AiVibeVibration Sensor (Accelerometer)
A vibration sensor converts the mechanical vibration of a machine into an electrical signal; accelerometers, which measure acceleration, are the most common type used to monitor motors, pumps, fans, gearboxes and other rotating equipment.
Piezoelectric accelerometers contain a crystal or ceramic element that produces charge proportional to acceleration and are widely used for their broad frequency range and robustness. Many have built-in electronics following the IEPE convention, powered by a constant current over the same two-wire cable that carries the signal. MEMS accelerometers, based on micromachined silicon structures, are smaller and lower in cost and are common in wireless sensors. Velocity sensors and proximity probes, which measure shaft displacement relative to a bearing, are also used.
Vibration sensors provide the data for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance, revealing imbalance, misalignment, looseness and bearing and gear defects. Installations range from portable data collectors and permanently wired sensors connected to monitoring systems to battery-powered wireless sensors that report overall levels and spectral features to IIoT platforms. Proximity probe systems are standard on large turbomachinery, and API 670 covers machinery protection systems in the oil and gas industry.
Measurement quality depends on mounting: stud mounting gives the widest frequency response, while adhesive and magnetic mounts are convenient but reduce it. Sensitivity, frequency range, measurement range, temperature rating and ingress protection should match the machine and environment. Location close to bearings and correct orientation matter, and ISO 10816 and ISO 20816 provide guidance on evaluating machine vibration.
Key points
- Converts machine vibration into an electrical signal
- Piezoelectric accelerometers offer broad frequency range and robustness
- MEMS accelerometers are common in low-cost wireless sensors
- Stud mounting gives the widest usable frequency response
- ISO 10816 and ISO 20816 guide evaluation of machine vibration
Where AiVibe comes in
AiAmbA IoT is AiVibe's edge protocol layer: it discovers devices and normalises industrial signals, with supported protocols including Siemens S7, Mitsubishi MC, Delta Modbus, OPC UA and MQTT, and driver availability confirmed per installation. Writes to machines are deny-by-default.
Related terms
- Predictive Maintenance (PdM)Quality, Reliability & Maintenance
- Data Acquisition (DAQ)Industrial IoT & Edge
- Sampling Rate and the Nyquist CriterionIndustrial IoT & Edge
- Edge ComputingIndustrial IoT & Edge
- Anomaly DetectionAI & Machine Learning
- Signal ConditioningIndustrial IoT & Edge