Supply chain Risk for Miniature ToF Ultrasonic Sensors
Recent end of life (EOL) announcements for miniature ultrasonic ToF range sensors have drawn wide attention from design engineers and procurement teams across the industry.
According to the official EOL notice, the affected sensor series will be discontinued due to insufficient long term supply of upstream components. The Last Time Buy (LTB) deadline is Sep 30, 2026, and the final Last Time Ship (LTS) date is Mar 31, 2027.
For ongoing projects and new product developments using these components, this product lifecycle change creates substantial risks regarding long term component availability and supply chain resilience. Project teams are actively searching for alternative sensing solutions with stable supply.
Driven by rapid development in robotics, smart home systems and industrial automation, the market demands compact, low power and robust spatial sensing components. MEMS ultrasonic ToF sensors are widely adopted for their small footprint, low power consumption and high volume manufacturing capability.
Component EOL events are usually caused by conflicts between upstream supply constraints and return of investment for continuous technical iteration. For industrial and commercial projects, stable component supply is the cornerstone of effective product lifecycle management.
AUDIOWELL: 27 Year Expertise in Ultrasonic Sensing Technology
With 27 years of deep experience in ultrasonic sensing, AUDIOWELL has built a complete in house technology chain covering piezoelectric chip material R&D, product structural design, signal processing algorithms and precision MEMS manufacturing.
Our product portfolio serves global markets including automotive electronics, smart meters, industrial control and consumer electronics.
We launched our PMUT based MEMS ultrasonic sensor AW101 at electronica 2022 in Munich, Germany. Currently, AUDIOWELL PMUT product series are in full mass production, covering 40 kHz, 65 kHz and 450 kHz frequency variants. Corresponding module products have also been developed and integrated into global customers’ supply chains.
Low voltage Drive with High Sound Pressure Output
Adopting high performance piezoelectric material systems, the sensor operates with conventional piezoelectric drive circuits. It delivers 110 dB high sound pressure under only 10 V driving voltage, enabling stronger ultrasonic signal penetration and highly reliable echo detection under complex operating conditions.
Precision Micro nano Manufacturing for High Accuracy & Batch Consistency
Manufactured with high volume wafer level MEMS micro nano processes, the sensor achieves processing precision up to 1 μm. Wafer level mass production delivers superior batch to batch consistency, greatly reducing calibration and tuning workloads during customers’ mass production phases and lowering overall production costs.
IP67 High grade Protection for Harsh Operating Environments
Featuring IP67 ingress protection rating, the sensor can be deployed in diverse indoor and outdoor industrial environments. It delivers dependable sensing performance for robotics and industrial automation equipment and minimizes failure risks caused by complex environmental conditions.
Wide Field of View with Customizable Angular Coverage
The sensor provides up to 180° panoramic field of view, with support for customized field of view adjustment. This flexible configuration accommodates a broad range of application scenarios for diverse project requirements.
SMT Reflow soldering Compatibility for High volume Automated Production
Fully compatible with standard SMT reflow soldering processes, the sensor supports fully automated high volume assembly. While maintaining consistent device performance, it effectively cuts assembly related costs for system integrators.
AUDIOWELL supplies a comprehensive lineup of sensors and modules. Multiple options with different form factors, operating frequencies and detection ranges support use cases such as robot obstacle avoidance, material level monitoring and distance measurement, simplifying component selection for global customers.
| Module | PU0001-000 | PU0002-000 | PU0003-000 | PU0005-000 | AU0012-000 |
Dimensions (mm） | 4.2x4.0x 1.35 | 5.3x5.0x 1.4 | 2.8x2.8x1.0 | 5.8x5.8x2.3 | 16x17 |
Resonant Frequency (kHz) | 65 | 40 | 450 | 65 | 65 |
Detection Range (cm) | 10~120 | 20~500 | 2~30 | 10~120 | 10~120 |
FOV (°) | 180 | 160 | 16 | 180 | 180 |
Capacitance (nF) | 3.3 | 6 | 0.66 | 3 | 3 |
Operating Voltage (V | 3~20 | 3~20 | 3~20 | 5±0.5 | 5±0.3 |
Operating Temperature(°C) | -20~+70 | -20~+70 | -20~+70 | -20~+60 | -10~+40 |
Faced with supply chain uncertainties brought by component EOL events, selecting a supplier with end to end in house R&D and mass production capacity is critical to sustainable project execution. Built upon decades long ultrasonic technology accumulation, AUDIOWELL PMUT MEMS ultrasonic sensors combine low voltage operation, high sound pressure, robust environmental resistance and manufacturing friendliness, delivering high performance and continuously supplied spatial sensing hardware solutions to accelerate product commercialization for global customers.
Focus on us