I'm currently working with the DST1200 for the first time and got two questions.
- Does anyone know the exact measurement angle of the device? From my observation it seems to be something around 30°?
- My colleagues would like to conceil the phidgets as much as possible but from my understanding of sonar sensors only a mesh or grid could be used to do so but we had some disagreement on that topic. Does anyone have experience if it's possible to use the phidgets behind something more solid like a thin layer of paper or wood?
1. I can't speak to the exact measurement angle of the sonar Phidget, but a roughly 30 degree cone seems reasonable.
It's not in your question, but it is worth noting that you won't likely be able to operate more than one DST1200 in the same space, as it is possible they could interfere with one another as the sound bounces around the room.
2. Any remotely solid surface in front of the sensor will interfere with the sound waves it produces, so a solid covering is not recommended. You will want to keep the sensor as close to the outside of your construction as possible to prevent echoes inside the enclosure causing problems.
You might be able to experiment with tubes around the speaker and receiver to direct the sound outside the casing and minimize the required size of the mesh openings, but I have no experimental data on how that will affect performance. I would expect this could narrow the sensor's field of view, depending on the length of the tubes.
