EXPERIMENT 02
Introduction To Ultrasonic Sensor and Its Practical Implementation
1. Introduction
Ultrasonic sensors are devices that measure
distance using high-frequency sound waves.
These sensors work on the echo and time-of-flight
principle. They send sound waves toward an
object and receive the reflected waves back. By
measuring how long the sound takes to return, the
sensor calculates the distance.
Ultrasonic sensors are used in many everyday
devices such as car parking systems, obstacle-
avoiding robots, water level monitoring systems,
and smart home automation. This lab helps us understand how ultrasonic
sensors work and how they are used in practical applications.
2. Objective of the Lab
The main objectives of this lab are:
To understand how ultrasonic sensors work
To study the structure and pin configuration of an ultrasonic sensor
To measure distance using an ultrasonic sensor
To understand real-life uses of ultrasonic sensors
3. Theory of Ultrasonic Sensors
Ultrasonic sensors send sound waves at a very high frequency (usually 40
kHz), which humans cannot hear. When these sound waves hit an object,
they bounce back to the sensor. The sensor measures the time taken for the
sound to return.
Distance is calculated using the formula:
Speed of Sound × Time
Distance=
2
The time is divided by 2 because the sound travels to the object and then
comes back.
4. Types of Ultrasonic Sensors
Ultrasonic sensors are mainly of three types:
Through-beam sensors – Transmitter and receiver are separate
Reflective sensors – Transmitter and receiver are in the same unit
Proximity sensors – Used to detect objects within a short range
Reflective ultrasonic sensors are most commonly used in robotics and
embedded systems.
5. Ultrasonic Sensor Module (HC-SR04)
The HC-SR04 is a commonly used ultrasonic sensor module. It has four pins:
VCC → Power supply (5V)
Trig → Sends ultrasonic signal
Echo → Receives reflected signal
GND → Ground connection
The sensor can measure distances from
about 2 cm to 400 cm.
6. Practical Implementation
In practical use, the ultrasonic sensor is connected to a microcontroller like
Arduino UNO.
The Trig pin sends ultrasonic waves.
The Echo pin receives the reflected
waves.
The Arduino measures the return time
and calculates the distance.
This setup is commonly used in obstacle-avoiding robots, automatic doors,
and smart systems.
8. Observation
In this lab experiment, the HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor was successfully
connected to the Arduino UNO. All connections were made correctly between
the sensor pins (VCC, Trig, Echo, GND) and Arduino pins.
The Arduino program was uploaded successfully. The sensor sent ultrasonic
waves and measured the return time. The calculated distance was displayed
on the Serial Monitor.
When an object was moved closer or farther from the sensor, the distance
values changed accordingly. This showed that the sensor and Arduino system
were working properly.
10. Conclusion
Ultrasonic sensors play an important role in modern sensing applications due
to their accuracy, simplicity, and affordability. Through this lab, the working
principle and practical implementation of ultrasonic sensors were
successfully studied. Their wide usage in daily-life gadgets and smart
systems highlights their importance in the field of sensors and actuators.