When winter arrives at our production facilities in Minnesota, we see a lot of snow. Ultrasonic snow depth sensors are a great way to measure just how much snow winter brings. Ultrasonic sensors traditionally struggle to detect snow because it acts like a sound dampener. You can gain further understanding of how snow dampens sounds…
Read More

What do we mean by fully calibrated beam patterns? All of our sensor beam patterns have been factory calibrated to fit into a wide variety of applications. In our product lines, each model number will come with a different beam pattern that will reflect the sensitivity and the detection zone of how it sees a…
Read More

IOT Sensors | Connecting Ultrasonics with the Internet Our sensors have been used worldwide in IoT applications. Our most popular applications for IoT sensors include parking sensors, liquid level detection sensors, as well as waste bin sensors.   While they aren’t a plug and play solution for IoT,  they are a reliable integration as an…
Read More

Advantages and Limitations of Ultrasonic Sensors Ultrasonic sensors are a great fit for many applications, but it’s always good to understand that every product has limitations on what it can do. This article goes into the advantages and limitations of ultrasonic sensors so that you know if our sensors are right for you. Advantages of…
Read More

Ultrasonic sensing is one of the best ways to sense proximity and detect levels of high reliability. Our technical support gets emails all of the time about how our sensors work and what environments our sensors work (or don’t work) in. This guide was created as an introduction to ultrasonic sensing, it’s principles, and how…
Read More

From level monitoring to ultrasonic profiling – ultrasonic sensors can be used in a variety of applications. MaxBotix offers a wide selection of indoor and outdoor sensors that are used in many of the below applications. We offer sensors with features such as condensation control, weather resistance, narrow and wide detection fields, cross-talk and interference…
Read More

Frequently Asked Questions about Ultrasonic Sensors   Advantages of Ultrasonics Main advantages of using ultrasonic sensors vs. others include. High Frequency, high sensitivity and high penetrating power, it can easily detect external or deep objects. These sensors easily interface with microcontrollers or any type of controller. Ultrasonic sensors are easy to use and not dangerous…
Read More

    First Robotics – FIRST POWER UP Teaser Video. 2018 First Robotics Competition Receives a Great Ultrasonic Sensor MaxBotix is pleased to announce its participation in the 2018 FIRST® Robotics Competition game – FIRST® POWER UP!  This year we are giving each team one of our best ultrasonic proximity sensors, the MB1013-000 MaxSonar Sensor…
Read More

MaxBotix Inc. provides beam patterns for all of our ultrasonic sensors to assist users in choosing the correct sensor for their application, target size, and distance. Each beam pattern diagram is a 2D representation of the detection area of the sensor. In reality, the actual beam pattern is shaped like a 3D cone (having the…
Read More

What is Home Automation? Home automation is the way all our devices and appliances can be networked together to provide a simple and convenient control of your home. Full control of your home can now be achieved from anywhere in the world.  With a smart home, you decide what devices react to, when and why….
Read More

How Ultrasonic Water Depth Sensing Works In a nutshell, water depth sensing is using a sensor to measure the depth of water in a tank or container. Although various sensors can be used for this application, we will talk about ultrasonic sensor application. With ultrasonic sensors, we can find the water depth calculation by finding the…
Read More

Connecting the Internet of Things and the Real World There’s an increasing popularity of the use of wireless networks as tech advances.  Wireless sensor networks (WSN)  allow the ability to collect data remotely for review.  We’ve already written about the Internet of Things (IoT), and it’s real-world applications.     In this article, we’ll cover…
Read More

Use an Ultrasonic Sensor with a Pixhawk or APM. We’ve written quite a bit about how to use our sensors with Arduino and Raspberry Pi.  There are other microcontrollers to consider when developing your application. Other popular microcontrollers include the Pixhawk and the Ardupilot Mega (APM).   The Pixhawk is an independent, open-hardware project aiming…
Read More

These are important factors to consider when mounting your sensor in a tank. Avoidance of obstructions – The wall of the tank or other obstructions in the tank will give inaccurate readings. Placement can affect readings – Our filtering protocol allows the sensor to prioritize large targets over small targets and noise. This is beneficial…
Read More

Ultrasonic Vs Infrared (IR) Sensors Your choice of a sensor in your application can be challenging for any project.  The performance of your system depends greatly on the reliability of your sensor and other components of the application. In order to determine the right sensor for your application, there are things that need to be…
Read More

IoT isn’t slowing down and there’s an increase in the development of Smart Cities.   At the time this was written, Bill Gates announced his plans to develop Belmont, a smart city in Arizona, just west of Phoenix. “Belmont will create a forward-thinking community with a communication and infrastructure spine that embraces cutting-edge technology, designed…
Read More

Problem Solving Ultrasonic Projects  We started manufacturing ultrasonic sensors in 2004 to fulfill a need.  The problem we aimed to solve was to provide a high-quality sensor at a manageable price point.    For that reason, we’ve been widely used for applications as original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s), in Nonrecurring engineering (NRE), as well as hobby…
Read More

According to Wikipedia, “Waste management or waste disposal is all the activities and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes amongst other things, collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste together with monitoring and regulation. It also encompasses the legal and regulatory framework that relates to waste management…
Read More

Agriculture is not crop production as popular belief holds – it’s the production of food and fiber from the world’s land and waters. Without agriculture it is not possible to have a city, stock market, banks, university, church or army. Agriculture is the foundation of civilization and any stable economy. Allan Savory   Taking so…
Read More

Using Robots in the Manufacturing Industry Automation is for manufacturers to streamline factory processes and remain profitable.  The goal is to increase output versus input because labor cost is rising in our industrial world.  Automation is now replacing many manual actions.  For markets with a shortage of labor, automated operations can reduce the need for…
Read More

The Importance of Wastewater Management Gwinnett County residents will be asked to keep water on their mind for the rest of the month. The Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources announced a series of events that it will hold throughout the remainder of the month to highlight water issues and what its crews do on…
Read More

Introduction to The Internet of Things. According to Wikipedia, The Internet of Things (ioT) is “The network of physical devices, vehicles and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators and network connectivity enabling these objects to collect and exchange data. The Beginning of IoT The first IoT first appeared as early as 1982 when…
Read More

3rd Time Honoree on Elite List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies MaxBotix Inc is pleased to announce that we ranked #2221 on our third consecutive appearance on the Inc. 5000 list (appearing both in 2015 and 2016), and that for the second year in a row, our company holds the title of the fastest growing,…
Read More

  A robot without an ultrasonic sensor is blind. Ultrasonic sensors allow our robots to react to the world around them like we do with our eyes and ears. There are many types of ultrasonic sensors, and they provide your robot with new or improved senses. At MaxBotix Inc., we know how to best leverage…
Read More

MaxBotix Inc., proudly announces that we made the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest–growing private companies in America for the second time! Moving up from #3616 to #1752 due in large part to our astounding sales growth of 213%. When ranking by state on the Inc. 5000, we have been ranked #22 for Top Minnesota…
Read More

MaxBotix Inc., Continues to Expand Production began in 2004 in the office of the owner’s house. With exponential growth in the first three years, the company made their first move in 2007 followed by yearly moves to bigger spaces over the next three years. MaxBotix Inc., headquarters and production operations moved to a larger facility…
Read More

Key Takeaways Customer satisfaction is our first priority Striving to innovate new products Continuous improvement along with future thinking has helped our continued growth Our community mission is “Better Jobs for a Better Community” MaxBotix Inc Continues Strong Growth August 12, 2015, Inc. 5000 recognized MaxBotix Inc., with a rank of #3616 overall. Our growth…
Read More

Key Takeaways FAQs by Tech Support Tips for sensor selection Troubleshooting tips Technical support services help solve sensor problems, wiring, and mounting as well as application-based sensor selection. Technical support for MaxBotix may be delivered over the phone (218-454-0766 ext 2), by e-mail ([email protected]), or by the contact tab on the MaxBotix Inc., webpage. Details…
Read More

Acoustically Soft vs. Acoustically Hard Key Takeaways Acoustic properties limit the detection range of certain targets Understanding a target’s acoustic properties helps with sensor selection Targets that absorb more sound are more difficult to detect with ultrasonic sensors The Reflection of Sound All targets reflect sound to a varying degree. To better understand this, a…
Read More

MaxBotix Inc., Ranks No. 3616 on the 2015 Inc. 5000 with Three–Year Sales Growth of 87% MaxBotix Inc., is proud to announce that we have made the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest–growing private companies in America! This achievement places us in select company. Honorees, over the years, include companies such as Microsoft, Timberland, Vizio,…
Read More

This guide outlines the process of working with MaxBotix from concept to product design, testing, and deployment and full production. The guide gives you valuable information and Design Tips to help you complete a successful ultrasonic sensor implementation. Phase 1: Concept & Requirements We start the process by developing a mutual understanding of your application,…
Read More

MB8450 Car Detection Sensor is a USB ultrasonic proximity sensor with a True/False output, an optional range output, and an IP67 rating for use in outdoor environments. This sensor detects cars in a variety of installations such as drive-thru ATMs, fast‑food restaurants, pharmacies, smart parking meters, or outdoor parking garages. The user can integrate multiple…
Read More

The new 4-20HR-MaxSonar-WR sensors are high accuracy ultrasonic sensors featuring a 4-20mA output. These sensors are a low cost, IP67 rated drop-in replacement for use with existing PLC/process control systems. The sensors offer superior rejection of outside noise sources and feature speed of sound temperature compensation. The 4-20HR-MaxSonar-WR sensors provide range information from 50cm to…
Read More

MaxBotix Inc., Releases Two Self‑Cleaning, High Performance, Outdoor Ultrasonic Sensor Lines The condensation issue in tanks and other moisture-prone environments is solved! The SCXL‑MaxSonar sensor series, based on our popular HRXL-MaxSonar-WR product line, is a power-efficient unit suitable for battery or solar powered setups. Designed for tank level measurement, grain storage bins, and other applications…
Read More

Making your Design experience so much Better – Download and utilize MaxBotix 3D CAD Models Good news Designers – we now have downloadable 3D CAD models (in multiple formats) of our ultrasonic sensors! Designers and Engineers can utilize these models for system integration design or free designing, which will save you time, money, and resources….
Read More

MaxBotix Inc., Releases New High Performance, Low Cost, Ultra-Compact Ultrasonic Sensor series Our most popular sensor is now available in a new design which is physically shorter than any of our current outdoor sensors, allowing easy integration into users’ applications. Our new UCXL‑MaxSonar®‑WR series sensors are flexible, customizable products intended to be integrated with a…
Read More

The primary goal during the building of the original LV-MaxSonar-EZ1 was to make a high performance ultrasonic range finder that provided readings, so stable, that unless the object moved, the readings didn’t vary. This was the first and primary goal during the initial design of the LV-MaxSonar-EZ1, these goals have continued and been improved upon…
Read More

We are pleased to announce that all our parts are officially CE compliant! Our products are ready for European users! Declarations of conformity are available to be downloaded at this link. Through rigorous testing by engineers, we have revealed that our products have always been compliant with CE regulations. So the wait is finally over…
Read More

MaxBotix Inc., thanks guest writer Tim Gallagher who shares his experience with the MB7369 while transporting heavy equipment. MaxBotix Inc., sensors have been successfully used in extreme duty conditions. Large multi-axle trailers, which are used to transport wind energy equipment across the country, hydraulically adjust the ride height of their payload throughout their journey to…
Read More

Wow! We have come out of a wonderful spring and summer of innovation.We just conducted an engineering test of the accuracy of our lowest-cost line of high-resolution sensors, the HRLV-MaxSonar-EZ. The two graphs show 1000 distance measurements each to a bar target at 500mm and 1000mm respectively. The test demonstrates how accurately our sensors measure…
Read More

Tank sensors are an important part of industrial automation. MaxBotix Inc. recently performed a liquid level measurement test at our facility. This test ran from July 13, 2012, until July 16, 2012. The test was conducted by filling a bin with water and recording readings from the ultrasonic sensor using the serial connection while the…
Read More

Code example for BasicX, BX24p.Link Code example for the Basic Micro, Atom.Link Code example using Wright Hobbies, DevBoard-M32 (AVR using Bascom). Link  Code example using Parallax, Basic Stamp BS2, BasicStamp. Link  C Program Driver for MaxBotix MB7066. Link  Arduino I2C code Examples for I2CXL-MaxSonar sensors. Link   Code Example for BasicX, BX24p ‘BX24 ‘MaxSonar®-EZ1™ Code Example ‘By Chris…
Read More

MaxBotix Inc., continues to to expand our sensor line with our newest sensor the HRXL‑MaxSonar‑WR. This new rugged sensor line includes the standard outputs that are featured on our current sensor lines with the addition of higher resolution, greater accuracy, and temperature compensation. It also has superior noise rejection when compared to the XL‑MaxSonar‑WR. With…
Read More

Manufacturing electronic components in the United States has been one of our most important aspects of our organization.  Customer service and Quality are very important as well. With the low prices we advertise when compared to our competitors, we have been asked where our products are manufactured. When employees state “Our products are made in…
Read More

A look at our new product MaxBotix Inc. has released the HRLV‑MaxSonar‑EZ for sale to the public. As we continue to finalize the design and work through our initial production run we wanted to give our customers a look into some of our new product features. The HRLV-MaxSonar-EZ sensor line features 1 mm resolution, target…
Read More

Human Safety Applications MaxBotix® Inc., products are not authorized for use as critical components in life support devices or systems. As used herein: Life support devices or systems are devices or systems which, (a) are intended for surgical implant into the body, or (b) support or sustain life, and whose failure to perform when properly…
Read More

Test Setup MaxBotix Inc has recently tested operation of our MB7360 HRXL‑MaxSonar‑WR in a multi-sensor environment. The testing was conducted from 11/15/2012 to 11/19/2012. The following presents the test data from a four day, three sensor test to verify multi­sensor operation for the MB7360 ultrasonic sensor. The sensors tested were the MB7360 in free run…
Read More

 It’s a little-known fact that all of our MaxSonar products have been designed with a high acoustic noise tolerance. This means that the MaxSonar sensors from all of our product lines work to reduce or eliminate false detections caused by external noise sources. While acoustic noise tolerance is only a small part of our “sensor…
Read More

MaxBotix® Inc., announces the MaxSonar®-WR1(TM) sensors. These sensors are designed for either indoor or outdoor use while maintaining very low cost. The MaxSonar®-WR1(TM) will work in many industrial application such as presence sensing (determining whether an object is present or not), distance measurement, outdoor mounting, people and proximity detection, and tank level detection. The rugged…
Read More

In the past three years, a few articles have been written about our sensors, but the latest one by Fred Eady, is the most detailed article to date. We first learned about this article after the June 2008 Servo Magazine arrived in our mailbox. This article takes up almost ten percent of the June 2008…
Read More