SENSORS
An interview with ScioSense
How is ultrasonic measurement in sensors changing?
What uses do sensors like the UFC 23 have and how have these changed in recent years?
The UFC23 manages the ultrasonic measurement in smart water, heat and gas meters. These meters gain more and more market share due to the static measuring principle and increased precision and longevity compared to mechanical flow meters. The interest in leakage detection drove the request for measuring very low flow rates like down to 3L/h. The lifetime of such meters is expected to reach 15 years and more nowadays. The technical features opened new markets for this technology like sub-metering, where the consumption of showers, toilets or water taps is monitored individually.
What are the main problems that these devices face?
The biggest challenge is the precision and stability of the time-of-flight measurement that is needed to meet above targets. The UFC23 offers an improved precision and stability compared to its predecessors with 35ps single shot standard deviation and +/- 7 ps stability. This measurement performance must be achieved with a minimised current consumption. The UFC23 runs with 6.6µA at 8 Hz sample rate which is the lowest in the market and allows to build systems with 15 years lifetime at small battery sizes.
How important is precision in smart meters like the UFC 23?
With the precision of the UFC23 in an 20 JUNE 2026 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS
ultrasonic water meter it is possible to detect very low flows like that from a dripping water tap. This allows to quickly identify such leakages and to reduce the loss of water. For the utilities this means a more precise cost calculation and in the end the possibility to charge the full amount of consumed water. On the other side, the early detection can help to avoid big damages and therefore reduce the repair costs.
What are the main benefits of increased efficiency and robustness?
For the utilities – who are the ones to decide the technology – the ultrasonic technology leads to reduced costs and the possibility to reduces the loss of the precious resource water.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50
