Wiring An Accelerometer To An Oscilloscope
Often it is not practical or affordable to purchase a hand held data collector to perform spectrum analysis on your vibration signals. A less expensive way around this is to wire an accelerometer to an oscilloscope.
An accelerometer requires voltage (between 18 and 30 VDC) at a constant current. The constant current is achieved with a Constant Current Diode (CCD) placed inline between the + pole of the power supply and accelerometer signal wire. The CCD should be around 2-6 mA (STI uses a 4.4 mA CCD in our electronics). A 2 mA CCD is appropriate for very short accelerometer cable length, and a 4.4 - 6 mA CCD is preferred for longer cable runs.
CCDs are available from Motorola and Siliconix (4 mA Part # 1N5312 and J510 respectively)
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