Monday, December 27, 2010

Cell-Phone calling Actuator

Cell-Phone calling Actuator

Parts:

R1,R3,R4,R6______1M  1/4W Resistors
R2_______________3K9 1/4W Resistor
R5,R8____________1K  1/4W Resistors (Optional: see Text)
R7______________10K  1/4W Resistor

C1_____________100nF  63V Polyester or Ceramic Capacitor
C2_______________1µF  63V Polyester or Electrolytic Capacitor
C3______________10µF  25V Electrolytic Capacitor
C4______________10nF  63V Polyester or Ceramic Capacitor
C5_____________470µF  25V Electrolytic Capacitor

D1,D4_________1N4148  75V 150mA Diodes
D2,D3___________LEDs  3 or 5mm. (Optional: see Text)

Q1_____________BC547  45V 100mA NPN Transistor
Q2_____________BC557  45V 100mA PNP Transistor
Q3_____________BC337  45V 800mA NPN Transistor

IC1_____________4069  Hex Inverter IC
IC2_____________7555 or TS555CN CMos Timer IC

L1______________10mH miniature inductor

RL1____________Relay with SPDT or DPDT switch
               Coil Voltage 12V. Coil resistance 200-300 Ohm

J1_____________Two ways output socket

Comments:

This design is a development of the well known Cellular Phone calling Detector circuit. Many correspondents required a circuit of this kind but capable of driving a relay and supplied at 12V.
The final circuit adds to the original pulse detector coil and transistor amplifier a further amplifier and squarer, a pulse to dc converter, a timer and the relay driver.
The timer was necessary to avoid false triggering: in this way the relay will be energized only after the cell-phone is ringing since at least 10 seconds.

Circuit operation

Q1 amplifies the signal generated by the cell-phone during an incoming call and detected by L1. IC1A wired as an analog amplifier drives three inverters in series (IC1B, IC1C and IC1D) acting as square wave converters. IC1E and related components form the pulse to dc converter: when a train of pulses appears at IC1D output, a 12V steady positive voltage is present at the output of IC1E.
An optional LED (D2) can be useful to signal that a call is incoming, mainly when the cell-phone is muted.
Q2, IC2 and related components form a 10-seconds timer followed by the relay driver (IC1F and Q3).
When the output of IC1E is low, the output of IC2 is high: therefore the output of the inverter IC1F is low and Q3 is cut off.
When the output of IC1E is high, C3 starts charging through R6 and after about 10 seconds IC2 will be triggered and its output voltage will fall to zero, forcing the output of IC1F to go high: this causes the transistor to conduct and the relay will be energized.
The LED D3 is optional and can be useful to signal when the relay is on.

Notes:

  • A commercial 10mH miniature inductor, usually sold in the form of a tiny rectangular plastic box, was found useful as a detector coil in place of the self-made coil. Contrary to the Cellular Phone calling Detector circuit, a high sensitivity is not required here in order to avoid false triggering of the relay.
  • Place the cell-phone in close contact with L1.

Timed Beeper

MiniTimer circuit diagram

Parts:

R1______220R   1/4W Resistor
R2_______10M   1/4W Resistor
R3________1M   1/4W Resistor
R4_______10K   1/4W Resistor
R5_______47K   1/4W Resistor

C1_______100nF  63V Polyester Capacitor
C2________22µF  25V Electrolytic Capacitor

D1______1N4148  75V 150mA Diode
D2________3mm.  Red LED

IC1_____4081   Quad 2 input AND Gate IC
IC2_____4060   14 stage ripple counter and oscillator IC

Q1______BC337  45V 800mA NPN Transistor

P1______SPST Pushbutton (Start)
P2______SPST Pushbutton (Reset)

SW1_____4 ways Switch (See notes)

PS______Piezo sounder (incorporating 3KHz oscillator)

B1______3V Battery (2 AA 1.5V Cells in series)

Device purpose:

This circuit is intended for alerting purposes after a certain time is elapsed. It is suitable for table games requiring a fixed time to answer a question, or to move a piece etc. In this view it is a modern substitute for the old sandglass. Useful also for time control when children are brushing teeth (at least two minutes!), or in the kitchen, and so on.

Circuit operation:

Pushing on P1 resets IC2 that start oscillating at a frequency fixed by R3 & C1. With values shown, this frequency is around 4Hz. LED D2, driven by IC1A & B, flashing at the same oscillator frequency, will signal proper circuit operation. SW1 selects the appropriate pin of IC2 to adjust timing duration:
  • Position 1 = 15 seconds
  • Position 2 = 30 seconds
  • Position 3 = 1 minute
  • Position 4 = 2 minutes
When the selected pin of IC2 goes high, IC1C drives Q1 and the piezo sounder beeps intermittently at the same frequency of the LED. After around 7.5 seconds pin 4 of IC2 goes high and IC1D stops the oscillator through D1. If you want to stop counting in advance, push on P2.

Notes:

  • SW1 can be any type of switch with the desired number of ways. If you want a single fixed timing duration, omit the switch and connect pins 9 & 13 of IC1 to the suitable pin of IC2.
  • The circuit's reset is not immediate. Pushing P2 forces IC2 to oscillate very fast, but it takes some seconds to terminate the counting, especially if a high timer delay was chosen and the pushbutton is operated when the circuit was just starting. In order to speed the reset, try lowering the value of R5, but pay attention: too low a value can stop oscillation.
  • Frequency operation varies with different brand names for IC2. E.g. Motorola's ICs run faster, therefore changing of C1 and/or R3 values may be necessary.
  • You can also use pins 1, 2, 3 of IC2 to obtain timings of 8, 16 and 32 minutes respectively.
  • An on-off switch is not provided because when off-state the circuit draws no significant current.

Circuit Board Tester

Circuit Board Tester

Parts:

R1,R2___________22K  1/4W Resistors

D1______________LED  (Any dimension and shape, preferably red)
D2______________LED  (Any dimension and shape, preferably green)

Q1____________BF245 or 2N3819 General-purpose N-Channel FET
Q2____________BC547   45V 100mA NPN Transistor
Q3____________BC557   45V 100mA PNP Transistor

Probe_________Metal Probe 3 to 5 cm. long

Two Miniature Crocodile Clips (Red and Black)

Comments:

This little circuit indicates the basic integrity of a printed board, detecting 0V, positive supply voltage from less than 3V to 30V and floating parts.
If the probe is floating, as it would be in a broken track, then both LEDs barely light up, since there is no current to drive the transistors, but if the probe touches 0V or a positive voltage one or other lights. A digital signal should light them in proportion to the mark-space ratio whereas the output of a circuit oscillating at a frequency rate below about 20Hz will cause the LEDs to flicker alternatively.
The LEDs will illuminate always at a constant intensity, no matter the voltage supply used, because they are fed by a very simple Fet constant-current generator (Q1).

Note:

  • The Black clip must be connected to the negative ground of the board under test.
    The Red clip should be connected to a positive voltage source (not exceeding 30V) available on the same board.

One second Audible Clock

One second Audible Clock

Parts:

R1______________10K  1/4W Resistor
R2_______________4K7 1/4W Resistor
R3_____________100R  1/4W Resistor (Optional, see Notes)

C1_______________1nF  63V Polyester or ceramic Capacitor
C2______________10µF  25V Electrolytic Capacitor
C3_____________100nF  63V Polyester or ceramic Capacitor (Optional, see Notes)

D1,D2,D3_____1N4148   75V 150mA Diodes
D4______________LED   (Optional, any shape and color, see Notes)
D5___________1N4148   75V 150mA Diode (Optional, see Notes)

Q1____________BC337   45V 800mA NPN Transistor

IC1____________4024   7 stage ripple counter IC

BZ1___________Piezo sounder (incorporating 3KHz oscillator)

SPKR______________8 Ohm, 40 - 50mm diameter Loudspeaker (Optional, see Notes)

SW1____________SPST Toggle or Slide Switch (Optional, see Notes)

B1________________3 to 12V Battery (See Notes)

Comments:

This accurate one-pulse-per-second clock is made with a few common parts and driven from a 50 or 60 Hertz mains supply but with no direct connection to it.
A beep or metronome-like click and/or a visible flash, will beat the one-second time and can be useful in many applications in which some sort of time-delay counting in seconds is desirable.
The circuit is formed by a CMos 4024 counter/divider chip and 3 diodes, arranged to divide the frequency of the input signal at pin #1 by 50 (or 60, see Notes).
The input impedance at pin #1 is very hight, so simply touching the pin (or a short track or piece of wire connected to it) is usually enough to provide the necessary input signal.
Another way to provide an input signal consists in a piece of wire wrapped several times around any convenient mains cable or transformer. No other connection is necessary.

Notes:

  • To allow precise circuit operation in places where the mains supply frequency is rated at 60Hz, the circuit must be modified as follows: disconnect the Cathode of D1 from pin #11 of IC1 and connect it to pin #9. Add a further 1N4148 diode, connecting its Anode to R1 and the Cathode to pin #6 of IC1: that's all!
  • The circuit will work fine with battery voltages in the 3 -12V range.
  • The visual display, formed by D4 and R3 is optional. Please note that R3 value shown in the Parts list is suited to low battery voltages. If 9V or higher voltages are used, change its value to 1K.
  • If a metronome-like click is needed, R2 and BZ1 must be omitted and substituted by the circuit shown enclosed in dashed lines, right-side of the diagram.
  • Stand-by current drawing is negligible, so SW1 can be omitted.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Flashing-LED Battery-status Indicator

Flashing-LED Battery-status Indicator

Parts:

R1,R7__________220R  1/4W Resistors
R2_____________120K  1/4W Resistor
R3_______________5K6 1/4W Resistor
R4_______________5K  1/2W Trimmer Cermet or Carbon
R5______________33K  1/4W Resistor
R6_____________680K  1/4W Resistor
R8_____________100K  1/4W Resistor
R9_____________180R  1/4W Resistor

C1,C2____________4µ7  25V Electrolytic Capacitors

D1____________BAT46  100V 150mA Schottky-barrier Diode
D2______________LED  Red 5mm.

Q1____________BC547   45V 100mA NPN Transistor
Q2____________BC557   45V 100mA PNP Transistor

B1_______________5V to 12V Battery supply

Comments:

A Battery-status Indicator circuit can be useful, mainly to monitor portable Test-gear instruments and similar devices.
LED D1 flashes to attire the user's attention, signaling that the circuit is running, so it will not be left on by mistake. The circuit generates about two LED flashes per second, but the mean current drawing will be about 200µA.
Transistors Q1 and Q2 are wired as an uncommon complementary astable multivibrator: both are off 99% of the time, saturating only when the LED illuminates, thus contributing to keep very low current consumption.
The circuit will work with battery supply voltages in the 5 - 12V range and the LED flashing can be stopped at the desired battery voltage (comprised in the 4.8 - 9V value) by adjusting Trimmer R4. This range can be modified by changing R3 and/or R4 value slightly.
When the battery voltage approaches the exhausting value, the LED flashing frequency will fall suddenly to alert the user. Obviously, when the battery voltage has fallen below this value, the LED will remain permanently off.
To keep stable the exhausting voltage value, diode D1 was added to compensate Q1 Base-Emitter junction changes in temperature. The use of a Schottky-barrier device (e.g. BAT46, 1N5819 and the like) for D1 is mandatory: the circuit will not work if a common silicon diode like the 1N4148 is used in its place.

Note:

  • Mean current drawing of the circuit can be reduced further on by raising R1, R7 and R9 values.

Push-bike Light

Push-bike Light

Parts:

R1_____________Photo resistor (any type)
R2______________22K  1/2W Trimmer Cermet or Carbon type
R3_______________1K  1/4W Resistor
R4_______________2K7 1/4W Resistor
R5_____________330R  1/4W Resistor (See Notes)
R6_______________1R5   1W Resistor (See Notes)

D1____________1N4148  75V 150mA Diode

Q1_____________BC547  45V 200mA NPN Transistor
Q2_____________BD438  45V 4A PNP Transistor

LP1____________Filament Lamp(s) (See Notes)

SW1_____________SPST  Toggle or Slider Switch

B1______________6V or 3V Battery (See Notes)

Comments:

This design was primarily intended to allow automatic switch-on of push-bike lights when it gets dark. Obviously, it can be used for any other purpose involving one or more lamps to be switched on and off depending of light intensity.
Power can be supplied by any type of battery suitable to be fitted in your bike and having a voltage in the 3 to 6 Volts range.
The Photo resistor R1 should be fitted into the box containing the complete circuit, but a hole should be made in a convenient side of the box to allow the light hitting the sensor.
Trim R2 until the desired switching threshold is reached. The setup will require some experimenting, but it should not be difficult.

Notes:

  • In this circuit, the maximum current and voltage delivered to the lamp(s) are limited mainly by R6 (that can't be omitted if a clean and reliable switching is expected). Therefore, the Ohm's Law must be used to calculate the best voltage and current values of the bulbs.
  • For example: at 6V supply, one or more 6V bulbs having a total current drawing of 500mA can be used, but for a total current drawing of 1A, 4.5V bulbs must be chosen, as the voltage drop across R6 will become 1.5V. In this case, R6 should be a 2W type.
  • At 3V supply, R6 value can be lowered to 1 or 0.5 Ohm and the operating voltage of the bulbs should be chosen accordingly, by applying the Ohm's Law.
    Example: Supply voltage = 3V, R6 = 1R, total current drawing 600mA. Choose 2.2V bulbs as the voltage drop caused by R6 will be 0.6V.
  • At 3V supply, R5 value must be changed to 100R.
  • Stand-by current is less than 500µA, provided R2 value after trimming is set at about 5K or higher: therefore, the power switch SW1 can be omitted. If R2 value is set below 5K the stand-by current will increase substantially.

Two-wire Lamp Flasher

Lamp Flasher

Parts:

R1______________6K8  1/4W Resistor
R2____________270K   1/4W Resistor
R3_____________22K   1/4W Resistor

C1____________220µF   25V Electrolytic Capacitor
C2_____________10µF   25V Electrolytic Capacitor

D1___________1N4002  100V 1A Diode

Q1____________BC557   45V 100mA PNP Transistor
Q2____________BD139   80V 1.5A NPN Transistor

LP1___________Existing filament Lamp: any type in the range 3-24V 10W max.

SW1___________Existing On-Off switch

B1____________Existing V DC source: any type in the range 3-24V
                                    suited to the lamp adopted

Device purpose:

This circuit was designed to provide that continuous light lamps already wired into a circuit, become flashing. Simply insert the circuit between existing lamp and negative supply.
Especially suited for car or panel pilot lights, this device can drive lamps up to 10W.

Notes:

  • Break lamp(s) to negative supply connection(s), then insert the circuit between existing lamp(s) connection(s) and negative supply (respecting polarities!).
  • C1 value can be varied from 100 to 1000µF or higher, in order to change flashing frequency.
  • Although rather oversized, this circuit can also drive any LED, providing a suitable resistor is fitted in series with the light emitting device.
  • The resistor should lie in the 47R to 2K2 range, depending on supply voltage.