40kHz Ultrasonic Driver Circuit for a few pounds, dollars or euros (almost)!

Numbers in square brackets [] on the circuit diagram refer to pin numbers on bipolar 556 chip. Table of components PS Power Supply Input, preferably 18-20 V DC. We use an unregulated 12 V, 300 mA DC power supply that produces about 18 V with a 30 mA load. 30 V DC doesn't do any harm to our circuit, AC (up to about 20 V rms) should also work. Complete circuit draws about 30 mA, extra load per transmitter should be less than 1 mA. IC Bipolar 556 - draws about 20 mA D1 Diode (1N4002) to protect against reverse connection of power supply. The whole circuit whole circuit only draws about 30 mA, but this diode should be rated at 1A. Small signal diodes are destroyed by the charging transients of CReg1 and CReg2 that occur if a live DC power supply is connected to the circuit. CReg1 470 microfarad, 50 Volts, high voltage rating to withstand over voltage applied to power input. 15 V protects against over voltage and regulates. LM78L15ACZ, 15 V, 100 mA. Runs hot with overvoltage (30 V DC) but should cut out before it burns up (regulator should be over voltage, over temperature & short circuit protected). CReg2 33 microfarad tantalum 35 Volts close to supply pins of chip is recommended. LED Red LED to indicate power, draws about 10 mA RLED Series resistor appropriate to power indicator LED (about 1.2 k Ohm) RA1 sets off time of pulsed operation (O1 high), 22 k Ohm fixed resistor & 200 (or 220) k Ohm linear potentiometer in series. RB1 sets on time of pulsed operation (O1 low), 4.7 k Ohm fixed resistor & 20 (or 22) k Ohm linear potentiometer in series. On time can be varied from about 0.5 ms (for "sharp" pulse that we normally use) to about 3 ms. C1 sets timing of pulsed operation, not ceramic, 220 nF, 10%. CDC decoupling capacitor close to ground & VCC pins, 0.1 microfarad. CC control input (not used) decoupled to ground by 10 nF capacitor. S closed for pulsed operation, open for continuous 40 kHz oscillation. D2 small signal diode (1N414B), supresses 40 kHz when O1 is high. RA2 4.7 k Ohm, minimum value for near 1:1 mark:space ratio of 40 kHz. There is a marginally better 555 circuit that gives mark:space ratio closer to 1:1 but this is the circuit we used. RB2 RB2 is about 10 times bigger than RA2 for near 1:1 mark:space ratio of 40 kHz. 43 k Ohm fixed resistor & 10 k Ohm linear potentiometer in series. C2 sets timing of 40 kHz oscillation, not ceramic. Polystyrene, 330pF, 1%. Precision (1%) capacitor makes it easier to obtain operating frequency (40 +- 1 kHz) within adjustment range of RB2. RL reduces peak current when driving capacitive load (piezoelectric ultrasonic transmitter) by square wave (555/556 circuit). This prevents spurious triggering and unreliable operation, 150 Ohm, small compared to imepedance (mainly capacitative, 3 k Ohm) of LS. CL capacitor protects against connection of power supply to output, impedance comparable to or smaller than RL, (10-100 nF, must be much greater than 1400 pF capacitance of Transmitter, 50 Volt or more rating to withstand voltages applied acidentally to output), we used 100 nF. LS 200 Ohm resistive impedance, 1400 pF, (40 +- 1) kHz transmitter. Ultrasonic Transmitter & Receiver Pair are standard 40 kHz units commonly used in burglar alarms and available in electronics hobby shops.