Shock Accelerometer
Page 22
002-096e-01.19
8
Maintenance and Calibration
8.1
General
The hermetically sealed construction of shock accelerometers
precludes any internal maintenance or repairs. External cleaning is
important as covered in section 7.4.
8.2
Trouble Shooting
Should the user experience any problems with a shock accelerometer,
the following procedure should be followed.
Check for possible intermittent cables. Faulty cables are the most
common cause of accelerometer measurement problems. The
application of a test signal at the accelerometer end of the cable is an
effective means to determine if the problem is accelerometer, cable, or
measurement instrument related.
Kistler couplers are equipped with a bias monitor which can be used to
check the cable integrity and detect malfunctions in the
accelerometer. Use the bias monitor as follows:
A. With the accelerometer connected, check for a normal reading on
the bias indicator (normal should be around 11 VDC).
B. If the bias reading is high:
1. Disconnect the accelerometer at the accelerometer end of
the cable.
2. If the bias indicator reading decreases; the accelerometer is
defective.
C. If the bias indicator reads low, disconnect the accelerometer
1. If the bias indicator still reads low, replace the cable.
2. If the bias level changes when the cable is disconnected, the
accelerometer is defective.
Analysis and measurement equipment with built-in accelerometer
sources generally do not have bias monitors. In these cases, the user
can attach a T connector to the measurement/analysis instrument and
measure the actual bias voltage. If the system is operating properly,
the bias voltage should measure approximately 11 Volts. Defects
should show-up as in A and B above.
If it is determined that the accelerometer requires repair, please
contact the factory or your local distributor/representative for repair
information.
