E
PI
S
ENSOR
2
U
SER
M
ANUAL
D
OCUMENT
305801,
R
EVISION
A
Introduction and Product Description
The EpiSensor2 is an advanced force-balance, triaxial accelerometer that builds upon the
outstanding record of its predecessor, the EpiSensor (the world's first seismological-grade
strong motion accelerometer). The high dynamic range of the EpiSensor2 allows both weak and
strong motion recording from a single sensor.
The EpiSensor2 provides a broad set of electronically-controlled operational modes, including
range-switching (allowing 4g, 2g, 1g, 0.5g, and 0.25g peak, full-scale ranges), Offset removal
(AUTOZERO mode), and calibration. These modes can be controlled remotely, either via the
digitizer (using selected enable lines) or via an RS-232 command line interface. The sensor also
provides a pushbutton switch for local control. This allows an on-site user to select sensor full-
scale range and AUTOZERO state (ON or OFF).
An important feature of the EpiSensor2 is its very low quiescent power consumption: under 350
mW. The sensor consumes 60% to 70% lower power than competing strong motion
accelerometers. This makes it ideal for remote, battery-powered applications.
The EpiSensor2, and its cabling, are designed for direct connection to Quanterra Q330-series
digitizers, as well as digitizers from the Kinemetrics “Rock” series.
The EpiSensor2 module, and some of its features, are shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1:
EpiSensor2 module.
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August 2015
