Issue 131
On the eve of November, The Modal Shop Team wishes you a Happy Halloween wherever you might be in the world. Thanks for joining us for another month of sensor and calibration related tips!
Consequences of Thermal Transients

Have you ever wondered about the importance of choosing quartz and piezo ceramic crystals for piezoelectric sensors? The crystal is the signal generating element in the sensor. While ceramics seem like the obvious choice due to their higher sensitivity, this video demonstrates a lesser known disadvantage of ceramics: output due to thermal input.


Tip of the Month

When participating in Interlaboratory Comparisons (ILC), be sure the test definition is clear from the start and calibrations are performed at the same frequencies. This avoids the possibility of additional error due to interpolation. For example, if the ILC calls for reporting results at 5, 7, and 10 Hz and the participating lab calibrates at 5, 8, and 10 Hz; interpolation must be used to estimate the sensitivity at 7 Hz. If this falls in a region where the sensor's frequency response is not flat, this can lead to an interpolation error on the order of 1% which could cause the participating lab's results to fall outside acceptable criteria.
Blast from the Past:
Potentially Confusing Uncertainty Contributors

We've discussed how interpreting ISO 16063-21 has been a source of confusion when selecting equipment and evaluating measurement uncertainty (Methods for Calibration of Vibration and Shock Transducers; Vibration Calibration by Comparison to a Reference Transducer). This month's article focuses on one of the most commonly misinterpreted parameters - Total Harmonic Distortion - and its effect on the two most common measurement methodologies...

Thanks for joining us for another issue of Dynamic Sensors & Calibration Tips.
As always, please speak up and let us know what you like. We appreciate all feedback: positive, critical, or otherwise. Take care!

Sincerely,
Aaron Goosman -  Lilian Golan  - Jesse Coy
Julie Dwyer - Mike Dillon -  Patrick Timmons -  Shannon Henize 

Calibration Team
The Modal Shop
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