Micromachined silicon accelerometers for inertial sensing

Accelerometers are used to provide the attitude reference for a variety of navigation systems including strapdown heading sensors, and also for a number of other inertial sensing applications. Accelerometer technology ranges from highly accurate but rather costly servo devices through to simple open-loop components which are used in less demanding applications. In recent years accelerometers have been produced using the technique of silicon micromachining, and these devices are now being produced in large quantities, principally for the automotive market