Author Topic: Mystery component  (Read 2029 times)

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Offline grouchobyteTopic starter

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Mystery component
« on: March 24, 2017, 09:52:52 pm »
Anybody have a clue what this is? No, its not a diode but the envelope it was in gives us a clue

My guess is an old tech g-sensor, before the accelerometer chip

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Offline SingedFingers

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Re: Mystery component
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2017, 10:33:49 pm »
Mercury tilt switch?

Edit: stick it across a DVM in ohms mode and shake it.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2017, 10:36:59 pm by SingedFingers »
 

Offline grouchobyteTopic starter

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Re: Mystery component
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2017, 11:20:09 pm »
Mercury tilt switch?

Edit: stick it across a DVM in ohms mode and shake it.


I did that and if in fact it was a mercury tilt switch, why would it only conduct when shaken, not just gently and slowly tilting it? There seems to be a force or g dependency

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Offline DaJMasta

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Re: Mystery component
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2017, 11:24:28 pm »
I think it's a mechanical vibration/tilt sensor.  Basically, two electrical contacts and a ball bearing in a can.  When there's enough force to shake the ball, it makes contact.

If the output is analog at all, then it's not this, but if it's digital noise then it's probably at least akin to one of these.
 
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Offline CatalinaWOW

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Re: Mystery component
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2017, 04:02:29 am »
Just to clarify a ball bearing on a spring in a can.   With one lead the can, the other the spring.    Though if it really was a .23 g sensor turning it sideways in a 1-g field should close the contact.  Maybe .23 gs at the resonant frequency of the ball spring system.  These things would have a relatively high q.
 

Offline CJay

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Re: Mystery component
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2017, 08:02:41 am »
Yes, vibration sensor, I've seen these before, I think available from Maplin until recently.

The writing may be a red herring, it's not unknown for people to jot notes on whatever piece of paper was to hand, or it may be related to the part, dunno.



 

Offline SeanB

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Re: Mystery component
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2017, 08:30:33 am »
Position independent vibration sensor, basically a small metal ball soldered to a spring, so that it only makes contact with the case when shaken, but is otherwise not going to make contact however the position of the casing. Common in things like suitcase alarms, which need to be able to do off, and not to need you to have the case in a particular orientation before arming them.
 


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