A latching acceleration switch with cylindrical contacts independent to the proof-mass

A latching acceleration switch with cylindrical contacts is presented in this paper. The cylindrical contacts can make the switch immune to the fabrication imperfection and off sensitive axis shocks, as well as decrease the contact resistance. Moreover, all the contacts and their beams are separated from the proof-mass so as to prevent the contacts from the impact resulting from the rebound or vibration of the proof mass once the switch is latched. The switch was fabricated by low-cost process and tested. The measured latching shock is 4500 G and the response time is less than 0.1 ms. The total on-resistance is less than 3 ohms while the insulation resistance is more than 200 M ohms and the maximum allowable current is up to 130 mA.