PROJECT REPORT

on

Digital Ruler Using Arduino

Presented by

Muzamil

GMS Dardwooder
Zone Hariganiwan
Abstract

The Digital Ruler is an electronic distance-measuring device that uses an ultrasonic

sensor to determine the distance between the sensor and an object without physical
contact. The measured distance is processed by an Arduino Uno microcontroller and
displayed on a 16×2 LCD display using I2C communication.

The system works by transmitting ultrasonic waves toward an object and measuring the
time taken by the reflected waves to return. Based on this time interval, the Arduino
calculates the distance and displays it on the LCD screen. The project provides a low-
cost, portable, and accurate alternative to conventional measuring tools and
demonstrates the practical application of embedded systems and sensor technology.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Objectives

3. Literature Review

4. Components Required

5. Hardware Description

6. Working Principle

7. Circuit Diagram

8. Methodology

9. Arduino Program

10. Flowchart

11. Results and Observations

12. Advantages

13. Limitations

14. Applications

15. Future Scope

16. Conclusion

17. References
1. Introduction

Measurement plays an important role in engineering, science, construction, and

industrial applications. Traditional rulers and measuring tapes require physical contact
and manual reading, which may introduce errors.

The Digital Ruler project eliminates these limitations by using ultrasonic technology. An
ultrasonic sensor measures distance by emitting high-frequency sound waves and
receiving their reflections. The Arduino Uno processes the received signal and
calculates the distance, which is displayed on an LCD screen.

The project demonstrates the integration of sensors, microcontrollers, and display

modules in an embedded system.

2. Objectives

The main objectives of this project are:

• To design a digital distance measuring system.

• To interface an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor with Arduino Uno.

• To display measured distance on a 16×2 LCD using I2C communication.

• To improve measurement accuracy.

• To understand embedded system programming and sensor interfacing.

• To create a low-cost electronic ruler.

3. Literature Review

Ultrasonic distance measurement technology is widely used in:

• Robotics

• Automotive parking systems

• Industrial automation

• Water level monitoring

• Smart home applications

The HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor is one of the most popular sensors for distance
measurement because of its low cost, ease of use, and acceptable accuracy.
Arduino Uno provides an open-source platform for sensor interfacing and embedded
system development, making it ideal for educational and prototype applications.

4. Components Required

[Link] Component Quantity

1 Arduino Uno 1

2 HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor 1

3 16×2 LCD with I2C Module 1

4 Breadboard 1

5 Jumper Wires As required

6 USB Cable 1

7 Laptop with Arduino IDE 1

5. Hardware Description

5.1 Arduino Uno

The Arduino Uno is based on the ATmega328P microcontroller.

Specifications

• Operating Voltage: 5V

• Input Voltage: 7–12V

• Digital I/O Pins: 14

• Analog Pins: 6

• Flash Memory: 32 KB

• SRAM: 2 KB

• Clock Speed: 16 MHz

Function

Arduino acts as the central processing unit of the project.

5.2 HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor

The HC-SR04 measures distance using ultrasonic sound waves.

Specifications

• Operating Voltage: 5V

• Measuring Range: 2 cm to 400 cm

• Accuracy: ±3 mm

• Frequency: 40 kHz

Pin Configuration

Pin Function

VCC Power Supply

Trig Trigger Signal

Echo Echo Signal

GND Ground

5.3 I2C 16×2 LCD Display

The LCD is used to display distance readings.

Features

• 16 Characters × 2 Lines

• Uses I2C communication

• Requires only SDA and SCL pins

• Reduces wiring complexity

Pin Configuration

Pin Function

VCC Power
Pin Function

GND Ground

SDA Data

SCL Clock

6. Working Principle

The ultrasonic sensor emits sound waves at 40 kHz frequency.

When these waves strike an object, they reflect back to the sensor.

Arduino measures the travel time of the ultrasonic pulse.

The distance is calculated using:

For practical calculations:

The calculated distance is displayed on the LCD screen.

7. Circuit Diagram

+------------------+
| Arduino Uno |
| |
| D9 ---------- Trig
| D10 ---------- Echo
| A4 ---------- SDA
| A5 ---------- SCL
| 5V ---------- VCC
| GND ---------- GND
+------------------+

HC-SR04
+------------------+
| VCC -> 5V |
| GND -> GND |
| Trig -> D9 |
| Echo -> D10 |
+------------------+
 I2C LCD 16×2
+------------------+
| VCC -> 5V |
| GND -> GND |
| SDA -> A4 |
| SCL -> A5 |
+------------------+

8. Methodology

Step 1

Connect the ultrasonic sensor to Arduino.

Step 2

Connect the I2C LCD display to Arduino.

Step 3

Upload the Arduino program.

Step 4

Trigger ultrasonic pulses.

Step 5

Measure echo return time.

Step 6

Calculate distance.

Step 7

Display distance on LCD.

9. Arduino Program

#include <Wire.h>
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>

LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,16,2);

const int trigPin = 9;

const int echoPin = 10;

long duration;
float distance;

void setup()
{
pinMode(trigPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(echoPin, INPUT);

[Link]();
[Link]();

[Link](0,0);
[Link]("Digital Ruler");
delay(2000);
[Link]();
}

void loop()
{
digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
delayMicroseconds(2);

digitalWrite(trigPin, HIGH);
delayMicroseconds(10);
digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);

duration = pulseIn(echoPin, HIGH);

distance = duration * 0.034 / 2;

[Link](0,0);
 [Link]("Distance:");

[Link](0,1);
[Link](distance);
[Link](" cm ");

delay(500);
}

10. Flowchart

START
|
Initialize LCD
|
Initialize Sensor Pins
|
Send Trigger Pulse
|
Receive Echo Signal
|
Measure Time
|
Calculate Distance
|
Display Distance
|
Repeat Loop
|
END
11. Results and Observations

Actual Distance Measured Distance

10 cm 10.1 cm

20 cm 19.9 cm

30 cm 30.2 cm

40 cm 39.8 cm

50 cm 50.1 cm

Observation

The measured values closely match the actual distances, demonstrating good
accuracy.

12. Advantages

• Contactless measurement

• Easy to use

• Portable

• Cost-effective

• Accurate results

• Real-time display

13. Limitations

• Sensitive to environmental conditions

• Soft surfaces may reduce accuracy

• Limited measuring range

• Performance affected by temperature variations

14. Applications

• Electronic measuring devices

• Robotics

• Smart parking systems

• Obstacle avoidance robots

• Industrial automation

• Water level monitoring

• Security systems

15. Future Scope

• Bluetooth connectivity

• Mobile app integration

• Voice output system

• Data logging capability

• Wireless measurement system

• Integration with IoT platforms

16. Conclusion

The Digital Ruler using Arduino Uno, HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor, and I2C 16×2 LCD
Display successfully measures distances accurately and displays the results in real
time. The project demonstrates the practical implementation of ultrasonic sensing and
embedded system design. Due to its low cost, ease of implementation, and wide range
of applications, it is an excellent educational and practical project for students and
hobbyists.
17. References

1. Arduino Official Documentation

2. HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor Datasheet Resources

3. Arduino LiquidCrystal I2C Library Documentation

4. Arduino IDE Documentation and Examples.