Primary accelerometer calibration with two-axis automatic positioning stage

TL;DR

This paper presents an automated, low-cost system for primary accelerometer calibration using a two-axis stage and laser interferometry, improving accuracy and reducing calibration time.

Contribution

It introduces a novel automated calibration system with high repeatability and surface deformation analysis, enhancing calibration precision and understanding of uncertainty factors.

Findings

Achieved 1 um positioning repeatability.

Calibrated over 450 measurement points.

Visualized surface deformation effects.

Abstract

In this study, we developed an automated, multipoint primary accelerometer calibration system using a two-axis positioning stage and a heterodyne laser interferometer. The proposed system offers low-cost, convenient, and automated multipoint accelerometer calibration, enabling less calibration lead time. The positioning stage also offers better positioning repeatability of 1 um, which is impossible through manual alignments. We measured the surface deformation of a laser reflection adaptor for a single-ended accelerometer by measuring more than 450 measurement positions. Visualizing the deformation of laser reflection surfaces facilitates understanding the effects of deformation or nonrectilinear motion, which are among the most significant uncertainty components in high-frequency accelerometer calibrations.