ISO 16063-32:2016

Overview - ISO 16063-32:2016 (Resonance testing, accelerometer calibration)

ISO 16063-32:2016 specifies instruments and procedures for resonance testing of accelerometers by means of shock excitation. The standard applies to piezoelectric, piezoresistive and variable‑capacitance accelerometers with damping ratios less than critical, and covers frequency and phase response assessment up to 150 kHz. It provides practical requirements for setup, reference elements and data processing to obtain the best possible mounted accelerometer characteristics when mechanical mounting follows ISO 5348.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and limits
  • Frequency range: up to 150 kHz.
  • Applicable transducer types: piezoelectric, piezoresistive, variable capacitance (damping < critical).
  • Method provides a qualitative evaluation of frequency and phase response; field responses may differ due to mounting and structure mass.
• Reference shock ball
  • Hardened and polished steel (≥ HRC50); flat threaded mounting surface.
  • Mass of reference shock ball must be at least 3× the mass of the accelerometer under test.
  • Typical ball diameters recommended (practical examples): D = 32 mm (for <100 kHz) and D = 19 mm (for <150 kHz).
• Measurement and uncertainty
  • Recommended minimum frequency-domain resolution: 400 lines.
  • Typical standard uncertainty for resonance frequency ≈ 0.5% (depends on time-record length).
  • Damping ratio (typical piezoelectric ≈ 0.01) standard uncertainty ≈ 1% with ~80 dB dynamic range.
  • Phase resolution example: ~5° with 40 dB phase noise suppression.
• Apparatus & environment
  • Key items: impact/guide tube, signal analyser, conditioning amplifier, reference shock ball.
  • Environmental guidance: room temperature 23 ± 5 °C, relative humidity < 90%.
• Data interpretation
  • Phase response is treated as a “virtual” characteristic (zero phase shift assumed at 0 Hz).
  • Best used to derive fit lines for initial parts of frequency/phase characteristics.

Applications and users

• Uses: resonance testing, frequency response and phase response checks during production, laboratory calibration, R&D and quality assurance of accelerometers and vibration sensors.
• Who benefits: calibration laboratories, test houses, manufacturers of accelerometers, metrology institutes, and engineers performing sensor qualification for high‑frequency or shock environments.

Related standards

• ISO 5348 - Mechanical mounting of accelerometers (referenced).
• Other parts of ISO 16063 series cover primary calibration methods and related test procedures (e.g., ISO 16063‑1, ‑21, ‑22, ‑31).

Keywords: ISO 16063-32, resonance testing, accelerometer calibration, frequency response, phase response, shock excitation, reference shock ball, piezoelectric accelerometers.