A basic tilt sensor, also known as a tilt switch or tilt sensor switch, is a simple device used to detect changes in orientation or tilt. It consists of a conductive component (such as a metal ball or mercury) inside a casing that can move freely in response to changes in orientation. The casing typically has two or more conductive terminals or contacts.
Here's how it works:
Resting position: When the tilt sensor is in its resting or upright position, the conductive component is at the bottom of the casing and makes contact with one or more of the conductive terminals, completing the circuit.
Tilt or change in orientation: When the tilt sensor is tilted or moved, gravity causes the conductive component to move within the casing. This movement causes the conductive component to lose contact with the original terminal and make contact with a different terminal or break the circuit.
Detection of tilt: The change in the circuit's status due to the shift in contacts is detected by the connected electronic system (such as a microcontroller or an alarm circuit), which can then trigger an action or a response based on the change in orientation.
The tilt sensor is a simple and cost-effective way to detect tilt or orientation changes in various applications. For example, it is commonly used in electronic devices like smartphones and tablets to switch between portrait and landscape modes, in automotive applications for airbag deployment, and in home security systems to detect movement or tampering of objects. The sensor's simplicity makes it ideal for applications where more sophisticated sensing mechanisms might be unnecessary or impractical.