Development and characterization of a low-cost vibration monitoring instrument based on MEMS acceleration sensor

This paper describes the design and the error evaluation of a low-cost vibration monitoring instrument based on the MEMS acceleration sensor, which can be applied to various applications for the building structure monitoring. The developed instrument can be utilized to monitor five measuring points simultaneously and remotely on twisted pair conductors up to 100 meters. The design focuses strongly on the instrument mobility, easy to install on the measuring site, real-time processing, and accuracy. The current-loop technique is used in the design of the signal conditioner to enhance the ability of data transmission in a longer distance without noise. The instrument is intended to use with the frequency up to 20 Hz. The sensitivity of the sensor head and monitoring station were calibrated with the standard shaker. The calibration method conforms to ISO16063-21. The accuracy of the overall instrument is at ±0.3 m/s2 at the frequency range of 1 Hz to 20 Hz.