writing code to manipulate data from sonar sensors

[Acidburn]

Hey guys,

If I could get hold of a couple of sonar sensors would ther be a way to code for a such a sensor? If so what language would be recommended?

[Ken Sharpe]

You'd need to give us a lot more information. Do the sensors have some kind of firmware API already? What format does it output in?

[Acidburn]

Hey Ken, thanks for your reply.

Heres more information.

Basically i'm wanting to obtain data from sonar and a speed sensor. All these sensors hopefully will produce data in some form or another. This is then passed to a computer and then processed together.

I've not got hold of either sesnors, was just wondering if i could be pointed into a direction that would help me in this matter.

I dont know of many if any websites that sell sonar senors and an API to go with it..

Google didnt produce many good results on this matter.

[Ken Sharpe]

Well, why don't you contact the sensor manufacturer and ask them? The question has no general answer -- it totally depends on how they are made.

[Colin Mac]

This is one module for a particular application.
http://www.robotstore.com/store/product.asp?pid=817&catid=1600

Maybe it's just the transducers you need http://www.sunrom.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=74
Here's a circuit using such transducers
http://www.leang.com/robotics/info/articles/minison/minison.html

To answer your question, you could interface the sensors to a computer.
You normally interface the sensors to a microcontroller and then to a PC. It depends what you're doing.

[Acidburn]

Thanks for all your help guys, eps Colin :) I'm looking at purchasing an Amtel board to help me in my embedded studies. Basically I'm trying to get an aircraft to self fly.