Waterproofing Ultrasonic Sensor?

[jeff77789]

I want to use the Maxbotix MB1030 ultrasonic sensor and i want to design a housing for it.

the problem is, i dont know what type of material ultrasonic waves can pass through while still protecting the sensor from water

some people described a foam but pictures are not available anymore

any suggestions?

 

[myfaithnka]

are you planning to immerse it in water completely ?

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are you planning to immerse it in water completely ?

 

[jeff77789]

are you planning to immerse it in water completely ?

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are you planning to immerse it in water completely ?

No I am planning on having at least son sort of protection from the rain and wind

 

[ArNvC]

the problem is, i dont know what type of material ultrasonic waves can pass through while still protecting the sensor from water

ultrasounic waves can pass through more or less any types of materials except vacuum...only question is how much it can pass. Now, for the project I think Latex or PVC covers are safest bet.

 

[MaxBotix Inc]

Hello, this is Tom Bonar from MaxBotix Inc.

I saw your forum post, and I would like to lend some assistance. First is the MB1030, is not designed for outdoor use. If the sensor is used outdoors during rain, the sensor will be damaged. If you are planning on using a sensor outdoors, it is highly recommended to use one of our MaxSonar-WR sensors as they are designed for outdoor use.

The second is, ultrasonic waves that our sensors output will NOT pass through many types of materials. Our sensors require the use of acoustically transparent materials. We have only tested 1 type of material, and it is for indoor applications. We found that if acoustically transparent material gets moist, it is will act as a hard target, and reflect sound back to the sensor. PVC and Latex will act as target that the sensor will report the range too. The sensor will not range through these targets.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best regards,

Tom Bonar
Technical Support of MaxBotix Inc.
Email: thomas@maxbotix.com
Web: www.maxbotix.com