If you’ve worked with Arduino, ESP32, or Raspberry Pi, chances are you’ve come across ultrasonic sensors for distance measurement. One solid option that often gets overlooked is the US-100 Ultrasonic Ranging Module. It’s compact, efficient, and has a couple of neat tricks that make it stand out from the usual HC-SR04 sensor.
What Makes the US-100 Different?
Unlike many low-cost ultrasonic sensors, the US-100 supports two communication modes:
GPIO Trigger/Echo Mode → Works just like the HC-SR04, making it a drop-in replacement in many circuits.
UART Mode → Lets you query distance and even temperature with simple serial commands, which reduces timing headaches on the microcontroller side.
Another bonus: it has a built-in temperature sensor to compensate for the speed of sound under different conditions. That’s important when you want reliable readings outdoors or in environments where the temperature shifts a lot.
📏 Key Specs
Operating Voltage: 2.4 V ~ 5.5 V
Range: 2 cm – 450 cm
Accuracy: ±0.3 cm + 1%
Interface: GPIO or UART (selectable)
Current Draw: < 2 mA (standby)
Temperature Sensor: Yes (with serial command)
Why Use It?
The US-100 is a great fit for:
Robotics (obstacle avoidance, mapping)
IoT applications (distance or level sensing)
Smart home devices (basic motion/distance detection)
Interactive installations (detecting people or objects nearby)
Because it works over UART as well as GPIO, it’s more flexible than entry-level modules and is easier to integrate into complex builds.
Learn More
You can dive into the details here: U[S-100 Ultrasonic Ranging Module]
What’s your go-to ultrasonic sensor for projects? Do you stick with the classic HC-SR04, or have you tried modules like the US-100?
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