Common Terms

Attenuation

Denotes a decrease in signal magnitude in transmission from one point to another. Attenuation may be expressed as a scalar ratio of the input magnitude to the output magnitude or in decibels.

Beam angle

The diameter of a conical boundary centered around the axis of transmission when the power (radiating perpendicular to the transducer face on the axis of transmission) is reduced by half (-3 dB).

Blanking distance

Specified zone extending downward from the transducer face in which received echoes are ignored by the transceiver. Blanking distance ignores echoes from ringing.

Echo confidence

The recognition of the validity of the echo as material level. A measure of echo reliability.

Ringing

The inherent nature of the transducer to continue vibrating after the transmit pulse has ceased; the decay of the transmit pulse.

Transducer/Transceiver

A transducer provides the initial ultrasonic pulse and receives its echo. An ultrasonic transducer amplifies the sound wave created by the piezoelectric crystal and transmits that sound wave to the face of the transducer while at the same time dampening the sound wave from the other sides of the crystal.

Transceivers analyze the echo from the transducer to determine the required measurement.