Sensors for Ride, Handling and Driveability Testing

Accelerometers, Force Sensors, Strain Sensors, Signal Conditioners, and Human Vibration Monitors

How a vehicle behaves during its operation and the comfort levels provided are one of the most important vehicle attributes. Driveability, how a vehicle responds to driver and road inputs, is a complex equation between driver expectation and how a vehicle actually performs over numerous maneuvers in a particular drive cycle. Manufacturers face a balancing act in designing and tuning systems to achieve the right compromise between ride quality, handling performance, and driveability. PCB offers accelerometers, pressure sensors, force sensors, strain sensors, load cells, and signal conditioners specifically designed to simplify testing for ride, handling, and driveability.

Testing Applications

When testing for vehicle ride, handling, and driveability, measurements are conducted using low frequency measurement instrumentation. Primary ride is typically measured in the 0 to 3 Hz range, while secondary ride is higher, but typically less than 25 Hz. Driveability and vehicle handling require measurements down to DC, as changes in vehicle motion by driver input are the primary metrics.

PCB's rugged, low frequency accelerometers and force sensors support a variety of test types, including:

Featured Products

PCB® sensors for vehicle analysis are small, lightweight, and hermetically sealed, making them waterproof to accommodate typical track environments.

Single axis and triaxial variable capacitance MEMS (VC MEMS) accelerometers are designed to measure low-frequency vibration and motion. These units are inherently insensitive to base strain and transverse acceleration effects, and offer better thermal stability, higher overload protection, better signal-to-noise ratio, superior durability, and simpler test setups than strain gage-based VC MEMS sensors. Series 3711F and 3713F units are rugged by design; housed in titanium and hermetically sealed; and offer a single-ended output signal for each channel with power and ground leads. Series 3741F and 3743F are precision units that offer a differential output signal for common-mode noise rejection.

Model 356B41 triaxial, ICP® seat pad accelerometer measures whole body vibration associated with vehicle operation. The unit houses a triaxial accelerometer within a molded rubber pad that can be placed under a seated person or a weighted test object. Model HVM200 human vibration meter utilizes accelerometer inputs to provide vibration severity measurements relative to human vibration exposure and is used with the seat pad accelerometer. Additional ICP®, triaxial accelerometers with high sensitivity, low frequency capability, and good resolution are available to aid in driveability and secondary ride measurement requirements.

Series 1515-106 pedal effort force sensors are compact, lightweight, and designed to measure load applied to the brake, accelerator, and clutch pedals during acceleration, deceleration, and transmission shift events. PCB also offers series 8161 and 8162 strain gage signal conditioners that are used with the pedal effort force sensor.

Choose PCB for your driveability solutions.

We have thousands of sensors in our online shop in stock, ready to ship, with a lifetime warranty. To discuss specific applications, please contact us or request a quote.