TDK offers compact and rugged ultrasonic sensor modules for industrial applications

     Distance measurement is playing an increasingly important role in the industrial field. The promotion of the concept of Industry 4.0 has further promoted the development of distance measurement applications, such as robotics in automation technology. To meet the high demands of harsh industrial environments, TDK has developed a compact and rugged ultrasonic sensor module.

     There are many range measurement and object detection technologies on the market, but most are not suitable for industrial applications. For example, systems based on millimeter wave radar and lidar are expensive and relatively high power consumption, and optical systems are heavily affected by ambient light, reflection, and haze pollution, and are rarely used in industrial environments. It has been proved that the ultrasonic measurement method based on the working principle of time of flight (ToF) can be used reliably in industrial environment. The principle is to send a short ultrasonic pulse through the sensor module, and then reflect it back to the module after touching the surface of the object, and the time between sending and receiving the pulse is proportional to the distance between the module and the object.

     To date, most available ultrasonic modules are equipped with two piezoelectric disks for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic pulses. TDK has developed an ultra-compact and innovative module that transmits and receives ultrasonic pulses using only a ceramic piezoelectric disk, and uses an ASIC chip to generate and process the signals.

     In addition to the ASIC chip, the ultrasonic module has integrated EEPROM and RAM, allowing users to adjust the module to suit specific operating conditions. Rugged and compact design with high integration. The ultrasonic sensor module is highly integrated and equipped with only a single ceramic piezoelectric disk, allowing for an ultra-compact size: only 15 mm in diameter and a module insertion height of only 13 mm (including the plug on the back of the module). The solid aluminum alloy housing provides good dust and water spray protection. In addition, the unique structural design makes the module have good electromagnetic compatibility.

     The new TDK ultrasonic sensor module has a measurement range of 12 cm to 200 cm, a measurement Angle of 60°, and can simultaneously record and measure multiple targets within a specified measurement range. In addition, the power of the module is very low: the current of the 12 V DC voltage is only 5.5 mA. The new TDK ultrasonic sensor module is versatile and can be used for a wide range of applications, such as distance measurement, detecting objects (such as for robots), collision avoidance of autonomous industrial trucks, and determining the level of liquids and solids in storage tanks and silos.