assembly which comprises a pendulous assembly and pivot means for pivotably supporting said pendulous assembly, said pendulous assembly including a primary platform with an upper surface and suspending means for suspending said primary platform from said pivot means, said method comprising:

• disposing a device under test at a known location with respect to the center of percussion of said pendulous assembly;
• causing a movable member positioned on and supported by said primary platform to move relative to said primary platform in a reciprocal manner along an axis aligned with a sensitive axis of the device under test so as to cause said primary platform to move in response to movement of said movable member in a manner which is detected by the device under test;
• and
• monitoring an output signal produced by the device under test to determine absence of error in the device under test;
• and
• wherein said step of disposing the device under test further comprises the steps of:
• fixing the height of a secondary platform positioned within a recess formed in said primary platform so that the device under test will be located at a predetermined region with respect to the center of percussion of the primary platform.

A method for testing a device on an acceleration platform assembly which comprises a pendulous assembly and pivot means for pivotably supporting said pendulous assembly, said pendulous assembly including a primary platform with an upper surface and suspending means for suspending said primary platform from said pivot means, said method comprising:

• disposing a device under test at a known location with respect to the center of percussion of said pendulous assembly;
• causing a movable member positioned on and supported by said primary platform to move relative to said primary platform in a reciprocal manner along an axis aligned with a sensitive axis of the device under test so as to cause said primary platform to move in response to movement of said movable member in a manner which is detected by the device under test;
• and
• monitoring an output signal produced by the device under test to determine absence of error in the device under test, and
• wherein before said step of causing the primary platform to move, said method comprises the steps of:
• (A) tilting the primary platform by a first predetermined angle;
• (B) registering any change in the output signal of the test device in response to tilting of the primary platform;
• (C) further tilting the primary platform by a second predetermined angle;
• (D) registering any further change in the output signal in response to said further tilting;
• and
• (E) repeating steps (C) and (D) to determine calibration scale factor, linearity, and hysteresis of the device under test.

A method for testing a device on an acceleration platform assembly which comprises a pendulous assembly and pivot means for pivotably supporting said pendulous assembly, said pendulous assembly including a primary platform with an upper surface and suspending means for suspending said primary platform from said pivot means, said method comprising:

• disposing a device under test at a known location with respect to the center of percussion of said pendulous assembly;
• causing a movable member positioned on and supported by said primary platform to move relative to said primary platform in a reciprocal manner along an axis aligned with a sensitive axis of the device under test so as to cause said primary platform to move in response to movement of said movable member in a manner which is detected by the device under test;
• and
• monitoring an output signal produced by the device under test to determine absence of error in the device under test, and
• wherein before said step of causing the movable member to move, said method comprises the steps of:
• (A) monitoring the output signal of the test device while the primary platform is substantially motionless to determine whether there is drift in the output signal of the device under test;
• (B) tilting the primary platform by a first predetermined angle;
• (C) registering any change in the output signal in response to tilting of the primary platform;
• (D) further tilting the primary platform by a second predetermined angle;
• (E) registering any further change in the output signal in response to said further tilting;
• and
• (F) repeating steps (D) and (E) to determine calibration scale factor, linearity, and hysteresis of said test device.