Several ultrasound detection systems are (or were) on the market. When used as burglar alarm, the cheap ones have a bad reputation of giving many false alarms. Never point an ultrasound detection system to a window. A window is a very good reflector and is moved by the wind and sounds of outdoor trafic. This will give a high unwanted output from the detector. The better ultrasound systems have filters to separate the unwanted detections and only respond on the intended detection. The main problem is not the ultrasound speaker and microphone, but the filters to avoid unwanted detections.
JV,
Could you point me in the right direction on sourcing ultrasound components?
Zero
A quick look on the internet resulted in the following links. I have no experiences with the equipment mentioned here. A unit that is for sale as a kit can be found on http://www.kemo-electronic.de/en/Light-Sound/Ultrasonic/Kits/B214-Ultransonic-proximity-sensor.php A simple schematic can be found on http://www.explorecircuits.com/circuit/cir_ultrasonic_transmitter_receiver.htm http://www.explorecircuits.com/circuit/schematic/3.jpg As you can see there is no filtering at all. The unit only responds on an increase of signal-level. Units that look more professional can be found on http://www.maxbotix.com/