I am proud to be an official challenger of In Reach! Ultrasonic Sensor Sending Challenge. Although I received the challenger kit two weeks ago, I couldn't start until yesterday. Yesterday, when I first opened the box, it gave me a good feeling about the organization of the kit inside a small box. The kit includes a demo board inside an antistatic bag, two waterproof sensors, two sensor connection cables for linking the sensor unit to the demo board, one micro USB cable for connecting the demo board to the PC, and two sensor washers and gaskets for waterproof mounting.
Fig 1. Inside the box
The inner side of the box’s top cover features three QR codes linking to the demo kit quick-start guide, the demo kit software, and the official landing page. These three QR codes immediately caught my attention as soon as I opened the box.
The size, shape, and design of the sensors make it ideal for installation inside a liquid tank for precise level monitoring. Its compact form even allows it to fit inside a regular water bottle—perfect for creating a smart water bottle project, which I might explore in the future.
The kit comes with a demo board featuring two sensor connectors and a pair of I2C ports. I’m not entirely sure about the purpose of the I2C ports yet, but I plan to explore their functionality during later experiments. The sensor ports have only three pins, and this confirms that the sensor will communicate with only one wire. It seems the board also has a 10-pin JTAG connector, possibly for programming and debugging the microcontroller.
Design and quality of the sensor cables are very impressive. I also like the aluminum washers.
The 3-pin interfacing cable is long enough for experimental application, and attaching the sensor to the demo board using the interfacing cable was very easy.
First, I connected one of the sensors to the demo board, but I was curious to see how it looks with both of the sensors. And I finally did it, and it looks cool. Though the accuracy and stability of the sensor are more important than the looks but I believe that as it looks cool, it will work cool.
I have not powered the sensors yet. Before powering the device, I want to read the datasheet and reference materials. I will share my experience soon.
