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Measuring water level & bottom of water tank with VL53L5CX or VL53L3CX.

KDług.1
Associate

Hello is it possible to change power of the Time of Flight Sensors to measure water level and bottom of water tank? In example, I have two VL53L5CX sensors, one measures distance of water from sensor and other with higher power sends high power signal that reflects from the bottom of water tank. There are some photons that reflects from the bottom of the water tank and other from the surface. The one more question also is it possible to achive two diffrent measurements by changing power of the sensor or making offset configuration for the sensors?

3 REPLIES 3
Javier1
Principal

>>There are some photons that reflects from the bottom of the water tank and other from the surface

How wide is your water tank?

If you take the measurement diagonally there will be minimum reflection from the bottom of the tank

we dont need to firmware by ourselves, lets talk
KDług.1
Associate

It is about 1,3 m diameter.

John E KVAM
ST Employee

in order to measure the height of the water you need to bounce the light off the surface and we only get significant numbers of photons if the light bounces perpendicular to the surface.

In theory you could see two targets - but those targets would have to be 60cm apart from each other. Although knowing the water slows the photons down quite a bit, means they could be closer. But if they were closer than 40cm (in water) you would only get one target.

But you don't want to do this. Getting the distance to the surface is hard enough. Complicating the issue by looking for the bottom as well is not going to be easy.

You might be able to do it, but I'm pretty sure the effort would not be worth it.

When we say liquid level, we are actually saying we know the distace between the sensor and the liquid. We assume you know the height of the sensor above the base of the tank.

-john


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