Crash Test Sensor

The Crash Test Sensor interfaces the ADXL278 dual-axis high-g accelerometer to an Arduino-compatible microcontroller. It detects up to +/-50g of acceleration, making it perfect for reading out data on impact.

Output from the Crash Test Sensor is measured in mV/g, and typically operates at +5V, accepting a maximum of +7V. The board is also equipped with a self-test pin.

The Crash Test Sensor comes as a kit with 2 6-pin male headers, and it can be used for a variety of projects to measure the threshold level of impact before damage occurs.

Applications

• DIY crash test dummy
• Robotic crash detection
• Recording impact levels in sports (hockey, baseball)
• Gauging effects of impact/acceleration on human body
• Earthquake or vibration measurements

Pin References

• 2x Vin
• 4x Gnd
• Analog X out
• Analog Y out
• Self-test

Specifications

• Capable of measuring high-g acceleration, as well as vibration and static acceleration
• Measures full-scale range between +/-50g
• High linearity (0.2% of full scale)
• Standard operating voltage: +5V
• Max voltage: +7V
• Operating temperature range: -40 to +105 C

Resources

• Datasheet
• Crash Testing an RC Car
• Code on the Liquidware App Store

Media

Downloads

Downloads
Crash Test Sensor Cheatsheet (173.185 KBytes, Document file, Apr 10, 2010) Code and pin connections to get the crash test sensor up and running in 5 minutes or less.