#190

[@AndreasSpiess]

Here you find the corrected overview chart: www.sensorsiot.org/transferFiles/UltrasonicSensorsComparison.pdf

[@K2teknik.]

I think that the chart is missing the measurement distance for the sensors, it is in some way a key parameter for a distance measurement device .

[@AndreasSpiess]

I did not test it this time

[@13bacho13]

I was waiting for these tests, because the interested distance measurement for the sensor "US42V2" :(

[@kadekbalian]

Hi Andreas, this link currently points to a 404 page not found. I just really wish to find out the detection angle of the GY-US42V2. They claim it's a replacement for MB1242 and SRF02 but those two have wildly different FOV.

[@skoblenick]

boo.. 404

[@omaryanas435949]

Thanks for the awesome video andreas, I really appreciate what you're doing for the community, I wish the world had more people like you man.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you!

[@johncherry108]

The word "transducer" can be used for both a microphone and a speaker, so you could say some of the sensors have a 'combined transducer'.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for the clarification! I did not know this word.

[@MotoG-ub3lw]

The correct word is: transceiver (TRANSmitter + reCEIVER). Transducer is a device that converts some form of energy (e.g. mechanical energy) to another form of energy (e.g. electrical energy). Examples of transducers: LED, light sensor, microphone, speaker, thermometer.

[@longdongsilver4719]

As always: useful and precise. I love the way you cover your subject: well documented and practical.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you very much!

[@abQUINTON1]

Thanks for the Reddit AMA, looks like I missed it and haven't had time to look at it. Keep up the great work, been a long time fan and found out about LoRa from you and now I'm building a gateway

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome. I did not use Reddit so far. Enjoy your gateway!

[@Joe_Galaska]

Another well done and informative video. Thank you. The use of a ultrasonic sensor in the garage to help prevent parking the car too close where the bumper may damage stored items or even the wall. Sometimes a car barely fits into the garage to permit the garage door to close properly. America has had a long love affair with big cars (that barely fit in the garage). Here is a link to one example of a garage parking sensor. By the way, adding a light to your Google calendar reminder device to add the salt to your softener triggered by your ultrasonic sensor might help keep the wife happy.

[@Joe_Galaska]

Here is the link: www.autosportcatalog.com/catalog/product.aspx?product_id=58048&gclid=CjwKCAjwnLjVBRAdEiwAKSGPI7sLmQjwxwy1Am4GCbucUxVkbOHmk1FWZ7bEPlpXpmrcxqRwBFAX_BoC69YQAvD_BwE

[@AndreasSpiess]

Aha. Here, we usually drive smaller cars ;-)

[@joaofgf]

thank you for another great video! just another idea, you can use the waterproof sensor to check the water level of a well.

[@AndreasSpiess]

This seems to be an important application. Here, water is not so rare so we do not care much about it...

[@TheTinkerDad]

Thanks for the comparison! Just recently started playing with ultrasonic sensors, so this will help me a lot.

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@KlockworXMusic]

This was extremely helpful as I couldn't find much online about the gy-us42 v2 sensor.

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@manickn6819]

Andreas I have used the JSN board as a daughter board on an integrated product. This was done to a proper level with the intention of commercializing. Unfortunately I was not able to get the product out even with me supplying at my cost, installing and operating. I required approval from businessmen and in a third world country its amazing. I am taking all the risk and bearing all the cost and I cannot even get a meeting. I am now in a different third world country but I did document the project before leaving. I intend to put up some info on it in the next few months time permitting. If you or other viewers are interested I will put a link.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Please put the link below this video if ready

[@manickn6819]

I have the raw footage but I need to edit and explain the project from concept to finished. I figure 3 weeks or a little more before I get the time to complete the 3 or 4 videos needed. The last one will have the JSN board in it. I will link when complete.

[@MkmeOrg]

Love the salt level alert idea. Most people here on wells run a softener. I had one in my previous residence and was always filling it when I noticed the water went hard due to running out :) Great video

[@AndreasSpiess]

At least you knew it worked when the difference was visible ;-)

[@MkmeOrg]

Oh yeah- huge difference. Only need half the soap to do the dishes...

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@sichel94sam]

Hey Andreas thank you for your nice videos. Really like it how simple and effective your explanations are. An idea for outdoor us sensor usage: I want to build a parking helper inside my garage. Consisting of 3 us devices it can sense horizontal offset inside the garage, skew of the car and of course how far you are in (as i am consistently hitting the wall :D ) and show it with bright led lights

[@AndreasSpiess]

Another commenter left a link for such a device. I did not know they exist.

[@simonmerrett]

Andreas Spiess my vote would be for a fluid flow meter using perhaps two of the combined transducer models. Could you use the doppler effect to tell when fluid is moving through a pipe/duct? I have heard of people also using these sensors to make a solid state anemometer (three of them facing each other) , which could be a good application for your waterproof units.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I never tried the doppler with water. Seems to be interesting. And the anemometer is also an interesting application. I played with it once when I built my wind tunnel. But I used different technologies.

[@gavinsmalley1513]

Simon Merrett I have seen people talk of measuring water flow with these sensors too but have not seen it actually done. Have you tried it? I would like very much to be able to detect if water is flowing in a particular pipe non-invasively. Not bothered really about the amount, just the difference between still or moving.

[@simonmerrett]

Gavin Smalley I haven't but it would be very valuable discovery to measure or even detect flow non-invasively. For example, in order to understand and reduce energy use in buildings or industrial processes, knowing flow rates is very helpful and the system downtime and labour costs seem prohibitive for invasive techniques. I wonder if there would be any opportunity to observe constructive and destructive interference, like an (ultra)sonic Moire pattern, as the sound will be transmitted through both the pipe material (speed of propagation stays relatively constant) and the fluid (speed of sound propagation relative to the pipe changes with flow).

[@aswinbalasubramanian5753]

Thanks for the video Andreas I'moing a project on measuring water level in a submerged water tank. I got some false readings when I used the HC-SR04 due to the humidity inside the tank which forms drops on the transmitting and receiving area of the sensor. Would you recommend JSN SR04 sensor for my project or is there any other sensor suitable for it?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I never tried this situation. So you have to test yourself.

[@pierpa_76pierpaolo]

I would like to give this obstacle proximity module a try. I am interested in using it as an ultrasonic microphone using the ECHO pin (output) and obviously powering the module without Arduino. I don't have the 'stuff at home otherwise I would try. Please let me know. regards.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Unfortunately, I have no time for such experiments :-(

[@Joe_Galaska]

Mr. Spiess, I contacted the AliExpress vendor for the GY-US042 Ultrasonic Module and they provided me with a Instruction Manual in Chinese. I used google translate to concert the document to English. I have the document in Adobe PDF format but I do not know how to post it here. If you would like to receive the translated document please provide me with eMail address or other means of sending you the document. The manual discusses the three communication methods available, I2C, PWM, and serial.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I think, in the meantime, I also got a documentation and put a link into the description. Maybe you check if yours is different. I am on Twitter and Facebook.

[@mljw_]

hi, i would like to receive the translated document of the GY-42US module, may i know how is it possible to receive this?

[@swishpan]

Maybe you can post instructions on some file sharing or email me and I can post it? The original instructions from Maxbotic doesnt cover PWM output.

[@YigalBZ]

Thank you Andreas for another good video. I also liked the table - brings a quick overall view. Maybe you could also present the "choice of the editor". I am just finishing a train control system based on 2 Arduino nanos, each with an Aultrasonic sensor, and they message the distance to a motor control using I2C. The design was done before I knew about Attiny. I chose the US-015 following your previous video. I also found out it is more accurate. The idea of ultrasonic sensor with I2C can be interesting.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Seems to be an interesting project. The ATTiny can manage my three sensors without problems...

[@kentharris7427]

I want to use the HC-SR04 as a parking sensor. I want to install 3 LEDs Green, Yellow, & Red so when I get to the the exact spot before I hit the curb in the garage. It is an indoor garage so don't need to worry about the sensor getting wet. Like the idea about the Water softener.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Cool project!

[@Phoen1x883]

I've been thinking about doing a similar project for my softener salt tank, but I'm not really sure how to protect the components against corrosion from the humidity and salt. Any ideas on how to go about doing this? Maybe conformal coating, or a sealed enclosure?

[@AndreasSpiess]

The sensor I showed is sealed against humidity. But it looks like it is aluminum. Maybe a clear color could help. I do not know yet.

[@abQUINTON1]

I'd try conformal coating if just the bare device car backup device doesn't work ( with the electronics out of the way). I've used an older "waterproof distance sensor" with no additional coating from aliexpress as the level gauge for a reef aquarium and reef sump, worked reliably for years until I got rid of the tanks. That's some serious heat and corrosive liquid. I think one was at 80C 12 hours a day right near the reef lights pointing down

[@rafaellindarte6052]

Hey great video. I'd like to implement a ultrasonic water meter for domestic use. What kind of transducer could be use for measuring water flow?.

[@Yojino]

I have water ground tank the distance is 5-7 meters, what should I use the sensor prof?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I made a video about that topic where I show several sensors to measure fluid levels.

[@BelSei]

What I'd like to know - if possible - are basically two things; How wide or narrow the sound beam is - could it be used as a direction finder (assuming an array with multiple sensors in various directions). Second issue is - does the sensor have to be in the open, or could it be hidden inside a housing (glass fibre).

[@AndreasSpiess]

1. Maybe you watch my first video about these sensors. There I show the angles. 2. I doubt they will work inside a case because the case will reflect the sound.

[@BelSei]

Thanks, I realised that after watching the first video, I'm now considering a radar application, I just have to try to narrow the beams to achieve some kind of directional sensing. Seems the HFS DC06 is closer to that than any other I've seen so far. Looking forward to this challenge, I have yet to buy my first Arduino...

[@tinker7722]

perfect summary, Andreas!👍👍😁 this saves me a lot of time to choose the right sensor!

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@RP6conrad]

One big advantage from the combined transmitter/receiver sensors is that the range is also limited at short distances : below 10 cm they are unreliable (my experience with a max-sonar). Reason is that after sending, the transmitter need some time to swing out.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for this feedback. I did not do explicit range testing this time.

[@ElmerFuddGun]

I was wondering why would they interfere with each other? Initially I thought you must be triggering them all at the same time but looking at your code at 7:56 I can see that you switch between each without delay except after the last one. It could be that a small echo can still be heard bouncing around from the previous sensor that is tripping the next sensor in the loop. I would have put a bit of a delay between each sensor call instead of just a larger 500ms delay at the end. That should fix the odd errors that pop up showing low distances.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I did not investigate. Maybe they do not wait for the command and do some "freewheeling" measurements? I think, at least some sensors seem to offer this possibility.

[@ElmerFuddGun]

I thought the ones with a "start" pin didn't send a ping until asked to do so. That's how multiple sensors of that type can be used without interference on a robot pointing them in slightly different directions. Freewheeling sensors would allow for "instant" replies to the computer (whatever) but would severely limit the proximity to other sensors due to interference.

[@FarahNasrallah-xt4yz]

hello Andreas , Thanks for the comparison, do yo believe that ultrasonic sensors (transmitters) may have impact on microphones surrounding? as a jamming device to prevent eavesdropping .

[@AndreasSpiess]

If you google you will find such jamming devices. But with 25kHz sensors, not tthe 40kHz I used here.

[@FarahNasrallah-xt4yz]

@@AndreasSpiess thank you for your reply, In fact, I am currently seeking professional counseling for our startup, which is in its early stages of development. I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide me with a contact where I can reach out to you privately if interested.

[@ollieb9875]

Thanks for this rundown of the sensors.. My plan was to somehow connect one of these to the inside of our oil tank to measure the distance the surface of the oil was from the top, giving a level and the esp266 to report back wirelessly to a little display in the kitchen saying how much was left. Don't know if I can do it though.. water might be safer! 😂😀

[@AndreasSpiess]

Oil does not burn very easy... Another possibility could be a pressure sensor at the bottom of the tank.

[@ollieb9875]

Andreas Spiess it's 5000 litres 😀

[@ollieb9875]

Andreas Spiess thank you for the kind reply. Be well, friend. ❤

[@peterl1699]

Great video. Very informative! Would be really intresting to see if you could do under water sonar. Passive and active sonars

[@AndreasSpiess]

I am not sure how far the power would reach...

[@lezbriddon]

so which sensor can do greatest distance off your wall? which sensors is best at really small distances? maybe revisit this at some time and even compare to the cheap lidar sesnors

[@AndreasSpiess]

Maybe in the future...

[@66Freestyle888]

I see a lot of problems with distance jumps, from the correct distance to the minimum distance which is around 23cm with the sensor JSN-SR04T. The sensor is very constant if no cable is nearer then 1cm around the transformator, as soon a usb cable for power the esp32 or esp8622, or the esp itself, then the signal beginns to jump very often. Perhaps it is something that you can show or prove with a video. Kind regards

[@AndreasSpiess]

The ESPs have WiFi transmitters built-in. So they might disturb the signals of your sensor. I never had this issue.

[@rbmwiv]

Use the sensors in front of the car and make a collision avoidance system. I’m starting on one for my car. What is the range on the waterproof sensors for cars? Awesome video.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I did not test the range. Usually, it is around 5 meters. So do not drive your car too fat ;-)

[@andrejipavec1015]

Hi Andreas, great video. Does JSN-SR04T works under water for measuring the distance?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I do not think so. It is probably too weak and probably also not completely waterproof

[@uthmanabdullahi4118]

Thanks for the great video. Can the ultrasound penetrate through metal ? For instance, if i want to measure the level of liquid in a metal cylinder, can i place the sensor on the bottom and isolate the echo that reflects the one i am interested in. There are at least two boundaries the ultrasound must cross (thus reflection occurs) 1. The metal -liquid 2. The liquid -gas ( I am interested in this distance) Or what kind of sensor will be capable of achieving this ? Thanks again

[@AndreasSpiess]

It will not penetrate metal. Often pressure sensors are used inside tanks to measure water levels.

[@shikharvijay7872]

Sir , i am use JSN-SR04T sensor for sefty device in open space area but in this sensor we phased many probs. like anwanted sensing if you suggest any other more realiable sensor and water proof or any changes in this sensor pls suggest ,is very usefull for me, i am waiting for your reply....

[@AndreasSpiess]

I do not know of another ultrasonic sensor which is waterproof.

[@kluzz]

Andreas, one of the pictures you include in the video around 7:34 says "Replace R27 to changes the operating mode". I'm guessing you can just short those two pads to enable serial mode?

[@AndreasSpiess]

If I remember right it needs a 47k resistor. Check the link in the description

[@kvihijar]

Hi! Could you do a video about underwater ultrasonic sensors? It would be intetesting to see how to measure water depth of some lake (0-100 meters...). :)

[@AndreasSpiess]

Interesting idea. But I am no "water guy" and we do not have deep waters around me. So I am not sure I will do it...

[@enamanagandlakarthik6800]

could you tell me the number/ other specifications of the under water ultrasonic sensor

[@ytfp]

I always appreciate your videos, however I don't think this one is complete. I would have expected a range comparison of the modules.Closest range detected and farthest range detected would have been really awesome. Especially "actual" range detected, using individual models so there is no interference. How close a module detects is also just as important as how far. I felt you did a way better job on your radar sensor video by showing consumption in Milliamps and distance. Its not a demand, its just I love your usual attention to detail and maybe I got spoiled by it :)

[@AndreasSpiess]

I did a range test in a previous video and did not find a big difference. That is why I decided to omit it this time. But you are not alone "complaining" ;-). My mistake

[@northshorepx]

Thank you Andreas for another insight into engineering thinking. And also thank you for summarising the information into that table. That is the kind of thing newbies and experienced will thank you for a long time. One question however. I wonder how good do you think sensors are against say water or other liquids as the reflective surfaces? Could these be used to detect for instance flooding in underground rooms?

[@cmorda11]

I have researched this for the application of a tank level sensor. It is already available in a commercial product senix.com/ultrasonic-tank-level-sensor-applications/ I think your idea of a flooding sensor is a good one.

[@Peter_S_]

I have used ultrasonic reservoir level sensors industrially. They work exceptionally well with water levels. The reflection off water is quite a bit stronger than flat, smooth concrete.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks Peter for sharing his experience. Concerning flood sensor: If you want to wait for an alarm till the water is already high, you can use these sensors. Maybe I would use a simple moisture sensor, even a cheap one. Because it is not wet during most of the time also these do not corrode. And I assume they start with very low water levels.

[@northshorepx]

thank you guys.

[@alexisfyra]

In my case (using US100 to measure oil leve) the results perfect. If you have no obstacles between the sensor and the liquid the measurement is perfect !

[@syedumarjunaid5499]

Hi, Andreas, I think there is a problem with the comparison chart because you mentioned JSN-SR04T and JSN-SR04T V2.0 as not waterprooff in the chart, while actually, they are waterproof.

[@AndreasSpiess]

The chart I saw when I pressed the link showed they are waterproof.

[@ColinMill1]

Out of curiosity I had a look at the HC-SR04 I have on the shelf. I see that the transmitter is driven using a MAX3232 (RS232 chip) so uses the dual charge-pump in that chip to give significantly more than 5v to excite the transmitter (quite an interesting non-standard use of the MAX3232 I think). It would be interesting to arrange a small flyback converter to supply say 200v to drive the transmitter to see if that gave a significant improvement in range.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I never looked inside a transducer and do not know when you will fry it. So it is an interesting experiment!

[@ColinMill1]

@@AndreasSpiess Many thanks for the reply. I never took one apart either but while I was having a shot at making an ultrasonic anemometer (using cross correlation to improve resolution which was very interesting) my wife was having difficulty with low humidity in her greenhouse so I had a go at driving one of the transducers till it produced a mist when immersed. Amazingly, despite not being designed for this purpose it worked (though not well enough to humidify a greenhouse!). I don't recall how hard I drove it but 200v p-p at least. With this level of abuse I was expecting it might reveal its inner working to me but it remained intact. BTW, the humidification was done eventually using a spinning disc driven by an electric flight motor. - effective but noisy. As an aside, I found a web page where someone investigating the HC-SR04 found that the receive filter was centred on 18kHz rather than 40kHz and that changing two components to correct this improved its performance:- uglyduck.vajn.icu/ep/archive/2014/01/Making_a_better_HC_SR04_Echo_Locator.html

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for the info and the link. Some interesting insights!

[@ColinMill1]

@@AndreasSpiess I laughed when I read about the filter issue. I'm sure you have met products with similar design errors during your career. I developed a useful line of consultancy by finding that an electronic cat-flap I had bought had a filter not tuned to 30kHz that it was designed to operate on but about 200kHz - an unfortunate error indeed when the UK has such a powerful 200kHz transmitter in the middle of the country.

[@SandeepSolankis]

I have used HC-SR04 in my 1000 ltrs water tank to monitor the water level. If the water level goes down the water motor/pump automatically starts and once the tank is full, motor automatically stops.. I have used Esp8266-12E and a relay. I also send the water consumption of the tank to my cloud and from there i show the water consumption summary to my customsrs. Just a small step towards 'Save Water'

[@AndreasSpiess]

Good idea. How about the longevity of the sensor? Another commenter wrote that the sensor corroded quite fast.

[@SandeepSolankis]

I've been using it since last 2 months, and its working absolutely fine.. Summer is starting now in Delhi, so i need to keep a close watch now..since there will be lot of humidity inside the water tank

[@jschaeke]

Sandeep Solanki for me the problem with this setup above my water tank the grill of the 2 sensors filled up with water due to moist giving way off readings, after I dried it with paper towel it would work again for a couple days...

[@soldierp1101]

which sensor would be better for quadcopters (sr04 and fr05 or GY-US42) because they have the same function. I use pixhawk 4 Plz answer my question

[@AndreasSpiess]

I do not know what quadcopters need :-(

[@stevelenehan7695]

Hi - Is the table at 7:32 correct - I thought it was the US100 that had the temperature sensor and not the JSN-SR04. It wouldnt seem to make any sense to have one on the board of the JSN as by design it is mounted in a separate location from the sensor.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are right. My mistake. I will put a link to the corrected sheet in the description

[@Wildniswerke]

Wie messen die Sensoren kurze Distanzen? Möchte ein 5 Liter Vorratsglas automatisch von meiner Umkehrosmose Filteranlage füllen lassen wenn ein bestimmter Wasserstand erreicht ist (etwa so niedrig dass ich gerade noch ein kleines Glas zapfen kann). Der Sensor soll in den Deckel und erst ein, zwei höchstens 3-4 cm unterhalb des Deckels den Füllvorgang abbrechen. Bei dem Wasserdichten Sensor stand aber irgendwo was, dass er erst ab 25cm misst... Hast du da Erfahrungen oder nen Tipp?

[@AndreasSpiess]

Ich erinnere mich nicht mehr genau. Vielleicht schaust do mal in die Spezifikationen der Sensoren. Ausserdem würde ich die Sensoren VL53L0X /VL53L1X anschauen.

[@marekjuros7104]

Nice video. I want use ultrasonic sensor in water level but need distance between 3cm to 30cm. JSN-SR04T minimum is 20cm that is not for me. Is any water resistant sensor for this range? Thanks

[@AndreasSpiess]

AFAIK you need a lot of power under water. I never tried

[@marekjuros7104]

@@AndreasSpiess I have tank with 30cm height and I can use HC-SR04 because I dont add sensor down to water but only want know level distance. I use this sensor because I want know how many % of water have in tank.

[@ljl451]

A good application for a water resistant ultrasonic sensor is the measurement of the level of the liquid contained in a tank. The sensor can be placed at the top of the tank facing the bottom. When the tank is empty, the measured distance will be the entire height of the tank. When the tank is full, the measured distance will be zero and the sensor will be wet, with no harm.

[@AndreasSpiess]

A few other commenters also use it for this purpose. However, the minimum distance seems not to be 0 cm

[@ljl451]

Yes, that's a good point. Anyway, there is generally a full level that is placed somewhat lower than the top of the tank. In case of a rain barrel, that's the level where water starts to flow outside of the barrel. In other cases that is the level where you stop filling the tank.

[@rhyslbw]

The combined transducer module has a min range of 20cm

[@ljl451]

I have never used that module, but 20 cm is definitely too much as min range. The "traditional" hc-sr04 has a min range of 2 cm.

[@mastiff1995]

Has anyone seen Waterproof/resistant version of the HC-SR04 ? in order to get the close distance like, you need to have separate transmitter and receivers.

[@marijneken]

Would it be possible to use such a sensor as an alternative to a PIR? I'm working on automating my house and I want to add motion detection. But I want a bit more precision than just "something moved in the sight of this sensor". I was thinking that maybe this kind of sensor could be used instead and give some indication of how far a person is and maybe in what direction they are moving. Or is that nonsense and should I look at radar sensors instead? I guess people don't reflect sound that well. Also, what kind of range can you expect with these sensors?

[@AndreasSpiess]

Radar gives similar on/off signals like PIR. Measuring distance could be interesting. But the beam is quite narrow.

[@ma6cb]

Hi Andreas! Another wonderful video. It made. Me wonder; does the "waterproof" sensor (if the connections were encased in glue/epoxy) work underwater and what effect does that have? I wondered if it could be used to map activity of fish in a pond for instance?

[@AndreasSpiess]

There are projects like that but with much more powerful transducers

[@MrPlastkort]

I am looking for a way to create a ultrasonic water agitator, can one of these work for this task? no need to receive signal. but how many would I need to have a reaction?

[@AndreasSpiess]

These are used in ultrasonic cleaners. So I assume they move the water in a small range.

[@maxa.kottwitz6226]

Thank you verry much for your excelent videos. Searching for waterproof distance sensor I found your chanel. For my planed project the angel of the JSN-SR04T is too wide. Now I am wondering if I could install the sensor into a tube to reduce the angel. Do you think this works? Or maybe you know another waterproof sensor with taler angel?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I do not know. Maybe you try? There is a chance it will work.

[@fraserstewart7359]

Can you use these sensors for measuring liquid in a fuel tank?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I think so.

[@richardgrier4721]

Transducer is the name of a component that combines transmitting and receiving hardware inside the same envelope.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for helping me out.

[@kennethnilsson6976]

Transceiver comes to mind as well.

[@richardgrier4721]

Transducer it best, IMO. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transducer

[@electron-1979]

Sorry, I agree with Kenneth. A transducer converts one form of energy to another, such as an ultrasonic transmitter or receiver. When It does both, it's a transceiver (acts as a transmitter and/or receiver).

[@richardgrier4721]

A transceiver is the TOTAL electronics system that sends and receives. The transducer is the device that converts energy from one form to another, and makes up a portion of that system. Andreas was "wondering" out loud about the what the ultrasonic portion of the system should be called, I think, not the entire board.

[@steefant]

Just 2 cents about a point in the summary: If one requires real-time capabilities (e.g., for balancing robots) I would never recommend relying on the offloading and serial protocols. They would most likely introduce delays and more importantly jitter that have very negative consequences on control algorithms. The AVR GP timers can easily spare the CPU core from measuring the time between trigger and echo if used correctly - no idea if there are Arduino libraries for that though but I would not recommend Arduino for such projects either ;) Also, the column of waterproofness in the comparison table is rather useless as is ;)

[@AndreasSpiess]

I used I2C for mine and it works fine. The three sensors always measure distance and if I read it, I always get the latest value. Very fast. The timing of different ultrasonic sensors is not simple because they can disturb each other. This is why I do not want to have it in my main loop. There I have many other time-critical things like the control of the steppers.

[@AndreasSpiess]

And thank you for your hint concerning the sheet. I added a link to a better one;-)

[@ServioUribe]

Can you do a maximum wiring distance when using common transmitters? Like how long a wire I can use connecting a temperature transmitter to an Arduino mega? Thanks.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I never tried, so I do not know.

[@catsafeguard6921]

are these sensors easily affected by wind? I set a AJ SRT-04M sensor up on a fixture. It measured a particular distance to the floor. I then set up a floor fan directly (maybe 8 inches) in front of the sensor and turned it on HIGH. The reading did not change. Any idea why not?

[@AndreasSpiess]

It should not be influenced by moving air. Maybe there is another reason like the movement of the blades.

[@catsafeguard6921]

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my comment regarding your 4 year old video. As it turns out I had a problem with my firmware. I found it shortly after I posted my comment. Keep up the good work.

[@johninyork]

I used the water proof sensor to measure ground water in a sump outside.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for the feedback!

[@fernandohood5542]

I would really like to see the test actual range verses the advertised range.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Maybe in the meantime somebody did it.

[@MrVipulLal]

Love your videos, mate. Thanks!

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks for watching!

[@lowisl289]

hello sir, can do the explanation of ultrasonic sensor that uses i2c bus like KS103 ultrasonic sensors, I noticed no one make information/learning about that sensor.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I have no such plans.

[@Giblet535]

OK, it's not these sensors, specifically, but I have an interesting use for range sensing you might appreciate. Solar, too. ESP8266es, etc. We have a remote home. None of the usual municipal services people take for granted are available out here. That's a good thing. Get a glass of tap water. Hold it up to a light. See that stuff swirling around in there? You know what that is. Lol. Anyway... Maxbotics sells units that are IP-67 rated, and a bit expensive. They are easily switchable between operating modes (echo, PW, serial, etc). I put one of their MB7060 sensors in a cistern to monitor the water level. Meanwhile, in a distant field far below, a solar panel drives a low volume water pump to lift small quantities (4-18GPH) of water from a deep well into the cistern whenever the sun is shining && the sensor indicates that the cistern is not full. The cistern provides gravity-feed water pressure to our house. Crystal clear water. The cistern and well are 1km apart, connected by a buried PEX tube and a shielded CAT6 cable. The cable is for a different purpose and couldn't be shared for the water project, so a D1 Mini on the cistern communicates with the well electronics via LoS nRF24 link. The ESP also controls a stepper driven peristaltic pump which doses the cistern with sodium hypochlorite to hold the water at 0.03% chlorination. So, yeah. Ultrasonic range sensing is key to our drinking water. Our clean, clear water that has no ... tiny bits of paper floating in it. ;o) I keep promising myself I'll make a blog or vlog of the overall system and, more importantly, document the pitfalls and miscalculations I overcame so that others can work straight toward their goal.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Sounds like a nice place you have. And a good application for such a sensor.

[@alcanceweb]

Excellent comparison. Thank you.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thanks!

[@R73CH]

As always great video. Thank you.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@jumadhaheri]

Thank you this great. Now I am building one to check on the water level at my home water tank with a wemos and push to mqtt

[@AndreasSpiess]

Sounds like a good project in your area ;-) Maybe you saw the other comments about this application?

[@artemborodkin]

Thank you for comparison. I have a question. The GY-US42V2 sensor has the strange contacts on the back side with letters H and L. Could this be the i2c address changers?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I do not know and I did not find information about it with my short search

[@neail5466]

What are the range determining factors without voltage??? I didnt get that?? Are all including sr04 has same max range....about the 1cm less range , did you had the diaphragm distance considered.???... Because its nearly 1cm inside.. Thank you for these new info..

[@AndreasSpiess]

I talked about the maximum possible range, which is shorter if you run your devices on 3.3 volt.

[@Take5Instead4]

Thx for this very nice video, excellent work! I'm thinking about monitoring the level of a rainwater tank. Could this be a useful application for the JSN-SR04T?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I think so. Viewers commented that is has a minimal detection range. Below that it does not work any more

[@valentinandreibanu]

It depends....jsn- sr04t has a very wide spread of it's beam( about 75°! ). So unless your water tank has quite a wide opening I would not recommend this sensor. In comparison, the HC- SR04 has only a 15° beam, but unfortunately it is not waterproof and the mere water vapor can damage it( I used one for a similar project and lasted about 2 months after which the tiny metal plates inside the transducers were almost completely oxidated)

[@aldercamper9430]

Andreas! Thank you a lot for you work. I found out that this video is most competent of all other. A bagging you to help me. I'm in a middle of building my own camper-trailer and really want to make ultrasonic parking assist for it, also I want to this system works as security system. I suppose it might contain 12-16 those waterproof sensors. But I have no idea how to arrange them into reasonable system. Could you please give me advice on this???

[@AndreasSpiess]

KZbin is my hobby and unfortunately, I have no time for consulting :-(

[@aldercamper9430]

@@AndreasSpiess I can buy you a drink ;-) But I understand your business. And again, thank you. You doing good videos.

[@kingearwig]

do the water proof sensors give any useful information when used underwater?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I never used them underwater, I never had a need for that.

[@MaxIme555]

Am using a ultrasonic sensor to display the water level in my opaque water tank. It shows the level on a 16x2 lcd display + it makes sure the water pump is stopped when tank is full (using a ssr on the pump).

[@AndreasSpiess]

Nice project!

[@keithallred439]

Are you interested in teaching me how you did this? I want to hire someone to help me build a water level sensor that can control an on/ off pump.

[@MaxGoddur]

Appreciate your videos it leaves me room to experiment in the future once I complete my current project. Leading me to my question recently I used the DHT11 in my project and it performed without flaw. Well until the second day when the temperature was being reported incorrectly. After searching the web I found a fellow KZbinr state the DHT11 are not for outside use the moisture build-up can cause them to malfunction. Have you run into this and do you know of a direct replacement. Would be nice if a direct replacement could be used without changing the library supporting the DHT11.

[@AndreasSpiess]

There are a few alternatives which use the same library. But I do not know if they last longer

[@1powelrainbow2]

Perfect!! Wanted a video like this one!!

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@fajaradi294]

Hi Andreas, very good video. thank you.

[@AndreasSpiess]

You are welcome!

[@Poduhvat]

Hello Andreas, did you tested XL-MaxSonar-WRUC outodor sensor? If you didn't can you do that? Also you had noticed that it is not good when several ultrasonic sensors works in parallel, but what about LIDAR sensors? Can you make a test with two TF mini lidar senors at 20 cm parallel distance from each other?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I only have one TF mini. It should be easy to synchronize them that they do not disturb each other. Maybe you watch my video about Lidars?

[@Poduhvat]

Yes I did thank you.

[@thesimbon]

I've seen quite some people using these sensors for detecting if the car is parked in the garage, others for measuring the water in a water tank (especially those living off grid)

[@AndreasSpiess]

The one with the garage is new for me. Interesting. We only have one car and therefore we usually know where it is parked ;-)

[@thesimbon]

Andreas Spiess if you want to see some more projects, visit mysensors.org forum and openhardware.io. I know there are a lot of projects using the 328p but there are some for esp8266 that you usually prefer.

[@thesimbon]

Mark Bolton there have been some projects, even battery powered, to measure water level of different shaped tanks.

[@m00st]

The ‘detecting a car in the driveway’ was my plan as well. In addition, i am considering using one or more to trigger camera snapshots and moving a ptz into the direction of where the action is. But for the latter, i could use (cheaper) microwave sensors in a weatherproof box.

[@maairas]

Could you make tank level measurements through the top of the tank? If so, they'll be great as boat tank level meters!

[@mschluetter]

Project idea for the JSN-SR04T: safe passing distance measurement concerning bicycle vs car: mount the sensor in the handlebar, log unsafe passing (

[@AndreasSpiess]

Interesting... Maybe a big horn would be better or a camera to document.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Instead of the LoRa, of course...

[@mschluetter]

Andreas Spiess in my experience as a bike messenger, trying to educate the car drivers doesn't work well. Documentation and showing the city planners that the problem exists and where it exists (GPS) is the better way to tackle the problem. With this information, they may overhaul bike lanes in dangerous areas.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Good Idea!

[@Jdpdmw]

Is it possible to show the V2.0 of the JSN-SR04T please? Especially mode 2 and 3?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I do not have one, I think. Maybe you want to watch kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGWVimCHhNaqqqM ?

[@ricardocavalcanti3790]

Hi, i need to measure a milk tank level (until 3 liters). Do you think this ultrassonici sensor (the waterproof ) will be useful? In cant mesure the flow rate because this have a lot of air.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I do not know. Maybe you spend the few dollars to try yourself in your particular situation. This sensor does not measure very short (

[@ritesht877]

Maybe try this one www.ebay.com/itm/253978673298

[@tomcraft5306]

Vielen Dank für das Video...hab mir direkt während des Videos US-100 und US-015 bestellt. Ich bastle mit Raspberry und HC-SR04 eine Garagentor Stellungs Übersicht. Leider messen die HC-SR04 nur bis 70 cm akurat und hoffe mit dem US-100 geht es besser bei gleichzeitiger Entlastung des RaPI's Super Video !

[@AndreasSpiess]

Bitte, gern geschehen. Und viel Erfolg!

[@filzli]

Have you encountered any sensors that would allow to sense motion through walls (12cm bricks for example)? I bought a motion detecting lamp off Ali and it triggers easily through walls. Now I'm actually looking for a sensor like that..

[@AndreasSpiess]

Maybe your lamp has a radar sensor. I made a video about them.

[@filzli]

Yeah, (#135) - I tried it with the HFS-DC06, but either it was either constantly sensing movement when there was none or it did not penetrate the wall. I will give it a few more tries..

[@azaltura999]

Hi, can this sensors be used for checking water flow in pipes?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I do not think so

[@avejst]

Thanks for sharing 😀👍 Well done as always 👍

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for watching and commenting my videos!

[@kenkenken115]

Thanks man!!! Would you mind to share the code for US42V2 module??

[@AndreasSpiess]

I have no particular code for that.

[@thomaskramer4739]

Ich sollte ein Kraftfutter Silo messen (Füllstandmessung) Um Nachschub zu bestellen. Im Silo sehr staubig, möglich mittels eines wasserdichten Ultrasonic sensors, was meint ihr? Höhe des Silo ca 4,5 Meter, nachbestellen bei ca 2.5 - 3 Meter Abstand?

[@AndreasSpiess]

Ich würde es mit einem solchen Sensor versuchen. Die Chancen stehen gut. Und der Einsatz ist nicht hoch.

[@hmauroy]

Thank you for figuring out how to control this sensor. I copied your code but it seems like your implementation of the timing for updates to the US-100 crashes whenever your unsigned ints get out of bounds! I changed to the usual timing code (found everywhere) and now it does not crach anylonger. // Talk to US-100 to update distance and temperature currentMillis= millis(); if(ping_enabled && currentMillis - PreviousMillisDistance >= pingSpeed) { PreviousMillisDistance = currentMillis; // saves the time us100.request_distance(); //Serial.println("Distance requested"); }

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for your correction.

[@alexandruandries864]

Hey Andreas, great video as always but how about creating a Collision Warning system using the water resistant ultrasonic sensor? do you think is doable? I think will be helpful with avoiding minor car crashes and even crashes where people are involved if we could create it and put it free on github.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Just think about speed, distances, and reaction times before you start your project

[@alexandruandries864]

also weight, efficiency of tires on different conditions and few more. I'm waiting for a TF mini to arrive for testing. will let you know when is ready.

[@shibbir_ahmed]

At 5:29, You showed the GY-US42 sensor code alongside the others. Can you please help me with the specific code for that sensor. May be share a link. Thanks.

[@AndreasSpiess]

This code is specific to the sensor. Gogle shows me this: www.instructables.com/ANALOG-ULTRASONIC-SENSOR-for-DISTANCE-MEASURMENT/

[@shibbir_ahmed]

@@AndreasSpiess Thanks for reply! I have seen that before. I was looking for a simple I2C connection code for this sensor, such simply using a library and defining a name. Because am trying to use 3/4 sensor to approve an algorithm. Writing code for this 3 or 4 sensor with that code becoming complex.

[@AndreasSpiess]

I made once a video where I built I2C adapters for standard ultrasonic distance meters using ATTiny chips

[@shibbir_ahmed]

@@AndreasSpiess Can you please share the link? I bought 4 sensors and tried to use I2C addresses, but unfortunately all sensor's address is same 0x70! -_-

[@koz]

Interesting. It never occurred to me before that if I was being chased by a robot which used some of these sensors, I could confuse it by "firing" loads of other sensors back at it. ;)

[@AndreasSpiess]

It is very easy to confuse these sensors. Just offer them a surface which does not reflect the sound in their direction.

[@bardenegri21]

Thank you for another great video!

[@AndreasSpiess]

:-)

[@sheikhmaryam9682]

can you please tell me what is the angle view if max sonar device, I want to use it for obstacle detection for blind people so i want it to cover the whole body.... and please tell me have you worked with lidar sensors

[@AndreasSpiess]

You find videos about Lidar sensors on this channel. The opening angle depends on which device you use. Maybe you consult the data sheet?

[@zulfiqarahmad9394]

Thanks. Please also do video on esp-idf on vscode/ visual studio

[@AndreasSpiess]

I will stick with the Arduino IDE because most of my viewers use it, not because it is the best solution...

[@Γιαννης2]

Great video as always !! I have a question / idea. Is it possible to use ultrasonic sensors (any model) for detecting changes of volume area in a box ? Imagine a cabinet in a sports facility, that customers are putting their staff inside. At the end of the day the owner coulde see if there are any forgotten things inside a cabinet. Something like a car alarm system. If it detects anything withinh the area that is covered from sensors, then alarm is generated. So with the same principle, "alarm" could be generated upon presense of e.g a wallet or a watch inside the cabinet. Do you think that this is duable? Thank you in advance. Keep up this excelent presentation style of yours.

[@AndreasSpiess]

If the things you want to detect are big enough it should work.

[@electron-1979]

I hope they are putting stuff in the cabinet and not their staff!

[@Γιαννης2]

Xaxaxaaa, OK my mistake

[@Mr17luchin]

hello andreas, I'm from Panama and wanted to know if you could help me install or connect my hc-sr04 four pins to my controller apm 2.7 of my drone since I want to use it to have softer landings

[@AndreasSpiess]

I am a KZbinr and have no time for consultantcy. Maybe you find somebody who did what you want using Google.

[@foxpup]

If these had enough resolution they could be used to detect wind speed, but it looks like they don't if I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing. 1cm resolution. It would take some pretty strong winds for even a 1cm deviation in a 1m range measurement.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Interesting concept to use ultrasonic sensors for measuring wind speed

[@foxpup]

Actually its nothing new, but I'm surprised its not more common. :-) 🦊 hackaday.com/2013/08/21/ultrasonic-anemometer-for-an-absurdly-accurate-weather-station/

[@jorgedelcastillo2811]

Do you know the sensors with ToF technology like the VL53L0X ?. Congratulations on your channel. Greetings from Madrid

[@AndreasSpiess]

I did a video with one of these VL chips. But then it only reached 1m and only inside.

[@youtubeboy5700]

so which one is best

[@AndreasSpiess]

You decide.

[@jeanyvespochez]

be careful, it seems that the waterproof sensors can only measure down to 40cm. it's because the module has to be blind between trigger and echo pulses, because it has only one sensor that does all. I'm looking for a waterproof sensor with two sensors, but did not find them. was thinking to try to replace the sensors on a SR04 with the waterproof ones to test it. that way, measuring water level in small tanks would be possible.

[@maicod]

so that is why my car thinks it hits another car while there's plenty of room left ;)

[@AndreasSpiess]

I did not test the rang this time. Thanks for the feedback. Then maybe the application in the salt tank is endangered.

[@jeanyvespochez]

in fact it is 20cm from the JSN-SR04T-2.0 datasheet. other 2 sensors modules indicate around 2cm.

[@rhyslbw]

Andreas Spiess There’s a lot of people looking for a solution to this problem, maybe a future video could explore this? I’m wondering if two JSN-SR04T can be used to separate the sending and receiving responsibilities to reduce the min distance threshold.

[@virtual-identity]

Did you make progress with your salt tank project? I’m using a JSN-SR04 for sensing the salt level. I have difficulties to get a stable signal. When there is only little salt left (ca. 80cm measuring distance) it works fine. Then I filled in salt into the tank and the distance readings vary between 20cm and -200cm. I wonder if the fine salt grains disturb the measuring and I should switch to salt pellets. Do you think, optical sensors are more suitable? I’d appreciate if you can share your experiences. Greetings from Magden

[@simkuroman]

super video. and what about measurent angle? i want to measure the water level in water well with diameter of 1 meter. is it possible?

[@AndreasSpiess]

If I remember right the opening angles are about 30 degrees.

[@shashankreddy6908]

Hello I want the ultra sonic sensor of range 10 meters, give me the model name as fast as possible, please

[@AndreasSpiess]

No need to ask twice.

[@KadirErturk]

great video as always. btw does anyone knows if 40Khz reflects from water?

[@AndreasSpiess]

I assume it does.

[@StevePotter]

I got the JSN-SR04T-2.0 and tested it in Mode3 with 120k resistor in R27. This waits for a 0x55 signal and returns the distance in mm as a 4-byte frame. Unfortunately, the device rounds this mm measurement to the nearest 17 mm! Not very good precision. The absolute accuracy seemed to be off by about 2cm also, indicating less than the actual distance. With Mode1, I could see only about 10microsec of jitter in the pulse length which I think is less than 2mm, so it should be able to do much better in serial mode than it does. Getting the Arduino (DUE in this case) to measure the pulse accurately in Mode1 seems also to be a limitation, using the pulseIn() function.

[@AndreasSpiess]

Thank you for your feedback. I did not know of this rounding to the nearest 17 mm. The offset is not a big problem for me because you anyway have to adjust for the plane you want to use as a reference.