Engineering with Acoustics: Open-Source Simulation and DSP Stacks for Ultrasonic, Piezo, MEMS and Industrial Sonar Systems
- Srihari Maddula
- Nov 11
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 14
Acoustics is one of the least understood — yet most fascinating — domains in modern electronics.Unlike purely digital systems, sound involves mechanical waves, damping, resonance, materials, and geometry.
Small physical changes — enclosure thickness, bonding glue, or transducer shape — can shift performance dramatically.
If you’re building:
Ultrasonic range sensors
Medical imaging probes
Hydrophones or underwater sonar
Structural inspection (NDT) devices
you’re working at the intersection of materials science, FEM simulation, and DSP engineering.
Traditionally, large corporations used expensive multiphysics platforms to design these systems.But now, a new generation of open-source simulation and DSP tools enables startups, academic labs, and OEMs to design production-grade acoustic systems — without restrictive licenses.
At EurthTech, we’ve helped clients build piezo drivers, underwater hydrophones, ultrasonic leak detectors, and industrial NDT instruments.Below is the open engineering stack we often use for acoustic product development — from simulation to firmware.
Simulating Acoustic Waves and Ultrasonic Propagation
Before cutting a prototype, the most powerful step is simulation.
Open acoustic solvers:
k-Wave – Full acoustic wave simulator for MATLAB/Octave. Models ultrasound propagation, attenuation, phased-array focusing, and time-reversal acoustics.→ Used in medical ultrasound, leak detection, and underwater robotics.
OpenFOAM – CFD + acoustic propagation. Models enclosure resonance, sonar, and underwater acoustics.
Elmer FEM – Multiphysics FEM for piezoelectric and acoustic coupling.
FreeCAD + FEM Workbench – Geometric modeling of horns, couplers, and cavities for export to FEM solvers.
These tools predict beam shapes, acoustic gain, and resonance modes — critical for AI-powered embedded systems that use sound for sensing or communication.
Piezoelectric Modeling and Transducer Engineering
Piezoelectric devices behave like resonant electromechanical systems. To optimize them, engineers model impedance, phase, mechanical Q, and coupling coefficients.
Essential open tools:
Elmer PZ – Simulates piezoelectric actuation and resonance modes for buzzers, probes, and ultrasonic cleaners.
FEMM – Magnetic and electrostatic FEM for high-voltage piezo drivers and transformers.
Open-source PZT tuning models (GitHub) – Scripts to optimize piezo disks, bars, and shells across frequencies (40 kHz – MHz).
These open models accelerate IoT product engineering — from smart ultrasonic flow sensors to Edge AI embedded systems for predictive maintenance.
Acoustic Systems: Speakers, Microphones, and Signal Chains
Acoustic system design extends beyond the transducer to include enclosures, ports, and signal electronics.
Popular free tools:
Room EQ Wizard (REW) – Impulse response, harmonic distortion, and acoustic chamber analysis.
HornResp – Horn and waveguide simulation for ultrasonic concentrators and audio emitters.
Audacity – FFT and spectrogram analysis for ultrasonic frequency sweeps.
PulseAudio + ALSA – Real-time recording and playback pipelines for MEMS mic testing on Linux SBCs.
These tools are widely used in smart speakers, IoT acoustic sensors, and leak detection modules, bridging Embedded systems development with real-world acoustic testing.
Beamforming and Acoustic DSP
Signal processing is the intelligence behind any ultrasonic or sonar system.DSP enables noise suppression, directionality, and range estimation.
Open-source DSP frameworks:
GNU Octave – FFT, FIR/IIR filtering, and beamforming simulation.
SciPy / NumPy – Real-time DSP in Python for embedded targets.
Liquid-DSP – C-based DSP library supporting filters, chirps, demodulation, and ultrasonic communication.
These frameworks allow developers to model:
Matched filtering for chirps
Doppler and range detection
Adaptive beamforming and noise reduction
— essential for Industrial IoT and automation, medical imaging, and ultrasonic robotics.
MEMS Microphones, Hydrophones, and Transducer References
Acoustic performance depends heavily on transducer physics.
Manufacturers like Analog Devices and TDK/InvenSense publish free resources for:
MEMS microphone array calibration
Beamforming geometry
Port design and turbulence modeling
Ultrasonic transmission efficiency
For underwater applications, open FEM tools like Elmer and k-Wave help simulate hydrophone beam patterns and impedance coupling, key for Smart infrastructure solutions such as harbor monitoring and leak detection.
Open NDT and Industrial Ultrasonic Systems
Ultrasound isn’t just for medical imaging — it’s a cornerstone of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) in aerospace, pipelines, and manufacturing.
Free frameworks:
OpenUT / OpenPulse – Pulse-echo, chirp compression, and phased-array architectures.
gprMax– Simulates ultrasonic and radar wave propagation in solids and layered materials.
These allow startups to model weld inspections, corrosion detection, and bond-line integrity — vital for digital transformation in industrial infrastructure.
Data Logging and Acoustic Telemetry
Once deployed, acoustic systems must log, stream, and visualize signals over time.
Key open tools:
Such telemetry systems enable predictive maintenance in factories, pipelines, and smart infrastructure networks.
Why Open Tools Matter for Product Engineering
Instead of building by trial and error, engineering teams can now:
Simulate resonance and beam shape before prototyping
Predict performance in air, water, or solids
Model coupling layers and horns for higher efficiency
Design phased arrays for 3D sensing
Log acoustic signatures for anomaly detection
This dramatically reduces time-to-market and development risk for IoT & embedded services teams.
Final Thoughts
Acoustics merges physics, materials, mechanics, and DSP — once locked behind proprietary software.Now, open-source tools let teams of any size design, simulate, and deploy world-class acoustic systems.
k-Wave → Acoustic wave and phased-array modeling
Elmer FEM → Piezoelectric FEM simulation
Octave & Liquid-DSP → Ultrasonic DSP pipelines
Sigrok & PulseView → Hardware validation
OpenMCT / Grafana → Field telemetry visualization
At EurthTech, we combine Embedded systems development, IoT product engineering, and AI for smart infrastructure to design acoustic systems that sense, communicate, and last.
From underwater robotics to industrial leak detectors and medical ultrasound probes, we help teams build reliable, manufacturable products powered by open innovation.
Because in modern engineering,sound isn’t just something you hear it’s something you can engineer.
Need expert guidance for your next engineering challenge?
Connect with us today — we offer a complimentary first consultation to help you move forward with clarity.
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