Glossary · Sensors and measurement
MEMS sensor
Also known as: Microelectromechanical sensor, MEMS
German: MEMS-Sensor
In sensor technology, a MEMS sensor is a sensor built as a microelectromechanical system, with mechanical sensing structures and electronics manufactured on a semiconductor chip, for example for acceleration, angular rate, pressure or sound.
- Sensors
In one sentence
A MEMS sensor combines microscopic mechanical structures and electronics on a chip, e.g. to measure acceleration, rotation or pressure.
Example
A low-cost MEMS accelerometer retrofitted to a fan motor sends vibration trends to a condition monitoring platform.
How it applies
- Engineering: MEMS sensors are small, low-power and inexpensive, which makes them attractive for retrofits and wireless condition monitoring. Their noise, frequency range and temperature behavior may differ from classical industrial sensors, so check them against the measuring task.
- Integration: Many MEMS sensors provide digital outputs and preprocessing on the chip, for example filtered values or event detection.
- Maintenance: Long-term stability and drift vary by type; plausibility checks or periodic comparison with reference sensors help detect degradation.
- Documentation: Describe what the sensor actually measures and which preprocessing it applies. Condition monitoring reports should state whether values are raw, filtered or derived.
MEMS sensor vs. conventional industrial sensor
MEMS names the manufacturing technology, not the measured quantity. A MEMS Accelerometer and a piezoelectric accelerometer measure the same quantity with different ranges and noise levels.