Resonant sensors

Resonant sensors have established themselves in the marketplace, usually in applications that require high accuracy. The key advantage being that the output is essentially digital, and therefore easy to interface to systems without the added measurement error associated with analogue to digital conversion. Other benefits are that the measurement principle is usually based on mechanical properties of materials rather than electronic properties, and these can be shown to offer sensors with good stable performance. This paper reviews the operating principle of some established resonating sensors, reviews their performance, and then gives some examples of the new generation of micromachined sensors that are being developed