The dynamic range of an accelerometer is the range between the smallest acceleration detectable by the accelerometer and the largest. A piezo-electric accelerometer produces a charge proportional to the force applied to the crystal, which due to the seismic mass on the crystal that is proportional to acceleration applied.

The piezo-electric effect can be detected for very small forces or accelerations all the way through to very large accelerations. In most cases, the smallest acceleration is dictated by the amplifying electronics noise floor and for high g levels to the voltage rail used by the power supply. The design of the accelerometer will also play a part in what shock g levels an accelerometer can withstand before the crystal is irreparably damaged or the structure holding the crystal is distorted. Compression accelerometers are the most shock resistant design of accelerometer.

Accelerometers with integral electronics have a maximum output voltage determined by the circuit design and the input voltage. The maximum output for an IEPE accelerometer is typically 4-8 Volts. An accelerometer with a sensitivity of 100 mV/g with electronics that has a maximum output of 5 Volts will obviously have a dynamic range of +/- 50 g, while an accelerometer of sensitivity of 10 mV/g will have a dynamic range of +/- 500 g.