Method for stimulating a sensor and measuring the sensor's output over a frequency range

A method for stimulating a sensor and measuring its output over a frequency range starting at a frequency f1 and ending at a frequency f2, said method comprising the steps:

• (a) placing an assembled sensor on a shaker table;
• (b) setting the shaker table at a specified frequency and exciting the sensor by moving the sensor up and down at an amplitude at least approximately equal to a previously determined reference “g” level of acceleration;
• (c) measuring the sensor's output and recording the measured output as a first value;
• (d) incrementally changing an excitation frequency of the shaker table and adjusting the amplitude to achieve the reference “g” level;
• (e) measuring the sensor's output and recording the measured output as a second value;
• (f) repeating steps (d) and (e) for one or more discrete frequencies within the frequency range to provide a frequency response curve for the sensor over the frequency range;
• and
• (g) computing a resonant energy integral from the frequency response curve.

A method for stimulating a sensor and measuring its output over a frequency range starting at a frequency f1 and ending at a frequency f2, said method comprising the steps:

• (a) placing an assembled sensor on a shaker table;
• (b) setting the shaker table at a specified frequency and exciting the sensor by moving the sensor up and down at an amplitude at least approximately equal to a previously determined reference “g” level of acceleration;
• (c) measuring the sensor's output and recording the measured output as a first value;
• (d) incrementally changing an excitation frequency of the shaker table and adjusting the amplitude to achieve the reference “g” level;
• (e) measuring the sensor's output and recording the measured output as a second value;
• (f) repeating steps (d) and (e) for one or more discrete frequencies within the frequency range to provide a frequency response curve for the sensor over the frequency range;
• and
• (g) computing a resonant energy integral from the frequency response curve by the following steps:
• (i) multiplying a sensor sensitivity at each excitation frequency by an attenuation factor to yield an adjusted sensitivity at frequency;
• (ii) multiplying the adjusted sensitivity at frequency by the frequency span of an individual element of the resonant energy integral having the frequency at its center to yield a resonant energy of a nth element of the resonant energy integral;
• (iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) for all elements 1 through “n” of the resonant energy integral;
• and
• (iv) summing all of the derived resonant energy values to provide a total energy content of the resonant energy integral.