Sensors Recommendations
MB1242 Ultrasonic Sensors
The mb1242 ultrasonic sensors from MaxBotix, are an amazing and accurate I²C sensor. These sensors have a high refresh rate, meaning they have more updates per second. These sensors, being I²C, allow for an easy plug-n-play type style. One thing to keep in mind about this sensor, is that it has a minimum range of 20cm (7.874in).
MB1643 Ultrasonic Sensors
The mb1643 ultrasonic sensors from MaxBotix, are a very effective sensor when getting close to objects. On the contrary to the mb1242 sensors, these sensors are analog and have a slower refresh rate, allowing for bulk reads and reducing bulk hardware calls. Since these sensors are analog, the return voltage instead of distance, meaning you must write a formula to convert to distance.
MaxBotix recommend the formula:
distance = [Vobserved / ((Vcc/1024) * 6)] - 300
However, from our personal testing, we have found a formula close to this works best for calculating distance in inches:
distance = 90.0 * sensorVoltage - 12.0
We highly recommend using a filter for this sensor, to reduce the amount of noise from the sensor. Learn more about some filters included in the library: Included Filters!
The MB1242 + MB1643 combination
For a game like 2021-22 Freight Frenzy, where you would need to get really close to the left and right walls during autonomous, a combination of MB1242 on the front side and MB1634 on the left and right allowed for great accuracy when calculating position!
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