Vibrating quartz diaphragm pressure sensor

A quartz crystal vibrating diaphragm pressure sensor includes a primary quartz crystal body having a diaphragm formed therein and electrodes on each side of the diaphragm for piezoelectrically exciting thickness shear mode oscillations of said diaphragm, said oscillations varying in frequency in accordance with variations in fluid pressures applied to the surfaces of said diaphragm. A second identical or substantially identical diaphragm similarly excited but exposed to a constant pressure provides a reference frequency for providing precision difference frequency pressure measurement and for inherently compensating for ambient conditions affecting both diaphragms.