Accelerometer Data Recorder Comparison
Which GCDC accelerometer system should I buy?
If it was our choice, you should buy all of them! At least 100 copies each. Unfortunately, that's probably not a practical solution. The selection of an accelerometer data recording system depends on what types of motion you are interested in capturing and characteristics of the body you are studying. For example, most human motion occurs within 4Hz and rarely exceeds a couple of g's. However, the recoil of a firearm occurs within 30ms and can exceed 100g. Here are some example g-forces:
Below is a table listing the important featurs of each accelerometer data recorder GCDC offers. We hope this helps your buying decision.
| GCDC Accelerometer Data Recorders | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product ID | |||
| Cost | $89 USD | $129 USD | $199 USD |
| Axes | 3-axis | 3-axis | 3-axis |
| Range | +/-2g, +/-6g | +/-2g, +/-6g | +/-250g, +/-28g |
| Resolution | 12-bit, 16-bit | 12-bit, 16-bit | 14-bit |
| Sample Rate (Hz) | 10, 20, 40, 80*, 160* | 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320 | 8, 16, 32, 128, 256, 512 |
| Battery Type | replaceable 'AA' type alkaline | rechargeable 500mAh Li-Po | rechargeable 250mAh Li-Po |
| Battery Life** | 3 days recording constantly at 20Hz, up to 7 days using the deadband to filter noise | approximately 36 hours recording at 320Hz | approximately 3 hours at 512Hz |
| On/Off Switch | YES | YES | YES |
| Memory | 1GB microSD (approximately 25 days at 20Hz) | ||
| Example Applications | actigraphy, vibration analysis, freight monitoring | roller coaster rides, actigraphy, vibration analysis, physics experiments | high g-force impact studies |
* Sample rates of 80 or 160 Hz disable the power saving features of the X6-1A and shorten battery life.
** Adding an external 5v supply via USB connector will extend the recording life of any of the X series data recorders. See the product specifications for details.