PS-3223
Wireless 3-Axis Acceleration/Altimeter
013-16192A
PASCO Capstone
1. Press and hold the power button until the
Bluetooth status LED starts flashing red.
2. Open Capstone and click Hardware Setup.
3. Select the sensor that matches your device ID.
4. In the Displays palette, double-click Graph.
5. On the vertical axis of the graph, click Select
Measurement, then select the measurement you
wish to display.
6. Click Record to begin data collection.
Data collection tips
Acceleration
Acceleration is measured using an electronic three-axis
accelerometer. Due to the way an accelerometer
functions, the acceleration measurement will be offset by
9.8 m/s
2
in the direction normal to the surface of Earth.
For example, if the x-axis of the sensor is normal to
Earth’s surface, this axis will measure 9.8 m/s
2
when at
rest. If the sensor is rotated so that the y-axis is normal to
Earth’s surface, the y-axis will now measure 9.8 m/s
2
(Figure 1).
Figure 1. Acceleration will be offset by 9.8 m/s
2
in the direction
normal to the Earth's surface.
It is recommended to zero the acceleration sensor when
collecting data in one-dimension (such as the acceleration
of a cart on an inclined plane). However, the sensor
should
not
be zeroed when collecting data in all three
axes simultaneously. This will result in the sensor
reporting invalid acceleration measurements whenever
the sensor changes direction.
The default measurement range is ±16 g. For high-g
acceleration measurements, the range can be changed to
±100 g, ±200 g, or ±400 g. Increasing the measurement
range will decrease the accuracy and resolution of the
sensor. Select the smallest range required when
recording data to provide the most precise and accurate
acceleration data.
Altitude
Altitude is measured by detecting changes in barometric
pressure. Since barometric pressure can vary due to
weather conditions, the sensor is best used to measure
changes in altitude instead of absolute altitude. The
sensor is most useful when measuring significant
changes in altitude such as riding a roller coaster or
launched as a projectile.
Mounting options
PASCO carts
Align one of the holes in the sensor casing with a threaded
hole in the accessory tray of the cart. Fasten with the
included thumbscrew. Be sure to pay attention to the
direction of the x-axis of the sensor when mounting.
Figure 2. Mount the sensor to a PASCO cart using the included
thumb screw.
Hook and loop strap
Insert each end of the strap through the slots between the
sensor and the casing. Use the strap to mount the sensor
to an object such as a human arm.
Two indentations
in
the casing accommodate for mounting to a rod (such
as the rod included with the ME-8969 Pendulum
Accessory or ME-3420 Rotational Inertia Accessory).
