Potentiometric The displacement of the spring-mass system is linked mechanically to a wiper arm, which moves along a potentiometer. The system can use gas, viscous, or magnetic damping to minimize acoustic noise caused by contact resistance of the wiper arm. Potentiometric accelerometers typically have a frequency range from zero to 20 - 60 Hz, depending on the stiffness of the spring, and have a high-level output signal. They also have a lower frequency response than most other accelerometers, usually between 15 - 30 Hz.