EGPT
Explore ultrasonic sensor working with Arduino, real-life examples, and the science behind sound waves that power smart tech. Reliable, fast, and flexible.
Table of Contents
Introduction
It turns out that ultrasonic sensors are the unsung heroes of parking signals of your car and most of the motion sensors of your smart home. But what exactly is the working of an ultrasonic sensor? So far we have had a glimpse of the working principle of the ultrasonic sensor, let us, in this blog look into the working principle of the ultrasonic sensor in the details, deconstructing its fundamentals and see why this humble device is such a big deal in the world of technology today.
What is Ultrasonic Sensor Working?
Think of yelling in a canyon and waiting to hear yourself about. This is practically how the working of ultrasonic sensors takes place. These sensors send high frequency sound waves, which are way beyond the range of human hearing, and wait until it will be returned, after hitting something.
Upon the receipt of the echo, the sensor will make the necessary calculation of distance as the time the sound wave took to complete the round trip. It is quick, efficient, and quite easy.
Sensors that employ the use of ultrasonic waves instead of light are best as they are able to work well in dusty, smoky and dark areas where optical sensors may not perform as expected.
Ultrasonic Sensor Explained Working Principle
The principle of ultrasonic sensor is associated with transmission and reception of sound waves. Here is the way it works:
Transmission: Sensor Transmitter- Ultrasonic waves (over 20 kHz) are emitted by the sensor.
Reflection: The waves move until they reach a body and then the waves reflect.
Reception: The waves are reflected back to the sensor by its receiver.
Distance Calculation: The distance to be calculated is the distance counted by the sensor:
Distance = (S x T)/ 2
And sure enough, it is that easy. The speed of sound is known to be constant hence all the sensor is required to do is to measure the time it has taken the sound to travel to the wall and bounce back.
The working principle of ultrasonic sensor is broadly applied as such a sensor does not require any physical contact to detect any type of material such as liquid, solid, and even soft material.
Real life working of Ultrasonic Sensors
So how does this translate out in the real world? To explain how ultrasonic sensors work, we will use some examples which are easier to relate with.
In Cars
In reverse mode, the ultrasonic sensor produces a sound wave in back of your car. When going towards a wall or another car, the sound waves resonate quicker and hence the beep sound becomes urgently important. It is an example of experimentation of ultrasonic working.
In Smart Homes
Appliances such as automatic soap dispensers, automatic lights based on motion, and alarms usually have ultrasonic sensor working to sense motion and closeness.
In Factories
In the industrial environment, ultrasonic detectors check the reservoir of the liquids in tanks and the presence of some objects on conveyor belts. They become particularly valuable because they are able to work in hot dusty conditions.
Automated processes and enhanced safety are the benefits of the working of ultrasonic sensors in such instances.
Arduino Based ultrasonic Sensor
You, as a DIY enthusiast, have, by a chance, used ultrasound sensor with Arduino. It is one of the simplest and most famous novice projects.
The Automation of How it Works with Arduino
Step 1: Wi link the VCC, GND, Trigger, and Echo lines with the ultrasonic sensor to the Arduino.
Step 2: Arduino programming to send a pulse via the trigger pin.
Step 3: Time the pulse to go out and back in by using the echo pin.
The arduino may then translate this time into distance, firing LEDs, buzzers or even motors.
Arduino projects based on ultrasonic sensor can consist of:
Obstacle-avoiding robots
Alarms of water level
Parking aids systems
Why Ultrasonic Working is So Reliable
Why is ultrasonic working so reliable? Contrary to other sensors based on light or magnetic field, ultrasonic ones can work in:
Total darkness
Smoke controlled environments, dust or fog controlled environments;
Complex shaped and surface situations
They are not in contact, thus minimize wear and tear and can also sense transparent or shiny surfaces which are very obtrusive by optical sensors.
Ultrasonic working is simple and flexible, which is beautiful.
Conclusion
How then does an ultrasonic sensor work? It is a non-complex yet effective device that measures distance in a short span and with great accuracy by the use of sound waves. The concepts behind ultrasonic sensor are in our cars, our homes, in our factories, and in our do it yourself applications. The ultrasonic working process is quite reliable, affordable and a very smart element despite the fact that you can realize it with an ultrasonic sensor using Arduino or by observing it as part of smart systems around you.When you hear that parking beep next time or you see the touchless soap dispenser come into action the next time you have heard or seen that, you will definitely know what is really going on behind those scenes.
