Ultrasonic distance measurement controller

An ultrasonic echo based distance measurement system, comprising:

• a piezoelectric transducer configured to transmit acoustic waves in response to an electrical signal and generate another electrical signal in response to a detected acoustic wave;
• and
• a controller comprising a pair of transmitting power drivers for activating a piezoelectric transducer to transmit the acoustic waves in response to receiving a command, a receiving sense path, a digital frequency locked loop (DFLL) for adjusting an internal clock frequency based on a rate of incoming external data flow, and an amplifier with a digital gain control, wherein the controller is configured to:
• initiate a ping-echo cycle by transmitting a train of pulses over a power line of the controller to the transducer;
• after a burst of acoustic waves is generated by the transducer, activate the receiving sense path in order to sense the other electrical signal based on the detected acoustic wave at the transducer;
• amplify and filter the other electrical signal;
• and
• transmit the amplified and filtered electrical signal to a microcontroller of the ultrasonic echo based distance measurement system through one of the power line of the controller and a separate signal output.

A method for ultrasonic echo based distance measurement, the method comprising:

• receiving a command to transmit acoustic waves at a controller;
• initiating a ping-echo cycle by transmitting a train of pulses over a power line of the controller to a transducer;
• after a burst of acoustic waves is generated by the transducer, activating a receiving sense path of the controller in order to sense an electrical signal based on a detected acoustic wave at the transducer;
• amplifying the sensed signal at a digitally programmable amplifier of the controller;
• filtering the amplified signal at a tunable narrow band-pass filter of the controller;
• and
• transmitting the filtered signal to a microcontroller of a ultrasonic echo based distance measurement system through one of the power line of the controller and a separate signal output.