  In this paper, a comprehensive methodology for characterizing the high power
resonance behavior of bulk piezoelectric ceramics using the burst method is
described. In the burst method, the sample is electrically driven at its
resonance frequency, and then either a short circuit or an open circuit
condition is imposed, after which the vibration decays at the resonance or
antiresonance frequency, respectively. This decay can be used to measure the
quality factor in either of these conditions. The resulting current in the
short circuit vibration condition is related to the vibration velocity through
the "force factor." The generated voltage in the open circuit vibration
condition corresponds to the displacement by the "voltage factor." The force
factor and the voltage factor are related to material properties and physical
dimensions of the sample. Using this method, the high power behavior of the
permittivity, compliance, piezoelectric charge constant, electromechanical
coupling factor, and material losses can be determined directly by measuring
the resonance (short circuit) and antiresonance (open circuit) frequencies,
their corresponding quality factors, the force factor $A$, and the voltage
factor $B$. The experimental procedure to apply this method is described and
demonstrated on commercially available hard and semi-hard PZT materials of
$k_{31}$
