The Ultrasonic Sensor block gets data from the Ultrasonic Sensor. You can measure the distance in either inches or centimetres and get a Numeric output. You can also compare the distance to a Threshold Value to get a Logic (True or False) output. You can also detect other ultrasonic signals in “listen only” mode.

See Using the Ultrasonic Sensor help for more information about what the Ultrasonic Sensor does, the data that it provides, and programming examples.

Tips and Tricks

The Ultrasonic Sensor block outputs data with a Data Wire. See Using the Ultrasonic Sensor for other ways to use the Ultrasonic Sensor that don’t require a data wire.

Choose the Sensor Port and Mode

Port Selector

Mode Selector

Inputs

Outputs

Use the Port Selector on the top of the block to make sure that the sensor port number (1, 2, 3, or 4) matches the port on the EV3 Brick that the Ultrasonic Sensor is connected to.

Use the Mode Selector to select the mode for the block. The Inputs and Outputs available will change depending on the mode.

Measure – Distance - Centimetres

The Measure – Distance - Centimetres mode outputs the distance in centimetres in Distance in Centimetres.

See Programming Example 3 in Using the Ultrasonic Sensor.

Measure – Distance - Inches

The Measure – Distance - Inches mode outputs the distance in inches in Distance in Inches.

Measure – Presence

The Measure – Presence mode listens for other ultrasonic signals in “listen only” mode. The Ultrasound Detected output will be True if a signal is detected, otherwise False.

Compare – Distance - Centimetres

The Compare – Distance - Centimetres mode compares the distance in centimetres to the Threshold Value using the selected Compare Type. The True/False result is output in Compare Result, and the distance in centimetres is output in Distance in Centimetres.

Compare – Distance - Inches

The Compare – Distance - Inches mode compares the distance in inches to the Threshold Value using the selected Compare Type. The True/False result is output in Compare Result, and the distance in inches is output in Distance in Inches.

Compare – Presence

The Compare – Presence mode listens for other ultrasonic signals in “listen only” mode. The Ultrasound Detected output will be True if a signal is detected, otherwise False.

Advanced - Centimetres

The Advanced – Centimetres mode is similar to the Measure – Distance - Centimetres mode, except that you can choose whether the sensor sends a single ultrasonic signal or continuous signals with the Measuring Mode input. The distance in centimetres is output in the Distance.

Advanced - Inches

The Advanced – Inches mode is similar to the Measure – Distance - Inches mode, except that you can choose whether the sensor sends a single ultrasonic signal or continuous signals with the Measuring Mode input. The distance in inches is output in the Distance.

Tips and Tricks

In the Measure – Distance – Centimetres and Measure – Distance - Inches modes, the sensor always sends a continuous ultrasonic signal.

Inputs and Outputs

The inputs available for the Ultrasonic Sensor block will depend on the mode selected. You can enter the input values directly into the block. Alternatively, the input values can be supplied by Data Wires from the outputs of other Programming Blocks.

Input	Type	Allowed Values	Notes
Compare Type	Numeric	0 - 5	0: = (Equal to) 1: ≠ (Not Equal to) 2: > (Greater than) 3: ≥ (Greater than or Equal to) 4: < (Less than) 5: ≤ (Less than or Equal to)
Threshold Value	Numeric	Any number	Value to compare sensor data to
Measuring Mode	Numeric	0 or 1	Ultrasonic signal mode in Advanced modes: 0 = Ping 1 = Continuous

The outputs available will depend on the mode selected. To use an output, use a Data Wire to connect it to another Programming Block.

Output	Type	Notes
Distance in Centimetres	Numeric	Distance in centimetres (0-255 cm).
Distance in Inches	Numeric	Distance in inches (0-100 in).
Ultrasound Detected	Logic	True if an ultrasonic signal is detected, otherwise False.
Compare Result	Logic	True/False result of a Compare mode.

Ultrasonic Sensor Block