C h a p t e r 2
An equally important but lesser discussed aspect of
understanding orientation is leveling.
The first-ever leveling solutions were based on the
well-known bubble levels, consisting of a tube of
liquid and an air bubble. In these systems, levelness
was determined by whether or not the air bubble
was centered on the device. This convention is
considerably archaic in hindsight, and, naturally,
the industry has come a long way from the original
design.
The electrical successor to the bubble level was
the electrical inclinometer. The early version of
the inclinometer utilized printed circuit boards
in which an oil bubble moving over varying
capacitances would indicate inclination electronically.
MEMS-BASED
LEVELING
The industry has come a long way since
using bubble-based leveling devices. MEMS
offer a way to digitize this information so
that leveling can be incorporated into any
electronic system."
Juhani Pelttari
Business Development Manager, Murata
10
9 Industry Experts Discuss MEMS Technology
