Reference design for an automotive ultrasonic fluid level monitor which employs a non-intrusive technique to accurately measure the liquid even in harsh/enclosed environments.
TIDA-00322 is a reference design for an automotive ultrasonic fluid level/quality measurement. It can run on a wide range of voltages from 4.5-40V system capabilities with reverse battery protection. This reference design utilizes ultrasonic sensors to measure the level and quality of fluids in automotive systems such as engine oil, transmission oil, and coolant.
The reference design is based on the Texas Instruments’ TMS470R1B1M MCU, and ultrasonic transducers, the design can be used to detect and measure low fluid levels, detect air bubbles in the fluid, and measure the fluid quality by measuring the fluid dielectric constant. This reference design can be used in a wide range of automotive applications, such as to monitor engine oil level, transmission oil level, coolant level and quality.
This reference design offers multiple advantages such as:
- High accuracy: The ultrasonic sensors used in the design are able to provide high-accuracy measurements of fluid levels and quality.
- Low power consumption: The design utilizes a low-power microcontroller (TMS470R1B1M) and ultrasonic transducers, which helps to reduce the overall power consumption of the system.
- Easy integration: The reference design is pre-engineered and fully tested, making it easy to integrate into an existing system.
- Cost-effective: The design uses off-the-shelf components which can be easily sourced and are less costly than custom-made ones.
- Versatility: The design can be used to measure fluid levels and quality in a variety of automotive applications, such as engine oil, transmission oil, and coolant.
- Early detection: The design allows early detection of low fluid levels and air bubbles in the fluid, which can help prevent damage to the engine or transmission.
- Quality monitoring: The design can also measure the fluid dielectric constant which allows monitoring the fluid quality.
- Easy to use: The reference design provides a user-friendly interface and can be easily configured and calibrated to suit the specific needs of the application.
The reference design has been tested by TI. To simplify the designing process, TI has provided the complete set of Design Resources including schematics, bill of materials, PCB layout, and test files, which can be downloaded from here.
