Cities are getting bigger, the number of cars is increasing, and space is still scarce. Sometimes it is even impossible to park without assistance. Therefore, developments in the field of electronics come to the rescue of drivers.
Parktronic, also known as parking radar, is useful to the driver in the case when you need to turn around or park in a confined space. There may be any obstacle behind the vehicle that could prevent the vehicle from being maneuvered. It is good when an assistant stands outside and controls your movement, helps you. But it is much better when this assistant is in the car and says the exact distance to the obstacle. Parktronic is such an assistant.
The main nodes of the parking sensors
Of course, the most important thing in it is "eyes", or rather, "ears". Although, to put it even more precisely, the sensors can be called the ears and mouth of the system. Parktronic sensors, usually installed in the bumpers of a car, are capable of emitting and receiving a signal. They work on the radar principle.
The second node is the control unit, which processes all signals from the sensors. The control unit is built according to the scheme using modern microcontrollers programmed to perform a specific function. In parking sensors, this is a function of collecting information and displaying it on the display.
So they mentioned the display, which is in plain sight. It displays the most important parameters. And the most important are the presence of an obstacle and the distance to it. Displays can be of various types. The simplest displays are made on matrices. They look like a scale, somewhat more like an equalizer familiar to everyone.
And there are displays with liquid crystal screens, which show the car in paints and with good quality, indicate the location of the obstacle, the distance to it. There is also an audible signal to alert the driver of an obstacle. In addition, some models of parking sensors are equipped with rear-view cameras, which greatly facilitates the driver's lot when maneuvering. And the high-resolution screen allows you to see even the smallest obstacles.
How parking sensors work
The most common parking sensors have sensors for the rear bumper only. Ahead, they are not needed by most drivers, because the visibility is very good. For beginners, of course, it is best to use a parking sensor with front and rear sensors. This will make driving learning much easier.
The sensors located on the rear bumper do not work until the shift lever is in the "R" position. As soon as you turn on the reverse movement, the parking sensors begin to function, power is supplied to the sensors. And this is where all the fun happens.
The sensors begin to emit a signal at a certain frequency. These electromagnetic waves travel from each sensor at the same speed. The waveform is very similar to a funnel, the constriction is located directly at the sensor. The distance that the wave is capable of propagating is quite small. But this is enough for the normal functioning of the device.
If there is no obstacle in the path of the wave, then it simply fades away. But if any obstacle comes across, then the wave is reflected from it and
returns to the sensor. That's it, an obstacle has been detected, now you just need to calculate how many meters are up to it. And this function is performed by the central control unit.
Simple physics, nothing complicated about it. The speed of the wave is known, its travel time is also known. It remains to make the simplest calculation by multiplying these data. It is only necessary to divide the obtained value by two, since the wave has passed twice the distance from the sensor to the obstacle. Now the obtained value is converted into a graphical form and appears on the display in front of the driver, notifying him of the obstacle.
