The 100% veteran owned and U.S.-based Silicon Designs, industry experts in the design, development and manufacture of highly rugged industrial-grade MEMS capacitive accelerometer chips and modules, on July 12, announced the recent expansion of its offerings for automotive testing, to include six new high-performance and low-cost model series, as well as enhanced application suitability.
Since 1983, the team at Silicon Designs has been actively supporting the world’s automotive OEMs; Tier 1, 2 and 3 suppliers, professional motorsport teams, and automotive test laboratories via its highly accurate, cost-effective, rugged MEMS capacitive accelerometer modules and LCC/JCC chips, in ranges from ± 2 g to ± 400 g, for zero-to-medium frequency instrumentation requirements. Module designs combine either a single axis model or three orthogonally block-mounted models within an epoxy seam-sealed anodized aluminum housing. The use of proprietary manufacturing technologies allows for onboard voltage regulation and an internal voltage reference, making the units relatively insensitive to temperature and voltage changes, while eliminating the need for external power amplification and regulation. Carefully regulated manufacturing processes ensure that each sensor is made to be virtually identical, allowing users to swap out modules with little or no modifications. All products are designed, manufactured and tested in the USA at the company’s corporate headquarters outside of Seattle, Washington, further supported by a well-established global sales network.
MEMS capacitive accelerometer technologies from Silicon Designs provide the necessary stability and performance reliability for critical automotive test requirements, including road load data acquisition (RLDA), crash sled testing, vehicle and component durability testing, ride quality and handling, and NVH testing. Silicon Designs MEMS capacitive accelerometer modules are also used as key measurement points within active and semi-active suspension systems, where sensors are used to test the ability of a vehicle to absorb and dissipate negative energy for added safety; and bumper impact testing, in which accelerometer modules are used to help better understand the structural behavioral properties of a vehicle body when exposed to low-speed impact conditions. In addition, product technologies have also played a key role in the collection of accident reconstruction data for research and investigatory purposes.
Silicon Designs will be showcasing its very latest MEMS capacitive sensing technologies at this year’s Automotive Testing Expo North America, October 24-26, 2017, at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan.
For details, drawings or additional information, please visit www.silicondesigns.com.
