The PicoQuake is a USB vibration sensor with a MEMS accelerometer covering a wide range of vibrations. It is capable of capturing vibrations in the low-frequency range (tall buildings, bridges) to the high-frequency range (motors, industrial machinery). It can operate as a standalone device and connect to a computer via a USB cable.
Furthermore, it is based on the Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller and uses a low-noise MEMS inertial measurement unit, the TDK InvenSense ICM-42688-P, which combines a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer. The low-noise IMU sensor used enables the PicoQuake to profile vibrations of very low magnitude.
The PicoQuake sensor is a product from Slovenian maker, PLab, just like the FOCn driver module we took a look at recently. Potential use cases for the PicoQuake include optimizing brushless DC motor vibrations (important in small mobility products such as electric bikes and scooters), tracking trackpad clicks, smart home automation, and predictive maintenance.
We have previously covered other vibration sensors such as the Raspberry SHAKE HAT, Exo Sense Pi multi-sensor device, and the CN0549 CBM development board.
PicoQuake specifications:
- Microcontroller – Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core Cortex-M0+ MCU @ 133 MHz with 264 KB SRAM
- Storage – Not listed
- IMU Sensor – TDK InvenSense ICM-42688-P 6-axis MEMS motion tracking with 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer
- Accelerometer ranges – +-2 g, +-4 g, +-8 g, +-16 g
- Gyro range – up to +-2000 degrees per second
- Sample rate – 12.5 Hz to 4000 Hz
- Configurable low pass (second order) filter: 42 Hz to 3979 Hz
- Connectivity – USB 2.0 Full Speed 12 Mbps CDC (Communications Device Class) via USB Type-C port
- Power – 5V @ 50 mA
- Dimensions – 30 mm x 13mm
The PicoQuake is priced at $59 on Tindie, much cheaper than most alternatives on the market. It runs open-source firmware which can be found hosted on GitHub and is compatible with Linux, Mac, and Windows. The driver is written in Python and provides a command-line interface (CLI) and an application programming interface (API) for easy integration and customization.
The USB vibration sensor comes with a 1.8m USB cable, a releasable zip tie, and a zip tie adapter. You can find more information relating to the installation and usage of the product on the PicoQuake website.
Tomisin is a writer specializing in hardware product reviews, comparisons, and explainers. He is very passionate about small form factor and single-board computers.
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