Sharp IR Sensor GP2D120

[ptb]

In the GP2D120 data sheet, there is a Figure labelled Fig 6 : Analog output voltage vs. detection range. Can anyone tell me what this actually represents? Thank you.

 

[dknguyen]

It's what it sounds likes: it's the voltage output that indicates the range being measured. The reaosn it looks strange is that the sensor gives false readings if an object is below the minimum range (The sensor thinks the object is much farther away than it really is) so you cannot be trust the sensor reading when an object is too close. One way to get around this is to use multiple sensors with different ranges or use different kinds of sensors together. ANother way is to place the sensor within a recess or farther back so that no object can physically get within the sensor's minimum range.

 

[ptb]

I am afraid you are explaining you are explaining analog output voltage vs. distance to reflective object. There is another curve below that which is analog output voltage vs. detection distance which resembles a normal distribution and is given in terms of a variable x (detection distance). I was wondering if that has anything to do with the IR beam width.