Strain Gage type sensors that measure force often have a low frequency response not suitable for high repetition rate events.  Strain gage signal conditioners and associated wiring may be more difficult to implement than ICP based instrumentation. PCB’s quartz, piezoelectric force and strain sensors are durable measurement devices which possess exceptional characteristics for the measurement of high frequency dynamic force and strain events. Typical measurements include dynamic and quasi-static forces as encountered during actuation, compression, impact, impulse, reaction, and tension.

Since the measurement signal generated by a quartz sensor will decay over time, long-term, static force measurements are not feasable. However shorter-term, or “quasi-static”, measurements are possible within certain time limits, depending upon the sensor and signal conditioning used.

Due to this limitation, it is not practical to use quartz force sensors in weighing applications where strain gage type load cell is best suited. For dynamic force applications; however, quartz force sensors offer many advantages and several unique characteristics that make them ideal choice for many dynamic force measurement requirements.