Piezoelectric Sensors

Piezoelectric sensors exploit the direct piezoelectric effect, i.e., the fact that upon application of an external force the material does not only deform, but also causes a displacement of the electrical charge. By means of appropriate electronics, the generated charge can be converted into a voltage that can be monitored, or further processed e.g. for control purposes.

The bandwidth of a piezoelectric pressure or force sensor is practically unlimited. The maximum bandwidth is in practice determined by the limited dynamics of

• the surrounding mechanics (e.g. the seismic mass in an accelerometer)
• the read-out electronics (e.g. the charge amplifier bandwidth)

Piezoelectric sensor however can not perform direct static measurements, due to the fact that charge leaks away over time. An important characteristic here is the capacitance of the sensor; the larger the capacitance, the longer the sensor can keep its charge.

If one insists on static measurement with piezoelectric elements, this should be realized indirectly, e.g. by measuring a dynamic quantity that is modulated by the static parameter of interest.
 

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