What is your specific application? Typically, you would select based on frequency range and sensitivity, but also consider factors such as cost, quantity, mounting method, temperature, environment, etc.<br><br>check out a few accelerometer vendors/manufacturer's such as Entek, Vibrametrics, PCB, Columbia Research, Wilcoxon, etc.
If it is a maximum acceleration criteria then use an accelerometer (very common now).
If it is maximum velocity then use a velocity probe (they are getting rare these days. It is necessary to integrate the acceleration signal to get velocity. Errors are introduced when the signal is complex.
If it is displacement, a LVDT (linear variable displacement transducer or laser) can be used to directly measure displacement. Displacement from an acceleration signal requires double integration of acceleration signal, which can result in significant errors when there is a complex signal and particularly if you are measuring a low frequency signal.
If your machine has journal bearings you may want to measure shaft vibration, in displacement. relative to the bearing cap using Eddy Probes as manufactured by SKF. If your machine has rolling element bearing use an accelerometer or a solid state velocity transducer as manufactured by Wilcoxon. In most cases for rolling element bearings I prefer the solid state velocity transducer .
