The FIELD experiment, Part 4: Ultrasonic Signal Board

by | Oct 12, 2026 | Botany, Electronics | 0 comments

Table of Contents

<Work In Progress>

TL;DR:

This post details the materials, sensors, and motivation behind the atmospheric measurement board used in the FIELD (Frequency & Intensity Experiments on Leaf Development) project. In total, the board utilizes three sensors. As an Amazon Associate, I generate income from qualifying purchases, helping keep the website and research up and running.

Parts list:

Tools

  • FNIRSI Soldering station: Soldering station with numerous features & helping hands [Link]
  • Solder smoke absorber: Efficiently removes solder smoke from the workplace [Link]
  • Heat-shrink solder kit: Kit to add heat-shrinking sleeves around metal connections [Link]
  • Solder wick: Solder wick to clean up soldering screw-ups! [Link]
  • AWG wire: Solid wire kit to make circuitboard connections [Link]
  • Solder: Solder to connect modules to the circuit board [Link]
  • Lighted magnifying glass: Solder wick to clean up soldering screw-ups! [Link]
  • Silicone soldering mat: Silicone mat for keeping soldering work off the table [Link]
  • Solderable prototype boards: Prototype PCB breadboard for hosting modules [Link]

Hardware

  • Raspberry Pi: Handles logic, signals, and interfaces between modules, data, and commands [Link]
  • Arduino UNO R4 Minima: Arduino to handle input/output from sensor modules [Link]
  • ESP-32: Sends the AD9833 its configuration over SPI ,telling it waveform type (sine) and frequency [Link]
  • AD9833: Handles programmable waveform generation [Link]
  • SPH0641LU4H-1: The ultrasonic microphone to measure output from the ultrasonic speaker [Link]
  • METOOT: The dimensions of the watermelon, including its ability to stand upright. [Link]

As an Amazon Associate, I generate income from qualifying purchases, helping keep the website and research up and running.

Introduction

Every summer, people flock to grocery stores in search of a refreshing seasonal favorite, the watermelon. Regardless of age, sex, or ethnic background, picking a sweet watermelon presents a dilemma for us all: Without cutting it open, how do I pick out a sweet watermelon?

Layout

Introduction

The collected data metrics can be cleanly separated from the data collection process, since the former is a list, while the latter is a workflow. They are presented in this order below.

Diagram

Hand-written diagram of the ultrasonic signals board layout.

Conclusion

The