IR Time of flight

[The Real MicroMan]

I'm working with IR right now and it seems to be a real pain to get distance as a function of amplitude coming back to my detector. Does anybody know of a "Time of flight" Circuit or IC that will read the time it takes for my light pulse to go to my target and then back again. Sort of like a laser range finder, but with IR instead

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I'm working with IR right now and it seems to be a real pain to get distance as a function of amplitude coming back to my detector. Does anybody know of a "Time of flight" Circuit or IC that will read the time it takes for my light pulse to go to my target and then back again. Sort of like a laser range finder, but with IR instead

The problem is the speed of light (about 186,000 miles per second), it gives you very little time to do anything.

If you want to measure distance, use ultrasonics, much slower and easier.

 

[tansis]

It can be done fairly cheaply Sharp make a number of suitable sensors that can detect range using Infra Red, but any more than a couple of feet and you need to get creative, any more than thirty feet is difficult for hobby ultrasonics.

Sharp GP2D02 IR Ranger
8-bit IR Ranger with range of about 3"-30".

Sharp GP2D120 IR Sensor
Reports distance as an analog voltage with a range of 1.5" to 12".

Sharp GP2D05 IR ranger
A high precision object sensor.

Sharp GP2D12 Detector Package
Reports distance as an analog voltage with a range of 4"-30".
Sharp GP2D15 Detector Package

Digital version of the popular Sharp IR detector preset to 10".
Sharp GP2Y0D02YK IR Sensor
Digital version of the popular Sharp IR detector preset to 31.5".
Sharp GP2Y0A02YK IR Sensor
Reports distance as an analog voltage with a range of ~8"-60".

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

It can be done fairly cheaply Sharp make a number of suitable sensors that can detect range using Infra Red, but any more than a couple of feet and you need to get creative

But they don't measure the flight time, they measure the angle of reflection.