15.

Distance Measurement

Ultrasonic Distance Sensor

The HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor is a very affordable proximity/distance sensor that has been
used mainly for object avoidance in various robotics projects. It essentially gives your Arduino eyes /
special awareness and can prevent your robot from crashing or falling off a table. It has also been used
in blind stick applications, water level sensing, and even as a parking sensor.

HC-SR04 Sensor

Figure 15.1: HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Distance Sensor

Circuit Connections of Ultrasonic Distance Sensor with Arduino

Figure 15.2: Circuit Connections of Ultrasonic Distance Sensor with Arduino

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Ultrasonic Distance Sensor with Arduino Code

/*==========================================
Ultrasonic Distance Measurement
www.circuits4you.com

Ultrasonic sensor Pins:

VCC: +5VDC
Trig : Trigger (INPUT) - Pin 4
Echo: Echo (OUTPUT) - Pin 2
GND: GND
========================================== */

int trigPin = 4; //Trig - green Jumper

int echoPin = 2; //Echo - yellow Jumper
long duration, cm, inches;

void setup() {
//Serial Port begin
Serial.begin (9600);
//Define inputs and outputs
pinMode(trigPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(echoPin, INPUT);
}

void loop()
{
// The sensor is triggered by a HIGH pulse of 10 or more microseconds.
// Give a short LOW pulse beforehand to ensure a clean HIGH pulse:
digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
delayMicroseconds(5);
digitalWrite(trigPin, HIGH);
delayMicroseconds(10);
digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);

// Read the signal from the sensor: a HIGH pulse whose

// duration is the time (in microseconds) from the sending
// of the ping to the reception of its echo off of an object.
pinMode(echoPin, INPUT);
duration = pulseIn(echoPin, HIGH);

// convert the time into a distance

cm = (duration/2) / 29.1;
inches = (duration/2) / 74;
Serial.print("Distance: ");
Serial.print(inches);
Serial.print("in, ");
Serial.print(cm);
Serial.print("cm");
Serial.println();

delay(250);
}

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Result of Ultrasonic Distance Sensor
Open serial monitor and move hand in front of ultrasonic sensor to see the changes.

Figure 15.3: Result of Ultrasonic Distance Sensor

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