Basic Example

Simple distance measurement example.

Code

#include <MinimalUltrasonic.h>

// For HC-SR04 (4-pin): specify trigger and echo pins
MinimalUltrasonic sensor(12, 13);

// For Ping/Seeed (3-pin): specify only signal pin
// MinimalUltrasonic sensor(13);

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("Distance Sensor - Basic Example");
  Serial.println("================================");
}

void loop() {
  // Read distance in centimeters (default)
  float distance = sensor.read();
  
  // Display result
  Serial.print("Distance: ");
  Serial.print(distance);
  Serial.println(" cm");
  
  // Wait before next reading
  delay(1000);
}

Hardware Setup

For HC-SR04

HC-SR04      Arduino
-------------------------
VCC     →    5V
Trig    →    Pin 12
Echo    →    Pin 13
GND     →    GND

For Ping))) or Seeed

Sensor       Arduino
-------------------------
VCC     →    5V
SIG     →    Pin 13
GND     →    GND

Expected Output

Distance Sensor - Basic Example
================================
Distance: 15.23 cm
Distance: 15.18 cm
Distance: 15.31 cm
Distance: 23.45 cm
Distance: 23.52 cm
...

How It Works

1. Include Library - Makes MinimalUltrasonic available
2. Create Sensor - Initializes sensor on specified pins
3. Setup - Initializes Serial communication
4. Read Distance - sensor.read() returns distance in cm
5. Display - Prints distance to Serial Monitor
6. Delay - Waits 1 second before next measurement

Variations

Different Update Rate

void loop() {
  float distance = sensor.read();
  Serial.println(distance);
  delay(100);  // Read every 100ms
}

With Error Checking

void loop() {
  float distance = sensor.read();
  
  if (distance == 0) {
    Serial.println("ERROR: No object detected");
  } else {
    Serial.print("Distance: ");
    Serial.print(distance);
    Serial.println(" cm");
  }
  
  delay(1000);
}

Formatted Output

void loop() {
  float distance = sensor.read();
  
  Serial.print("Distance: ");
  Serial.print(distance, 2);  // 2 decimal places
  Serial.println(" cm");
  
  delay(1000);
}

Next Steps

• All Units Example - Measure in different units
• Timeout Example - Configure timeout
• Multiple Sensors - Use multiple sensors

Download

You can also find this example in Arduino IDE:

File → Examples → MinimalUltrasonic → UltrasonicSimple