Metrological traceability for digital sensors in smart manufacturing: calibration of MEMS accelerometers and microphones at INRiM

Abstract

The use of digital sensors in engineering applications and monitoring systems is widely increased in the last years, in particular in the context of smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors networking, as well as in environmental and infrastructural monitoring. Nevertheless, digital MEMS accelerometers and microphones are currently not reliable to quantify with adequate accuracy the vibratory phenomena and the sound pressure fluctuations, in terms of amplitude and frequency, due to the lack of metrological traceability and suitable sensitivity parameters for digital sensors. This paper presents two calibration procedures, recently realized at INRiM, suitable to characterize digital MEMS accelerometers and microphones. In particular, the possibility to provide a proper sensitivity for digital signal outputs, in order to ensure traceability to primary standard, is addressed.