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PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)

The Parallax PING))) ultrasonic distance sensor provides precise, non-contact distance measurements
from about 2 cm (0.8 inches) to 3 meters (3.3 yards). It is very easy to connect to microcontrollers such
as the BASIC Stamp, SX or Propeller chip, requiring only one I/O pin.
The PING))) sensor works by transmitting an ultrasonic (well above human hearing range) burst and
providing an output pulse that corresponds to the time required for the burst echo to return to the
sensor. By measuring the echo pulse width, the distance to target can easily be calculated.

Features
y
y
y
y
y
y

Key Specifications

Range: 2 cm to 3 m (0.8 in to 3.3 yd)

Burst indicator LED shows sensor
activity
Bidirectional TTL pulse interface on a
single I/O pin can communicate with 5 V
TTL or 3.3 V CMOS microcontrollers
Input trigger: positive TTL pulse, 2 s
min, 5 s typ.
Echo pulse: positive TTL pulse, 115 s
minimum to 18.5 ms maximum.
RoHS Compliant

y
y
y
y
y
y
y

Supply voltage: +5 VDC

Supply current: 30 mA typ; 35 mA max
Communication: Positive TTL pulse
Package: 3-pin SIP, 0.1 spacing
(ground, power, signal)
Operating temperature: 0 70 C.
Size: 22 mm H x 46 mm W x 16 mm D
(0.84 in x 1.8 in x 0.6 in)
Weight: 9 g (0.32 oz)

Pin Definitions
GND
5V
SIG

Ground (Vss)
5 VDC (Vdd)
Signal (I/O pin)

The PING))) sensor has a male 3-pin header used to supply

ground, power (+5 VDC) and signal. The header may be plugged
into a directly into solderless breadboard, or into a standard 3wire extension cable (Parallax part #805-000012).

Copyright Parallax Inc.

PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)

v1.5 2/15/2008 Page 1 of 12

Dimensions

Communication Protocol
The PING))) sensor detects objects by emitting a short ultrasonic burst and then "listening" for the echo.
Under control of a host microcontroller (trigger pulse), the sensor emits a short 40 kHz (ultrasonic) burst.
This burst travels through the air, hits an object and then bounces back to the sensor. The PING)))
sensor provides an output pulse to the host that will terminate when the echo is detected, hence the
width of this pulse corresponds to the distance to the target.

Host Device
PING)))
Sensor

Input Trigger Pulse

tOUT

2 s (min), 5 s typical

Echo Holdoff

tHOLDOFF

750 s

Burst Frequency

tBURST

200 s @ 40 kHz

Echo Return Pulse Minimum

tIN-MIN

115 s

Echo Return Pulse Maximum

tIN-MAX

Delay before next measurement

Copyright Parallax Inc.

PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)

18.5 ms
200 s

v1.5 2/15/2008 Page 2 of 12

Practical Considerations for Use

Object Positioning
The PING))) sensor cannot accurately measure the distance to an object that: a) is more than 3 meters
away, b) that has its reflective surface at a shallow angle so that sound will not be reflected back towards
the sensor, or c) is too small to reflect enough sound back to the sensor. In addition, if your PING)))
sensor is mounted low on your device, you may detect sound reflecting off of the floor.
a.

b.

c.

Target Object Material

In addition, objects that absorb sound or have a soft or irregular surface, such as a stuffed animal, may
not reflect enough sound to be detected accurately. The PING))) sensor will detect the surface of water,
however it is not rated for outdoor use or continual use in a wet environment. Condensation on its
transducers may affect performance and lifespan of the device. See the Water Level with PING)))
document on the 28015 product page at www.parallax.com for more information.

Air Temperature
Temperature has an effect on the speed of sound in air that is measurable by the PING))) sensor. If the
temperature (C) is known, the formula is:
Cair = 331.5 + (0.6 TC ) m/s

The percent error over the sensors operating range of 0 to 70 C is significant, in the magnitude of 11
to 12 percent. The use of conversion constants to account for air temperature may be incorporated into
your program (as is the case in the example BS2 program given in the Example Programs section below).
Percent error and conversion constant calculations are introduced in Chapter 2 of Smart Sensors and
Applications, a Stamps in Class text available for download from the 28029 product page at
www.parallax.com.

Copyright Parallax Inc.

PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)

v1.5 2/15/2008 Page 3 of 12

Test Data
The test data on the following pages is based on the PING))) sensor, tested in the Parallax lab, while
connected to a BASIC Stamp microcontroller module. The test surface was a linoleum floor, so the
sensor was elevated to minimize floor reflections in the data. All tests were conducted at room
temperature, indoors, in a protected environment. The target was always centered at the same elevation
as the PING))) sensor.

Test 1
Sensor Elevation:
Target:

Copyright Parallax Inc.

40 in. (101.6 cm)

3.5 in. (8.9 cm) diameter cylinder, 4 ft. (121.9 cm) tall vertical orientation

PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)

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Test 2
Sensor Elevation:
Target:

Copyright Parallax Inc.

40 in. (101.6 cm)

12 in. x 12 in. (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm) cardboard, mounted on 1 in. (2.5 cm) pole
Target positioned parallel to backplane of sensor

PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)

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Example Programs and Applications

BASIC Stamp 2
This circuit allows you to quickly connect your PING))) sensor to a BASIC Stamp 2 via the Board of
Education breadboard area. The PING))) modules GND pin connects to Vss, the 5 V pin connects to
Vdd, and the SIG pin connects to I/O pin P15. This circuit will work with the example BASIC Stamp
program listed below.

Extension Cable and Port Cautions for the Board of Education

If you are connecting your PING))) sensor to a Board of Education platform using an extension cable,
follow these steps:
1. When plugging the cable onto the PING))) sensor, connect Black to GND, Red to 5 V, and White
to SIG.
2. Check to see if your Board of Education servo ports have a jumper, as shown at right.
3. If your Board of Education servo ports have a jumper, set it to Vdd as shown. Then plug the
cable into the port, matching the wire color to the labels next to the port.
4. If your Board of Education servo ports do not have a jumper, do not use them with the
PING))) sensor. These ports only provide Vin, not Vdd, and this may damage your PING)))
sensor. Go to the next step.
5. Connect the cable directly to the breadboard with a 3-pin header as shown above. Then, use
jumper wires to connect Black to Vss, Red to Vdd, and White to I/O pin P15.

Board of Education Servo Port Jumper, Set to Vdd

Copyright Parallax Inc.

PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)

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Example Program: PingMeasureCmAndIn.bs2

This example BS2 program is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of the Stamps in Class text Smart Sensors and
Applications. Additional PBASIC programs, one for the BS1 and another than runs on any model of
BASIC Stamp 2 (BS2, BS2e, BS2sx, BS2p, BS2pe, BS2px) can be downloaded from the 28015 product
page.
' Smart Sensors and Applications - PingMeasureCmAndIn.bs2
' Measure distance with Ping))) sensor and display in both in & cm
' {$STAMP BS2}
' {$PBASIC 2.5}
' Conversion constants for room temperature measurements.
CmConstant
CON
2260
InConstant
CON
890
cmDistance
inDistance
time

VAR
VAR
VAR

Word
Word
Word

DO
PULSOUT 15, 5
PULSIN 15, 1, time
cmDistance = cmConstant ** time
inDistance = inConstant ** time
DEBUG HOME, DEC3 cmDistance, " cm"
DEBUG CR, DEC3 inDistance, " in"
PAUSE 100
LOOP

Copyright Parallax Inc.

PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)

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Propeller Microcontroller
{{
***************************************
*
Ping))) Object V1.1
*
*
(C) 2006 Parallax, Inc.
*
* Author: Chris Savage & Jeff Martin *
* Started: 05-08-2006
*
***************************************
Interface to Ping))) sensor and measure its ultrasonic travel time. Measurements can be in
units of time or distance. Each method requires one parameter, Pin, that is the I/O pin that
is connected to the Ping)))'s signal line.

PING)))

GND +5V SIG

1K

Pin

Connection To Propeller
Remember PING))) Requires
+5V Power Supply

--------------------------REVISION HISTORY-------------------------v1.1 - Updated 03/20/2007 to change SIG resistor from 10K to 1K

}}
CON
TO_IN = 73_746
TO_CM = 29_034

' Inches
' Centimeters

PUB Ticks(Pin) : Microseconds | cnt1, cnt2

''Return Ping)))'s one-way ultrasonic travel time in microseconds
outa[Pin]~
' Clear I/O Pin
dira[Pin]~~
' Make Pin Output
outa[Pin]~~
' Set I/O Pin
outa[Pin]~
' Clear I/O Pin (> 2 s pulse)
dira[Pin]~
' Make I/O Pin Input
waitpne(0, |< Pin, 0)
' Wait For Pin To Go HIGH
cnt1 := cnt
' Store Current Counter Value
waitpeq(0, |< Pin, 0)
' Wait For Pin To Go LOW
cnt2 := cnt
' Store New Counter Value
Microseconds := (||(cnt1 - cnt2) / (clkfreq / 1_000_000)) >> 1
' Return Time in s
PUB Inches(Pin) : Distance
''Measure object distance in inches
Distance := Ticks(Pin) * 1_000 / TO_IN

' Distance In Inches

PUB Centimeters(Pin) : Distance

''Measure object distance in centimeters
Distance := Millimeters(Pin) / 10

' Distance In Centimeters

PUB Millimeters(Pin) : Distance

''Measure object distance in millimeters
Distance := Ticks(Pin) * 10_000 / TO_CM

Copyright Parallax Inc.

' Distance In Millimeters

PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)

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The ping.spin object is used in an example project with the Parallax 4 x 20 Serial LCD (#27979) to
display distance measurements. The complete Project Archive can be downloaded from the Propeller
Object Exchange at http://obex.parallax.com.

Parallax Propeller Chip Project Archive

Project : "ping_demo"
Archived : Tuesday, December 18, 2007 at 3:29:46 PM
Tool : Propeller Tool version 1.05.8
ping_demo.spin

Debug_Lcd.spin

Serial_Lcd.spin

Simple_Serial.spin

Simple_Numbers.spin

ping.spin

Copyright Parallax Inc.

PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)

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Javelin Stamp Microcontroller

This class file implements several methods for using the PING))) sensor with the Javelin Stamp module.
package stamp.peripheral.sensor;
import stamp.core.*;

/**
* This class provides an interface to the Parallax PING))) ultrasonic
* range finder module.
* <p>
* <i>Usage:</i><br>
* <code>
*
Ping range = new Ping(CPU.pin0);
// trigger and echo on P0
* </code>
* <p>
* Detailed documentation for the PING))) Sensor can be found at: <br>
* http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=28015
* <p>
*
* @version 1.0 03 FEB 2005
*/
public final class Ping {
private int ioPin;
/**
* Creates PING))) range finder object
*
* @param ioPin PING))) trigger and echo return pin
*/
public Ping (int ioPin) {
this.ioPin = ioPin;
}

/**
* Returns raw distance value from the PING))) sensor.
*
* @return Raw distance value from PING)))
*/
public int getRaw() {
int echoRaw = 0;
CPU.writePin(ioPin, false);
// setup for high-going pulse
CPU.pulseOut(1, ioPin);
// send trigger pulse
echoRaw = CPU.pulseIn(2171, ioPin, true); // measure echo return
// return echo pulse if in range; zero if out-of-range
return (echoRaw < 2131) ? echoRaw : 0;
}

/*
*
*
*
*
*

The PING))) returns a pulse width of 73.746 uS per inch. Since the
Javelin pulseIn() round-trip echo time is in 8.68 uS units, this is the
same as a one-way trip in 4.34 uS units. Dividing 73.746 by 4.34 we
get a time-per-inch conversion factor of 16.9922 (x 0.058851).

Copyright Parallax Inc.

PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)

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* Values to derive conversion factors are selected to prevent roll-over

* past the 15-bit positive values of Javelin Stamp integers.
*/
/**
* @return PING))) distance value in inches
*/
public int getIn() {
return (getRaw() * 3 / 51);
// raw * 0.058824
}

/**
* @return PING))) distance value in tenths of inches
*/
public int getIn10() {
return (getRaw() * 3 / 5);
// raw / 1.6667
}

/*
* The PING))) returns a pulse width of 29.033 uS per centimeter. As the
* Javelin pulseIn() round-trip echo time is in 8.68 uS units, this is the
* same as a one-way trip in 4.34 uS units. Dividing 29.033 by 4.34 we
* get a time-per-centimeter conversion factor of 6.6896.
*
* Values to derive conversion factors are selected to prevent roll-over
* past the 15-bit positive values of Javelin Stamp integers.
*/
/**
* @return PING))) distance value in centimeters
*/
public int getCm() {
return (getRaw() * 3 / 20);
// raw / 6.6667
}

/**
* @return PING))) distance value in millimeters
*/
public int getMm() {
return (getRaw() * 3 / 2);
// raw / 0.6667
}
}
This simple demo illustrates the use of the PING))) ultrasonic range finder class with
the Javelin Stamp:
import stamp.core.*;
import stamp.peripheral.sensor.Ping;

public class testPing {

public static final char HOME = 0x01;
public static void main() {
Ping range = new Ping(CPU.pin0);
StringBuffer msg = new StringBuffer();
int distance;

Copyright Parallax Inc.

PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)

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while (true) {
// measure distance to target in inches
distance = range.getIn();
// create and display measurement message
msg.clear();
msg.append(HOME);
msg.append(distance);
msg.append(" \"
\n");
System.out.print(msg.toString());
// wait 0.5 seconds between readings
CPU.delay(5000);
}
}
}

Resources and Downloads

You can find additional resources for the PING))) sensor by searching the following product pages at
www.parallax.com:
y Smart Sensors and Applications (a Stamps in Class text), #28029
y PING))) Mounting Bracket Kit a servo-driven mount designed to attach to a Boe-Bot robot,
#570-28015
y Extension cable with 3-in header, #805-00011 (10-in.) or #805-00012 (14-in.)
A video of a Boe-Bot robot using the PING))) sensor to scan its surroundings then drive to the closest
object can be found under Resources > Video Library > Boe-Bot Robot Video Gallery.

Copyright Parallax Inc.

PING))) Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)

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