Determining the impedance of ultrasonic transducers by the added elements method

There are a number of problems involved in measuring complex electrical impedance of ultrasonic transducers. This is because in the frequency function impedance tends to change values rapidly, in particular where resonances are involved. Measuring impedance using accurate bridge methods is a tedious and time-consuming process. While modern automated systems offer shorter test periods and high accuracy, they are very costly. This is why the project aims to implement new methods for computing impedance without these limitations. The article proposes a new, simplified method for measuring the electrical impedance of ultrasonic transducers. In the method complex impedance is calculated from results of two measurements of the transducer’s impedance magnitude only: with the known reactance and without it. To demonstrate the practicality of this method the authors included in the article the value of complex electrical impedance computed using the method and compared these with the results of measurements taken with an automated typical measurement system.