A sensor of this type may be designed in one of two ways:

Extra components are placed internal to the sensor. These components are used to "factory calibrate" the sensor. These sensors are easier to "drop-into" as replacements in the case of a failed sensor. The design and construction needs to be carefully considered if the sensor is to have good long term accuracy over the specified range of operational temperatures. Factory calibration requires an extra stage of manufacture to calibrate the sensor. All the benefits of an internal calibration come at a cost - this sensor will be more expensive.

The sensor is consructed with the minimal number of internal components. The calibration is performed and stored in the data acquisition system. The calibration may be "temperature compensated" by either performing the calibration at the operational temperature, or at a range of temperatures. It should be noted that the internal g sensor element is relatively insensitive to temperature variations. These sensors are less expensive as there is less internal componentry and no factory calibration stage.

The accelerometers have an output voltage which is linear across the operational range of the sensor. Each axis of the sensor may be considered independent of the other axes in the same sensor.

1.	Place the sensor on a flat surface with the label facing upwards.
2.	Set the X and Y axes to each read 0g.
3.	Place the sensor on a flat surface with the output wire facing upwards.
4.	Set the X axis to read -1g.
5.	Place the sensor on a flat surface with the +y arrow in the vertical direction.
6.	If the arrow is pointing down, then set the Y axis to read +1g. If the arrow is pointing up, then set the Y axis to read -1g.

The calibration of the X axis and Y axis is now complete.

The Z axis (vertical) is a special case and may be calibrated as either an absolute or a relative g-force reading:
Absolute – Calibrate the sensor to read 1g when placed flat and -1g when placed upside down. In this calibration the vehicle will have a g-force reading of 1g straight down while the vehicle is stationary.
Relative – Calibrate the sensor to read 0g when placed flat and -2g when placed upside down. In this calibration the vehicle will have a g-force reading of 0g on all axes while stationary.