====== Inclinometer ======

===== Summary =====
==== Introduction ====
**Inclinometers**, alternatively known as **gravitational** or **tilt sensors**, measure an angle from the direction of Earth's center of gravity. 
The words "tilt sensor" are often used to describe a tranducer of tilt specifically using gravity as a reference (Puccio 2004).

==== Examples ====

Mercury switches, used for instance in Michel Waisvisz's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ4zliNA7eI|"The Hands"]] (Waisvisz, 1985), are examples of //on-off// tilt sensors. One commercial example is the [[http://infusionsystems.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/24/products_id/75|TiltOn]], a mercury switch-based single axis inclination sensor supplied by [[http://www.infusionsystems.com/|Infusion Systems]].

Examples of sensors measuring continuous inclination include //electrolytic tilt sensors//. These sensors typically consist of an electrolytic fluid ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolyte|electrolyte]]) partially filling a tube with three electrodes (one-axis sensors) or five electrodes (two-axis sensors) at its base. When tilting the [[http://www.mybetinfo.com/|online bet]] sensor, the electrical resistance between the center electrode and the electrodes at the periphery will vary proportionally to the tilt angle.

Examples of commercial continuous inclination sensors exist with ranges between ± 1º to ± 80º (The Fredericks Company).

Other implementations of continuous inclination sensors may use an LED and arrays of photodetectors (Fraden 2004, pp. 258). 

Finally, [[Accelerometer|accelerometers]], with sensitivities around a few //g// (1 g = 9.8m/s<sup>2</sup>), can also be used to measure inclination.  One example is the ADXL 105 (one axis, ±5 g) or the ADXL 202 (two axes, ± 2 g) or the Memsic 2125GL 2-axes thermal accelerometer (also with a ±2 g acceleration measurement range). 

=====  Devices  =====

{{template>device
|company=Omron Electronics Inc
|model=D6B-1
|sources=[[http://www.digikey.ca\|Digikey]] CAN$ 17.99
|description=Surface mounting micro tilt sensor.
|datasheet=[[http://rocky.digikey.com/WebLib/Omron%20Web%20Data/D6B.pdf\|D6B.pdf]]
|resources=
|notes=35 to 65 degrees tilt.
|variants=
}}

{{template>device
|company=Fredericks Company
|model=TrueTilt Sensor 0717-4304
|sources=
|description=Continuous output inclinometers
|datasheet=[[http://www.frederickscom.com/pdf/0717-4304.pdf\|4304 Datasheet]]
|resources=[[http://www.frederickscom.com/sens_tilt_0717_4304.html\|General info from manufacturer]]
|notes=Electrolytic Tilt Sensor. Range: ± 60˚
|variants=narrow (up to ± 5˚), mid (±3˚ to ±25˚), or wide range (up to ± 180˚, with a linear range of ± 80˚; single axis; on-off.
}}

{{template>device
|company=Spectron
|model=Dual Axis Electrolytic Tilt Sensors - SP5000 and AU6000 Series
|sources=[[http://www.spectronsensors.com/tilt.html\|Spectron]]
|description=Dual axes, various ranges (± 20˚ to ±70˚)
|datasheet=
|resources=[[http://www.spectronsensors.com/tilt.html\|Spectron Glass and Electronics Incorporated - Electrolytic Tilt Sensors]]
|notes=
|variants=single axis.
}}

=====  Media  =====


===== References =====
  * Puccio, M. [[http://archives.sensorsmag.com/articles/0904/41/main.shtml|"Electrolytic tilt sensors and inclinometers: a primer."]] //Sensorsmag//, September 2004.  
  * Pheifer, D. and Powell, W. [[http://www.sensorsmag.com/sensors/Technologies+In+Depth%2FSensors%2FPosition%2FPresence%2FProximity/The-Electrolytic-Tilt-Sensor/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/360470?contextCategoryId=37246&searchString=Electrolytic%20tilt|"The Electrolytic Tilt Sensor."]] //Sensorsmag//, May 2000.  
  * Fraden, J. //Handbook of Modern Sensors: Physics, Designs, and Applications.// Springer Verlag, Third edition, 2004, pp. 256--258.

===== External links =====
  * [[http://archives.sensorsmag.com/articles/0904/41/main.shtml|Primer on electrolytic tilt sensors and inclinometers]]
  * [[http://www.sensorsmag.com/|Sensorsmag]]
  * {{http://www.spectronsensors.com/appsheets/SAN-201-1703.pdf|Application notes on electrolytic tilt sensor basics}}
  * [[http://www.spectronsensors.com/|Spectron Glas and Electronics Incorporated]]

{{tag>Sensor Inclination Tilt}}