Ultrasonics SOUND OCCURRENCE is the study and application of high-frequency sound

waves, usually in excess of 20KHz (20,000 cycles per second). Modern ultrasonic generators can produce frequencies of as high as several gigahertz (several billion cycles per second) by transforming alternating electric currents into mechanical oscillations, and scientists have produced ultrasound with frequencies up to about10GHz (ten billion vibrations per second). There may be an upper limit to the frequency of usable ultrasound, but it is not yet known.Higher frequencies have shorter wavelengths, which allows them to reflect from objects more readily and to provide better information about those objects. However, extremely high frequencies are difficult to generate and to measure. Detection and measurement of ultrasonic waves is accomplished mainly through the use of piezoelectric receivers or by optical means. The latter is possible because ultrasonic waves are rendered visible by the diffraction of light.Ultrasound is far above the range of human hearing, which is only about 20Hz to 18KHz. However, some mammals can hear well above this. For example, bats and whales use echo location that can reach frequencies in excess of 100KHz.

Ultrasonics SOURCES
It has been theorized by various pest control equipment companies that ultrasonic sound emission may be effective in repelling nuisance animal and insect pests. The theory is that a device that produces pulses of sound at very high frequency, above that of human hearing, will act as a deterrent in the event of pest infestations, both because the pests cannot tolerate the sound, and also because the sound might interfere with their ability to communicate with members of the same species.As with any consumer need, companies will attempt to take advantage and sell products to fit the need. These ultrasonic sound emitters are marketed for the control of almost every major pest species, from rats & mice, to cats & dogs, and even insects like cockroaches. They are also marketed for the control of bats.It has been soundly and formally concluded by biologists, wildlife experts, and even the government (see the below FTC document), after extensive observation and testing that ultrasonic sound emitters are completely ineffective in repelling, controlling, or affecting in any way the behavior of any wild animal or insect. In short, they are a gimmick.In understanding why they are ineffective, it must be realized that the use of ultrasonic sound emitters was only a theory, and it has never been proven to be even remotely effective. Tests on animals of all kinds have proven that the animals exhibit no change in behavior when exposed to ultrasonic sound emission, even at extremely high levels of volume and frequency. Many of the animals merely investigate the sound source out of curiosity, then ignore it. Furthermore, ultrasonic sound does not reverberate, as lower frequency sound does. This means that once the ultrasonic sound hits a surface, it disappears. Thus, if an animal is living in any kind of crevice, such as a bat living under barrel tile, they won't even be exposed to the sound at all.As a nuisance wildlife control expert, I have had many years of field observation with these devices. I routinely work on wildlife problems in which ultrasonic sound machines have been used in an initial attempt to correct the problem. I have worked in attics filled with rats, where the building owners have installed up to six ultrasonic sound emitters. To prove that they are ineffective (as if the continuing presence of rats was not enough), I have placed rat traps directly next to the machines, and caught rats in those areas. Furthermore, in regard to bat control, I have worked on several bat projects in which property owners have installed ultrasonic sound emitters pointed at the areas of bat infestation with no effects on the presence or behavior of bats.I keep in close contact with dozens of nuisance wildlife and bat control experts across the country, and it is well understood by all that products such as ultrasonic sound emitters and naphthalene (moth ball) based deterrent products are completely ineffective. In fact, there are no effective or registered bat repellent products sold.The only way to control bat populations is with a professional bat eviction - the bats must be removed from the structure, and all of the entry points that the bats use to gain entry must be permanently sealed. It is illegal to kill a colony of bats, and it is ineffective to trap and relocate them (they will find their way back to their home, even over a distance of several hundred miles). The proper way to control bat populations, as understood by bat professionals and advocated by Bat Conservation International, the leading authority on bat behavior and control methods, is through eviction and exclusion.Please read the attached articles as further proof that ultrasonic sound emitters have no value in controlling or affecting any animal or insect species.
When used for sensing functions, the ultrasonic method has unique advantages over conventional sensors:

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Discrete distances to moving objects can be detected and measured. Less affected by target materials and surfaces, and not affected by color. Solid-state units have virtually unlimited, maintenance free life. Can detect small objects over long operating distances. Resistance to external disturbances such as vibration, infrared radiation, ambient noise, and EMI radiation.

Two Ultrasonic Sensor Types

The following diagrams summarize the distinctions between proximity and ranging ultrasonic sensors:

Proximity

Detection

An object passing anywhere within the preset range will be detected and generate an output signal. The detect point is independent of target size, material, or degree of reflectivity.

Objected detected - YES

Objected detected - NO

Ranging

Measurement

Precise distance(s) of an object moving to and from the sensor are measured via time intervals between transmitted and reflected bursts of ultrasonic sound. The example shows a target detected at six inches from sensor and moving to 10 inches. The distance change is continuously calculated and outputted.

Ultrasonic sound uses

The term "ultrasonic" applied to sound refers to anything above the frequencies ofaudible sound, and nominally includes anything over 20,000 Hz. Frequencies used for medical diagnostic ultrasound scans extend to 10 MHz and beyond.Sounds in the range 20-100kHz are commonly used for communication and navigation by bats, dolphins, and some other species. Much higher frequencies, in the range 1-20 MHz, are used for medical ultrasound. Such sounds are produced by ultrasonic transducers. A wide variety of medical diagnostic applications use both the echo time and the Doppler shift of the reflected sounds to measure the distance to internal organs and structures and the speed of movement of those structures. Typical is the echocardiogram, in which a moving image of the heart's action is produced in video form with false colors to indicate the speed and direction of blood flow and heart valve movements. Ultrasound imaging near the surface of the body is capable of resolutions less than a millimeter. The resolution decreases with the depth of penetration since lower frequencies must be used (the attenuation of the waves in tissue goes up with increasing frequency.) The use of longer wavelengths implies lower resolution since the maximum resolution of any imaging process is proportional to the wavelength of the imaging wave.