Distance measurement with

ultrasounds
Laboratori dElectrnica
Grau dEnginyeria Telemtica
Gabriel Torrens
Laboratori dElectrnica Grau dEnginyeria Telemtica. 4t curs
Distance measurement with ultrasounds
1.- Objective
In this lab we will put together some of the circuits and components we hae studied
and mounted in the preious lab sessions! as well as a few new ones! to set up a
practical application. "ith all these circuits we will design! mount and test a deice
capable of measuring distances with ultrasounds. The wor#ing principle of the distance
measurements with ultrasounds is described below.
2.- Introduction
The #ey components of this lab are two ultrasound transducers! one is an emitter and
the other is a receier! both are placed in the measure deice. The goal of the practice
is to measure the distance between the deice and an ob$ect. To measure this distance
we will use the pulse%echo techni&ue illustrated in 'ig. (. The ultrasound emitter
produces a pulse which traels through air at the speed of sound until it reaches the
ob$ect. )art of the ultrasound pulse is reflected by the ob$ect and returned to the
ultrasound receptor at the same speed.
'ig. (. )ulse%echo techni&ue.
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Laboratori dElectrnica Grau dEnginyeria Telemtica. 4t curs
If we measure the elapsed time between the emission of the pulse and its return! and
we #now its trael speed! we can obtain the distance between the deice and the
ob$ect with the following e*pression+
2
t v
D = (Eq .1)
"here , is the distance between the deice and the ob$ect! t is the flight%time of the
ultrasound pulse -both ways. and is the speed of sound in the medium -air in this
case.. "e can use a alue of / 040 m1s which corresponds to air at 2345. 6ote that
E&. ( assumes that distance , has not changed during time t.
If the emitter produces a continuous ultrasound emission! the receier will receie the
echo but we will be unable to find out the elapsed time between the emission and the
reception. 'or this reason it is necessary to emit ultrasounds in pulses to assure that
we can correlate the emission pulse start with the beginning of the echo reception.
To emit and receie ultrasound pulses! we will use a pair of ultrasound transducers
-formed by an emitter and a receier.. Its models numbers are 4778T(97 -for the
emitter. and 4778:(97 -for the receier.. They are intended to be used with a
fre&uency of 47 #;<! which corresponds to ultrasound fre&uencies. :emember that
human beings can hear roughly between 27 and 27 #;<.
3.- Circuit implementation
"e will mount on a breadboard two different circuits! one corresponding to the emitter
and other to receier. "e will test them separately and finally we will test both together.
3.1.- Ultrasound emitter
The circuit we will use is represented in 'ig. 2. It is composed of 0 main parts+
% = 4778T(97 ultrasound emitter and its drier. The drier consists of a >?T
transistor with some bias resistors. 6ote that the supply oltage of the drier is
@(3 A -which is different from the supply oltage of the other two parts..
% =n ultrasound oscillator implemented with a 333 I5 in astable operation mode.
:eiew the lab 9 documentation if necessary. Bou can also loo# up the 333
datasheet. 6ote that pin 4 is not connected to Add as usual. )in 4 corresponds
to the :E8ET signal -low%actie.! so while it is high the 333 oscillatesC when it is
low the oscillation is stopped. 'or this reason! the output of this stage -E0
signal. is an oscillating signal only when the E2 signal -coming from the pulse
generator stage. is high. =s an e*ercise! please chec# that with the two
resistors and one capacitor alues proided in 'ig. 2 the oscillation fre&uency is
appro*imately 47 #;<. 6ote that one of the resistors is a potentiometer to
fine%tune the fre&uency.
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Laboratori dElectrnica Grau dEnginyeria Telemtica. 4t curs
% = pulse generator implemented with a 333 I5 in astable operation mode and an
inerter. It generates a train of short pulses. The time between them is much
greater than its duration. Each of these pulses enables the 333 of the
ultrasound oscillator stage to oscillate. 6ote that the supply oltage of both 333
and the inerter is 3 A.
'ig. 2. Dltrasound emitter circuit schematic.
5alculate the oscillating fre&uency of the 333 of the pulse generator and the time its
output signal -E(. is high and lowC loo# up the 333 datasheet if necessary. "hy do we
use an inerter at the outputE 6ote that the (# resistor is a potentiometerC what
parameter of the E( and E2 signal does it controlE ,oes it control its fre&uencyE "hyE
"rite down all these calculated alues and responses.
)ractical lab procedure
"e will mount and test the circuit in bloc#s. "hen one wor#s correctly we will moe to
the ne*t. "e will use the oscilloscope to chec# the different bloc#s.
(.% Fount the ultrasound oscillator stage with the 4 pin connected to dd! and chec#
if it oscillates at a fre&uency near to 47 #;<. Dse the potentiometer to fine%tune the
fre&uency.
2.% Fount the pulse generation circuit and chec# that it generates a signal with the
features preiously calculated. !e care"ul with the polarit# o" the 1 $% capacitor.
"hen it wor#s fine! add the inerter at its output and chec# if the E2 signal has the
features needed to actiate the ultrasound oscillator for short periods and thus
generate a 47 #;< signal in short pulses.
4.% 5onnect the pulse generation and ultrasound oscillator stages as shown in 'ig. 2.
Gbsere with the scope the E0 signal. It has to be a signal formed by short bursts of a
47 #;< s&uare signal. The time between these bursts -or pulses. is the inerse of the
fre&uency you hae computed for the 333 pulse generator! and it has to be much
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Laboratori dElectrnica Grau dEnginyeria Telemtica. 4t curs
longer than the pulse duration. "hat component or components would need to be
changed if we wanted to modify the time between pulsesE "rite down this response.
3.% 5onnect the E0 signal to the ultrasound emitter and drier. !e care"ul with the
polarit# o" the ultrasound emitter. 5hec# 'ig. 0 to find out the correct one. 5hec#
with the scope the features of the E4 signal. If it is as e*pected! call the instructor to
chec# the correct operation of the whole ultrasound emitter circuit.
'ig. 0. Dltrasound transducers with polarity indication.
3.2.- Ultrasound receiver
The circuit we will use is represented in 'ig. 4. It consists of an ultrasound receier
transducer and 0 additional stages represented as blac# bo*es. The circuit of each of
these bac# bo*es is detailed in 'ig. 3+
% = 4778:(97 ultrasound receier. It will receie the echo of the ultrasounds
emitted by the 4778T(97 emitter. The echo signal receied will be a signal with
small amplitude! so it will need to be amplified. In addition! we will filter the
receied signal. These two actions are performed with the circuits of the
following stages which are described below.
% = high%pass filter implemented with an operational amplifier. :eiew lab 3 if
necessary. 5ompute the cut%off fre&uency. ;ow does it behae with a 47 #;<
fre&uencyE ,oes it introduce some gain at 47 #;<E "rite down these results
and responses.
% =n amplifier implemented with an operational amplifier. :eiew lab 4 if
necessary. Is this an inerting or non%inerting amplifierE 5ompute the
theoretical gain. "rite down these results and responses.
% =n enelope detector of the :0 signal. :(! :2! and :0 are 47 #;< fre&uency
signals! so they are oscillating signals. The enelope detector conerts this #ind
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&
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Laboratori dElectrnica Grau dEnginyeria Telemtica. 4t curs
of signals into non%oscillating signals that ta#e only positie alues and that
correspond to the enelope of the input signal -the upper enelope.. The
enelope of a signal is a smooth cure that outlines its e*tremes in amplitude.
'ig. 9 depicts an e*ample of upper enelope of a high fre&uency signal.
'ig. 4. >lac#%bo* diagram of the ultrasound receier circuit.

'ig. 3. 8chematics of each of the stages of the receier circuit
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Laboratori dElectrnica Grau dEnginyeria Telemtica. 4t curs
'ig. 9. E*ample of upper enelope of a signal.
)ractical lab procedure
"e will mount and test the circuit in bloc#s. "hen one wor#s correctly we will moe to
the ne*t. "e will use the oscilloscope to chec# the different bloc#s. Instead of using the
signal of the ultrasound receier as the input signal! we will test the circuit with a signal
generated with the function generator. "hen all stages wor# fine we will add the
ultrasound receier.
(.% Fount the high%pass filter circuit and apply a 47 #;< sine signal to its input -:(..
5hec# if the output -:2. is as e*pected.
2.% Fount the amplifier and connect its input -:2. to the output of the high%pass filter as
in 'ig. 4. 5ontinue applying the sine signal to the filter input. Heep in mind that now we
are amplifying the function generator signal much more than before! so it could be
necessary to lower the amplitude of the input signal. 5hec# if the output -:0. is as
e*pected. ,o not connect the enelope detector.
0.% 5onnect the ultrasound receier as in 'ig. 4. !e care"ul with the polarit# o" the
ultrasound emitter. 5hec# 'ig. 0 to find out the correct one. In addition! you hae to
turn on the ultrasound emitter circuit. >oth receier and emitter hae to Iloo#J in the
same direction and be a couple of centimeters apart. 5hec# the emitted signals E0 and
E4! if they are correct! #eep one of them in the scope channel ( acting as trigger. To
measure the echo at the receier! you will hae to put an obstacle at about (7%27 cm
aboe both transducersC a folder will wor# fine. 5hec# if you see some receied signals
-:(! :2 or :0. with channel 2. Heep in mind that some of them are amplified and
others are not! so you will hae to ad$ust the ertical scale of the scope. If you can see
the generated pulse in channel ( and its echo in channel 2 you are about to finish! call
the instructor and show him the results.
4.% 5onnect the enelope detector and obsere Aout in channel 2. Try to measure the
time elapsed between the emission of the pulse and its reception. Dsing E&. ( compute
the distance. ,oes it correspond to the distance between the folder and the
transducersE Try to ary this distance and loo# at the distance between the generated
and receied pulse.
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