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TDC1000-C2000EVM: [Flow water measurement] Differential TOF visualization on GUI

Part Number: TDC1000-C2000EVM
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: TDC1000, TUSS4440, TUSS4470, TIDA-00322, MSP-EXP430F5529LP

Hi,

I'm looking for a flow water sensing solution so i purhcased the TDC1000-C2000EVM, my US transducers are the Audiowell US0014.

I'm working on a reliable testing environment with a pipe, but meanwhile i would like to know what's the best configuration of the GUI, because the EVM Guide only talk about Mode 0.

I also wanted to know how will I see both TOF measurements. I will conect the first transducer at TX1 and the second one at RX1, but the Graph window or the TOF_ONE_SHOT window only shows one time. How could i know the differential TOF with this EVM?

Thank you so much,

Regards,

Victor

  • Victor,

    I recommend that you view the sections pertaining to flow metering on the TDC FAQ page here:

    https://e2e.ti.com/support/sensors/f/1023/t/724028?TDC1000-Everything-You-Need-to-Know-for-Ultrasonic-ToF-Liquid-Coupled-Collateral-Tools-Designs-FAQ-

    These additional articles and resources should help you with the device configuration to enable flow metering.The GUI as-is does not support the differential TOF calculation for flow-metering, so you will need to implement this feature on your own.

    Note: The TDC1000 is no longer recommended for flow applications, only level sensing or static concentration/identification applications. The TDC1000 flow meter configuration is known to have issues in repeatability and accuracy when there is no flow (with or without water present). The TDC1000 is no longer recommended for flow applications, only level sensing or static concentration/identification applications. You can continue to use the TDC1000+TDC72000/+C2000 combination for water flow measurement, but you are taking a risk a inconsistent accuracy due to a device bug whereby the first stop pulse is occasionally missed (does not toggle STOP pin on TDC1000). Considering flow metering relies heavily on nano to pico-second timing accuracy, missing the stop pulse can have a significant impact on the flow rate measurement. As a workaround, it is possible to perform multi-cycle averaging to compensate for the occasionally missed first stop pulse. 

    Due to the potential issues of the TDC1000, we recommend the specialized MSP430 devices for flow metering applications: http://www.ti.com/microcontrollers/msp430-ultra-low-power-mcus/ultrasonic-performance-sensing-mcus-overview.html

    We are also exploring the use of the new TUSS4470 and TUSS4440 devices for ultrasonic flow metering.

  • Hi Akeem, 

    Thanks for answering, I undestrood then, that the recommended device for flow meter applications is the MSP430. 

    The flow metering in my application can't be invasive with the pipe. Testing with the TDC1000-C2000 EVM i realized that the 5V supplied to the Tx transducer are not enough to support the medium change. In the GUI there's an enable button of a HV driver. Is that included in the EVM? In case that not, wich is the recommended one? In my case, the transducers will be out of the pipe and inclined to accentuate the effect of the differential TOF measurement.

    Regards,

    Victor.

  • Hi Victor,

    You could use the TDC1000's TX signal as a pre-driver for an external driver referenced to a larger transducer excitation voltage. The Automotive Ultrasonic Fluid Level/Quality Measurement Reference Design http://www.ti.com/tool/TIDA-00322 ) schematic shows how to implement the TDC1000 with a pre-driver up to 30V.

    Alternatively to the TDC1000 and depending on the drive voltage you require, the TUSS4470 ultrasonic device can drive up to 36Vpp, and the TUSS4440 ultrasonic device can generate upwards of hundreds of Vpp using an external push-pull transformer.

  • Hi Akeem,

    The option to order the TIDA-00322 board is not avaiable.

    If i could find this board is sure that is compatible with the TX output signal of the TDC1000-C2000EVM? 

    The TUSS4470 and TUSS4440 have any EVM easily compatible with the TDC1000-C2000EVM?

    Regards,

    Victor 

  • Victor,

    The TUSS4440-F5529-BNDL ( BOOST-TUSS4440 + MSP-EXP430F5529LP ) bundle is the best alternative to the TDC1000-C2000EVM based on your system requirements. EVM details are here: http://www.ti.com/tool/BOOST-TUSS4440 .