Example 20: Ultrasonic Distance (HC-SR04)

Experiment Overview

HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor measures distance by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, measurement range 2~400cm, precision ~3mm. FastBee has a built-in SENSOR_GENERIC generic sensor type (type: 38), combined with category: ultrasonic to support ultrasonic distance measurement.

This experiment first verifies stable readings at a fixed distance, then connects to alarm rules. If fixed distance readings are unstable, first check power supply, level shifting, reflection surface and Trig/Echo wiring before adjusting rule thresholds.

Hardware Wiring

Board Label	GPIO Pin	Connected Device
TRIG	GPIO14	HC-SR04 trigger pin
ECHO	GPIO27	HC-SR04 echo pin

TRIG sends a 10μs HIGH pulse to trigger measurement, ECHO returns HIGH level duration representing distance.

JSON Configuration Example

{
  "peripherals": [
    {
      "id": "ultrasonic_01",
      "name": "Ultrasonic Distance",
      "type": 38,
      "enabled": false,
      "pins": [14, 27],
      "params": {
        "category": "ultrasonic"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Peripheral Execution Linkage

Scenario 1: Periodic Distance Measurement (Timer Trigger)

Function: Read ultrasonic distance every 1 second

Web Interface Configuration Steps

Step 1: Create Rule

1. Click Peripheral Execution in the left menu
2. Click New Rule button
3. Fill in basic configuration:
   • Rule Name: Ultrasonic Periodic Measurement
   • Report Data: ✅ Enable
   • Enabled: ✅ Enable

Step 2: Configure Trigger

1. Click Add Trigger button

2. Fill in trigger configuration:

   Field	Value	Description
   Trigger Type	Select Timer Trigger	Periodic acquisition
   Timer Mode	Select Fixed Interval	By millisecond interval
   Interval Time	1000	1 second

Step 3: Configure Action

1. Click Add Action button

2. Fill in:

   • Action Type: Select Read Sensor
   • Target Peripheral: Select ultrasonic_01
   • Data Field: distance

3. Click Save button

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Scenario 2: Proximity Alarm (Poll Trigger)

Function: Check distance every 0.5 seconds, trigger buzzer short beep when distance < 20cm

Web Interface Configuration Steps

Step 1: Ensure buzzer peripheral is configured

• Peripheral ID: buzzer_gpio
• Type: GPIO Output

Step 2: Create Rule

1. Click New Rule
2. Fill in basic configuration:
   • Rule Name: Proximity Alarm
   • Report Data: ✅ Enable
   • Enabled: ✅ Enable

Step 3: Configure Trigger (Poll Trigger)

1. Click Add Trigger button

2. Fill in trigger configuration:

   Field	Value	Description
   Trigger Type	Select Poll Trigger	Periodically detect condition
   Target Peripheral	Select ultrasonic_01	Ultrasonic sensor
   Poll Interval	500	0.5 seconds
   Condition Expression	distance < 20	Distance less than 20cm

Step 4: Configure Actions (3 actions needed)

Action 1: Buzzer ON

1. Click Add Action button
2. Fill in:
   • Action Type: Select HIGH Level
   • Target Peripheral: Select buzzer_gpio

Action 2: Delay 200ms

1. Click Add Action button again
2. Fill in:
   • Action Type: Select Delay
   • Action Params: 200

Action 3: Buzzer OFF

1. Click Add Action button a third time

2. Fill in:

   • Action Type: Select LOW Level
   • Target Peripheral: Select buzzer_gpio

3. Click Save button

HC-SR04 Features

Feature	Parameter	Description
Measurement Range	2cm ~ 400cm	Effective measurement distance
Precision	±3mm	High precision
Blind Zone	2cm	Minimum measurement distance
Measurement Angle	15°	Sound wave cone emission angle
Sampling Interval	≥60ms	Avoid echo interference

Notes

1. Power: HC-SR04 needs 5V power, ECHO outputs 5V, needs voltage division to 3.3V before connecting to ESP32
2. Blind Zone: Minimum measurement distance 2cm, unreliable below this
3. Measurement Angle: Sound wave cone emission angle ~15°, narrow spaces may have reflection interference
4. Temperature Compensation: Sound speed varies with temperature (~343m/s at 20°C), compensation needed for precise measurement
5. Sampling Frequency: Recommend at least 60ms interval to avoid front/back echo interference
6. Pin Order: First pin in array is TRIG, second is ECHO