Abstract-Inertial seismic sensors have typically a velocity readout, in order to offer a large dynamic range in a large frequency range. However, in some precision engineering applications, it can be preferable to access to the displacement. An example is the so-called sky-hook spring strategy used for active vibration isolation. In this paper, we present a prototype of small inertial sensor with a displacement readout. It is based on a commercial low cost geophone, which has been modified to measure the displacement with a capacitive sensor. It results in a compact sensor with a resolution which is a factor 10 better than the commercial geophone, but a limited range of amplitudes. The paper finished with an attempt to extend the bandwidth of the sensor at low frequency.Index Terms-Absolute displacement sensor, geophone, capacitive sensor, inertial reference.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.