An introduction to ultrasonic sensors

Ultrasonic sensors have been a popular method for distance measurement and object detection for many years. Their basic operating principle works by measuring the amount of time it takes for their emitted ultrasonic pulse of sound to bounce off an object and return, hence the name ultrasonic sensor. With the market for autonomous robots, vehicles, and other similar electronics continuing to rise, ultrasonic sensors are finding new uses due to their capabilities and flexibility in a variety of designs.

Before selecting an ultrasonic sensor for an application, it is important to understand the basic operation of ultrasonic sensors as well as how to specify the appropriate transmitter, receiver, or transceiver based on key performance criteria. Ultrasonic sensors have proven to be a go-to proximity sensor solution due to their many advantages, but like any sensor technology, they do have several limitations that might not make them the best choice in every scenario.

This CUI Insights™ blog post, “The Basics of Ultrasonic Sensors” outlines these important topics in further detail, discussing an ultrasonic sensor’s operation, key specifications, and advantages as well as disadvantages.