5 eTape Liquid Level Sensor with Plastic Casing

SKU: ADA3828 Brand: Adafruit

Retired Product

Search for an alternative
This product has been retired. It is no longer available, but this page has been kept for reference.

This eTape Liquid Level Sensor is a solid-state sensor with a resistive output that varies with the level of the fluid. It does away with clunky mechanical floats, and easily interfaces with electronic control systems. What differentiates this from Adafruit's other eTape Liquid Sensors is the hard plastic jacket that makes it less susceptible to damage.

The eTape sensor's envelope is compressed by the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in which it is immersed. This results in a change in resistance that corresponds to the distance from the top of the sensor to the surface of the fluid. The sensor's resistive output is inversely proportional to the height of the liquid: the lower the liquid level, the higher the output resistance; the higher the liquid level, the lower the output resistance.

This is a very unique sensor, and Adafruit hasn't seen anything else that is affordable and accurate for measuring liquid level. This particular sensor is the 5" version, and it comes with a 3-pin JST connector.

Since the sensor is resistive, it is easy to read it using a microcontroller/ADC pin. Check the tutorials tab for a quick-start pointer.

Please Note: This product only comes with the 5" plastic enclosed eTape Liquid Level Sensor.  In Adafruit's demo, Adafruit set up a 12" enclosed version with an Adafruit Metro, a TB6612 Stepper Motor Driver Breakout Board, and an Automotive Gauge Stepper Motor to demonstrate functionality.

Technical Details

  • Sensor Length: 4.8" / 124mm
  • JST Wire Length: 11.4" / 290mm
  • Width: 1.1" (28.2mm)
  • Thickness: 0.015" / 0.381mm)
  • Resistance Gradient: 150Ω/inch (60 ohms/cm)
  • Active Sensor Length: 8.4" (213mm)
  • Substrate: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
  • Actuation Depth: Nominal 1" (25.4mm)
  • Resolution: < 0.01" (0.25 mm)
  • Temperature Range: 15°F - 150°F (-9°C - 65°C)
  • Product Dimensions: 200.0mm x 28.2mm x 16.5mm / 7.9" x 1.1" x 0.6"
  • Product Weight: 31.7g / 1.1oz

For more information, check out: eTape Liquid Level Sensor Datasheet

Adafruit doesn't have a detailed tutorial for this sensor but it acts very much like a thermistor so they suggest checking out that tutorial for background, and then following these instructions:

Connect pin #2 of the sensor to ground, then pin #3 to a 560 ohm resistor. The other side of the 560 ohm resistor to VCC (3.3V or 5V for example) to create a resistor divider. The ADC pin connects to the point between the resistor and sensor.

 // the value of the 'other' resistor #define SERIESRESISTOR 560 // What pin to connect the sensor to #define SENSORPIN A0 void setup(void) { Serial.begin(9600); } void loop(void) { float reading; reading = analogRead(SENSORPIN); Serial.print("Analog reading "); Serial.println(reading); // convert the value to resistance reading = (1023 / reading) - 1; reading = SERIESRESISTOR / reading; Serial.print("Sensor resistance "); Serial.println(reading); delay(1000); }

This product is listed in:

Retired

Product Comments

Exact shipping can be calculated on the view cart page (no login required).

Products that weigh more than 0.5 KG may cost more than what's shown (for example, test equipment, machines, >500mL liquids, etc).

We deliver Australia-wide with these options (depends on the final destination - you can get a quote on the view cart page):

  • $3+ for Stamped Mail (typically 10+ business days, not tracked, only available on selected small items)
  • $6+ for Standard Post (typically 6+ business days, tracked)
  • $10+ for Express Post (typically 2+ business days, tracked)
  • Pickup - Free! Only available to customers who live in the Newcastle region (must order online and only pickup after we email to notify you the order is ready). Orders placed after 2PM may not be ready until the following business day.

Non-metro addresses in WA, NT, SA & TAS can take 2+ days in addition to the above information.

Some batteries (such as LiPo) can't be shipped by Air. During checkout, Express Post and International Methods will not be an option if you have that type of battery in your shopping cart.

International Orders - the following rates are for New Zealand and will vary for other countries:

  • $11+ for Pack and Track (3+ days, tracked)
  • $16+ for Express International (2-5 days, tracked)

If you order lots of gear, the postage amount will increase based on the weight of your order.

Our physical address (here's a PDF which includes other key business details):

Unit 18, 132 Garden Grove Parade
Adamstown
NSW, 2289
Australia

Take a look at our customer service page if you have other questions such as "do we do purchase orders" (yes!) or "are prices GST inclusive" (yes they are!). We're here to help - get in touch with us to talk shop.

Have a product question? We're here to help!

Write Your Own Review

Guides

The Maker Revolution

The Maker Revolution celebrates the creation of new devices and the modification of existing ones - ...
The Maker Revolution celebrates the creation of new devices and the modification of existing ones - ...

Projects

Raspberry Pi Video Looper Display Installation | Overshare Video Festival

IntroductionA suspended ceiling display of forty repurposed screens and displays, each screening cr...
IntroductionA suspended ceiling display of forty repurposed screens and displays, each screening cr...

Mailbox Delivery Notification System

Introduction During the Covid lockdown, I needed something to do. The Postman or woman does not de...
Introduction During the Covid lockdown, I needed something to do. The Postman or woman does not de...

PiicoDev Schematic System

Introduction: Hi everybody. Over the past few weeks, I have been working on an intuitive system th...
Introduction: Hi everybody. Over the past few weeks, I have been working on an intuitive system th...
Feedback

Please continue if you would like to leave feedback for any of these topics:

  • Website features/issues
  • Content errors/improvements
  • Missing products/categories
  • Product assignments to categories
  • Search results relevance

For all other inquiries (orders status, stock levels, etc), please contact our support team for quick assistance.

Note: click continue and a draft email will be opened to edit. If you don't have an email client on your device, then send a message via the chat icon on the bottom left of our website.

Makers love reviews as much as you do, please follow this link to review the products you have purchased.