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.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Temperature-controlled 12V dc Fan

Temperature-controlled 12V dc Fan

Parts:

R1______________15K  @ 20°C n.t.c. Thermistor (See Notes)
R2_______________1K5 1/4W Resistor (See Notes)
R3_______________1K  1/4W Resistor
R4_____________270R  1/4W Resistor
R5______________22K  1/2W Trimmer Cermet or Carbon
R6_____________680R  1/4W Resistor (Optional, see Notes)
R7_____________470R  1/2W Trimmer Cermet or Carbon (Optional, see Notes)

C1_____________100µF  25V Electrolytic Capacitor

D1______________LED   (Optional, any shape and color, see Notes)

Q1____________BC547   45V 100mA NPN Transistor
Q2____________BD140   80V 1.5A PNP Transistor

M1____________Fan Motor 12V 700mA max.

Comments:

Requested by some correspondents, this simple design allows an accurate speed control of 12V dc fan motors, proportional to temperature.
A n.t.c. Thermistor (R1) is used as temperature sensor, driving two directly coupled complementary transistors wired in a dc feedback circuit.
An optional circuitry was added to remotely monitor fan operation and to allow some sort of rough speed indication by means of the increasing brightness of a LED.

Notes:

  • R5 must be set to allow motor just starting at the desired temperature.
  • Any n.t.c. Thermistor in the 6K8 - 22K range value might work, provided R2 value is one/tenth of Thermistor's value.
  • R6, R7 and D1 are optional: R7 must be adjusted until the LED glows faintly when the motor is just running.

Room Noise Detector

circuit diagram:

Noise Detector circuit diagram

Parts:

R1____________10K   1/4W Resistor
R2,R3_________22K   1/4W Resistors
R4___________100K   1/4W Resistor
R5,R9,R10_____56K   1/4W Resistors
R6_____________5K6  1/4W Resistor
R7___________560R   1/4W Resistor
R8_____________2K2  1/4W Resistor
R11____________1K   1/4W Resistor
R12___________33K   1/4W Resistor
R13__________330R   1/4W Resistor

C1___________100nF  63V Polyester Capacitor
C2____________10µF  25V Electrolytic Capacitor
C3___________470µF  25V Electrolytic Capacitor
C4____________47µF  25V Electrolytic Capacitor

D1_____________5mm. Red LED

IC1__________LM358  Low Power Dual Op-amp

Q1___________BC327  45V 800mA PNP Transistor

MIC1_________Miniature electret microphone

SW1__________2 poles 4 ways rotary switch

B1___________9V PP3 Battery

Clip for PP3 Battery

Device purpose:

This circuit is intended to signal, through a flashing LED, the exceeding of a fixed threshold in room noise, chosen from three fixed levels, namely 50, 70 & 85 dB. Two Op-amps provide the necessary circuit gain for sounds picked-up by a miniature electret microphone to drive a LED. With SW1 in the first position the circuit is off. Second, third and fourth positions power the circuit and set the input sensitivity threshold to 85, 70 & 50 dB respectively.
Current drawing is <1mA with LED off and 12-15mA when the LED is steady on.

Use:

  • Place the small box containing the circuit in the room where you intend to measure ambient noise.
  • The 50 dB setting is provided to monitor the noise in the bedroom at night. If the LED is steady on, or flashes bright often, then your bedroom is inadequate and too noisy for sleep.
  • The 70 dB setting is for living-rooms. If this level is often exceeded during the day, your apartment is rather uncomfortable.
  • If noise level is constantly over 85 dB, 8 hours a day, then you are living in a dangerous environment.

dBExample of sound sources
20Quiet garden, electric-clock ticking, drizzling rain
30Blast of wind, whisper @ 1 m.
40Countryside areas, quiet apartment, wrinkling paper @ 1 m.
50Residential areas, quiet streets, fridges, conversation @ 1 m.
55Offices, air-conditioners
60Alarm-clocks, radio & TV sets at normal volume
64Washing machines, quiet typewriters
67Hair-dryers, crowded restaurants
69Dish-washers, floor-polishers
70Loud conversation, noisy street, radio & TV sets at high volume
72Vacuum cleaners
78Telephone ring, mechanical workshop
80Passing trucks, noisy hall or plant, shuffling @ 1 m.
90Passing train, pneumatic hammer, car hooter @ 1 m.
95Mega "disco", circular saw
100Motorcycle without silencer

Nocturnal Animals Whisker

Animals Whisker

Parts:

R1____________100K   1/4W Resistor
R2______________2M2  1/4W Resistor
R3_____________10K   1/4W Resistor (see Notes)
R4______________4K7  1/4W Resistor
R5____________Photo resistor (any type, see Notes)

C1,C2,C3_______47µF  25V Electrolytic Capacitors

D1___________1N4148  75V 150mA Diode

IC1____________7555 or TS555CN CMos Timer IC

Q1____________BD681  100V 4A NPN Darlington Transistor

LP1____________6V 3W Bulb (see Notes)

SW1____________SPST Switch

B1_____________6V 1.2A Lead acid sealed rechargeable Battery (see Notes)

Device purpose:

This circuit has proved very useful in keeping away from a terrace or a porch some bats and other nocturnal animals. You can use it for similar or different purposes. The lamp illuminates for a 4-5 seconds delay and stays off about one minute and 15 seconds. The photo resistor allows automatic switch-on of the circuit at dusk and switch-off at dawn. Supposing an eight hours operation per night, the lamp stays on for a total of about 30 minutes, allowing great current economy.

Circuit operation:

IC1 is wired as an astable multivibrator with on and off time-delays as explained before. R1 & C1 set the on time-delay, R2 & C1 set the off time-delay. As there is no critical parameter, you can set these delays at your wish. Q1 is the lamp driver and can feed rather big bulbs. C2 prevents some brief instability when voltage at pin 4 of IC1 is very close to switching threshold.

Notes:

  • Mount the photo resistor's sensitive surface at an angle of 90 degrees or more compared with the lamp, in order to avoid light interaction.
  • Owing to the photo resistor type or to suit your own special needs, R3 can be varied to set the operating threshold.
  • If you are not needing automatic on-off operation, omit R3 & R5 and connect pin 4 of IC1 to positive supply.
  • The bulb can be any 6V type up to 10-12W, but a 3W one is a very good compromise.
  • Batteries can be of the rechargeable type: lead acid sealed, NI-CD, NI-MH packages ranging from 3.6 to 12V, making sure that suitable bulbs are provided.
  • Using 1.2 Ampere-hour batteries, you should probably recharge them once a week or less.
  • Obviously you can feed permanently the circuit by means of a suitable mains power supply.

Blinking Arrow



Blinking Arrow

Parts:

R1_____________500K  1/2W Trimmer
R2______________22K  1/4W Resistor
R3,R5,R7,R9_____10K  1/4W Resistors
R4,R6,R8,R10_____4K7 1/4W Resistors
R11,R12,R13____470R  1/4W Resistors
R14____________270R  1/4W Resistor

C1_______________4µ7  25V Electrolytic Capacitor
C2_____________220µF  25V Electrolytic Capacitor

D1--D17________LEDs   Any type and color (except blue and white, see Notes)

Q1,Q2,Q3,Q4___BC337   45V 800mA NPN Transistor

IC1____________4093   Quad 2 input Schmitt NAND Gate IC
IC2____________4520   Dual binary up-counter IC
IC3____________4094   8-stage shift-and-store bus register IC


Comments:

A blinking arrow can be a very attractive gadget, suitable for many indication purposes. This circuit provides a bar-mode sequencer driving 17 LEDs arranged in four groups in order to build-up a bright arrow. When the build-up of the arrow is completed, all LEDs stay on for some time, then off for the same time-delay and then the cycle restarts. Sequence speed can be set by R1.
For those wishing to experiment, sequence timings can also be varied by connecting pin #5 of IC1B to pin #5 of IC2 and pins #6, 8 and 9 of IC1 to pin #6 of IC2. Other pin combinations are possibile by shifting the above named pins of IC1 to higher outputs of the counters contained in IC2, i.e. pins #6 and 11, pins #11 and 12 etc.
The resulting effect of the original four groups of 17 LEDs arrangement is shown in the title heading.

Notes:

  • Obviously, many different arrangements using more or less LEDs are possibile.
  • At 12V supply the maximum number of LEDs per strip is that shown in the circuit diagram, when red LED types are used. Yellow, green and orange types may require a lower value of the limiting resistors or a lesser number of devices per strip.
  • Please note that the unused section of IC1 must have the inputs tied to negative ground whereas the output must be left open, as shown at the bottom of the diagram.

Self-powered Door-bell Watcher

Door-bell Watcher

Parts:

R1______________1K   1/4W Resistor
R2____________220K   1/4W Resistor (Optional, see text)
R3______________2K2  1/4W Resistor (Optional, see text)

C1___________1000µF   25V Electrolytic Capacitor (See Notes)
C2____________100nF  400V Polyester Capacitor (Optional, see text)

D1__________1N4002   100V 1A Diode
D2_____________5mm. Red LED

P1_____________SPST Pushbutton

BZ1___________Piezo sounder (incorporating 3KHz oscillator) (Optional, see text)

Comments:

This very simple and self-powered device was conceived to allow a person to monitor if someone has rung his home door-bell when he was out.
As most door-bells use 12Vac supply, the circuit must be simply connected to the two door-bell-coil leads.
When the door-bell is activated, an ac voltage of about 10 - 16V is developed at its leads, so it is rectified by D1 and charges C1.
Though this device was primarily intended to be used when a person leaves the house for a few hours or a week-end, a number of tests has proven that a minimum of 15 days "memory" can be guaranteed, even using cheap capacitor types.
To know if the door-bell has rung, you must simply push P1: if the event occurred, LED D2 will illuminate and will fade slowly to the off-state in some seconds. This operation will reset the circuit also.
The LED can be substituted or supported by a small Piezo sounder (incorporating 3KHz oscillator)
A small number of door-bells powered by 230 or 115Vac can be found. In this case, R2, R3 and C2 must be added to the input of the basic circuit, allowing about 15Vac to develop across R3, the voltage-drop provided by C2 reactance.
The mains supply operation facility, allows further development of the circuit purposes.
In fact, almost any mains supplied apparatus can be monitored, e.g. household appliances, computers, radio and television sets, Hi-Fi systems, lamps etc., provided the circuit can be inserted after the main on-off switch.

Notes:

  • The added high-voltage circuit formed by R2, R3 and C2 was designed for 230Vac operation. If your ac mains is rated at about 115V, you must change C2 value to 220nF 250V. No other changes are required.
  • In most cases, a 470µF 25V value for C1 would suffice.
  • Warning! If the circuit is connected to 230Vac mains, some parts in the circuit board can be subjected to lethal potential! Avoid touching the circuit when plugged and enclose it in a plastic box.

Programmable LED Flashers

Programmable LED Flasher #1

Parts:

R1______________10K  1/4W Resistor
R2_______________1M  1/4W Resistor
R3_______________1K  1/4W Resistor (See Notes)

C1_______________4µ7  25V Electrolytic Capacitor
C2______________10nF  63V Polyester Capacitor

D1___________1N4148   75V 150mA Diode
D2______________LED (Any dimension, shape or color)

IC1____________4060  14 stage ripple counter and oscillator IC

P1_____________SPST  Pushbutton
SW1____________SPST  Toggle or Slider Switch

B1______________3V to 15V Battery or dc power source (See Notes)
Programmable LED Flasher #2

Parts:

R1_____________100K  1/4W Resistor
R2_______________1K  1/4W Resistor (See Notes)
R3______________10K  1/4W Resistor

C1,C2____________4µ7  25V Electrolytic Capacitors

D1___________1N4148   75V 150mA Diode
D2______________LED (Any dimension, shape or color)

IC1____________7555 or TS555CN CMos Timer IC
IC3____________4017  Decade counter with 10 decoded outputs IC

SW1____________1 pole 9 ways Rotary Switch (Optional)
SW2____________SPST  Toggle or Slider Switch

B1______________3V to 15V Battery or dc power source (See Notes)

Comments:

These circuits were designed on request. Both feature a flashing LED that, after a preset number of flashes will illuminate steadily until P1 (Reset) will be pressed.
Circuit #1 uses only one chip and can be useful if a not very precise number of flashes of the LED is needed before reverting to the steady-on state. In fact, connecting D1 Anode to different output pins of the IC, the steady-on state of the LED will be obtained after 2, 4, 8, 16 flashes and so on.
Connecting D1 Anode as shown, the LED will start flashing at about two times per second after power-on and will revert to the steady state after 8 flashes. P1 resets the circuit and C1 automatically resets IC at power-on.
Connecting D1 Anode to pin #13 of IC1 the flashes will be 4; to pin #1 will be 16 etc.
The flashing frequency of the LED can be varied by changing the values of R2 and/or C2.
Circuit #2 is more precise and uses about the same parts count of Circuit #1, though requiring two ICs. By choosing the appropriate output pin of IC2, the steady-on state of the LED will be obtained after 1 to 9 flashes, as shown in the drawing at SW1 pins. This switch is optional, as D1 Anode can be hard wired directly to the required output pin of IC2. P1 will work as in Circuit #1 but with some difference: after a momentarily press the LED will restart to flash, but the total number of flashes will be one less than obtained after power-on. Furthermore, if P1 is closed permanently, the circuit will flash permanently.
The flashing frequency of the LED can be varied by changing R1 and/or C1 values.

Notes:

  • Circuits were tested at 9V supply, but they might work in the 3 - 15V dc supply range.
  • The LED current limiting resistor value was calculated for 9 - 12V supply and should be changed to suit different supply voltages.

Dancing LEDs

Dancing LEDs

Parts:

R1_____________10K   1/4W Resistor
R2,R3__________47K   1/4W Resistors
R4______________1K   1/4W Resistor
R5,R6,R7______100K   1/4W Resistors
R8____________820R   1/4W Resistor

C1,C3_________100nF   63V Ceramic or Polyester Capacitors
C2_____________10µF   50V Electrolytic Capacitor
C4____________330nF   63V Polyester Capacitor (See Notes)
C5____________100µF   25V Electrolytic Capacitor

D1___________1N4148   75V 150mA Diode
D2-D11_________5 or 3mm. LEDs (any type and color)

IC1___________LM358  Low Power Dual Op-amp
IC2____________4017  Decade counter with 10 decoded outputs IC

M1_____________Miniature electret microphone

SW1____________SPST  miniature Slider Switch

B1_______________9V  PP3 Battery

Clip for PP3 Battery

Additional circuit parts (see Notes):

R9,R10_________10K   1/4W Resistors
R11____________56R   1/4W Resistor

D12,D13 etc.____5 or 3mm. LEDs (any type and color)

Q1,Q2_________BC327   45V 800mA PNP Transistors
Q3____________BC337   45V 800mA NPN Transistor


Device purpose:

The basic circuit illuminates up to ten LEDs in sequence, following the rhythm of music or speech picked-up by a small microphone. The expanded version can drive up to ten strips, formed by up to five LEDs each, at 9V supply.

Circuit operation:

IC1A amplifies about 100 times the audio signal picked-up by the microphone and drives IC1B acting as peak-voltage detector. Its output peaks are synchronous with the peaks of the input signal and clock IC2, a ring decade counter capable of driving up to ten LEDs in sequence.
An additional circuit allows the driving of up to ten strips, made up by five LEDs each (max.), at 9V supply. It is formed by a 10mA constant current source (Q1 & Q2) common to all LED strips and by a switching transistor (Q3), driving a strip obtained from 2 to 5 series-connected LEDs. Therefore one transistor and its Base resistor are required to drive each of the strips used.

Notes:

  • The sensitivity of the circuit can be varied changing R4 value.
  • C4 value can be varied from 220 to 470nF in order to change the circuit speed-response to music peaks.
  • Adopting the additional circuit, only one item for R10, R11, Q1 and Q2 is required to drive up to ten LED strips. On the contrary, one item of R9 and Q3 is necessary to drive each of the strips you decided to use.
  • Each R9 input must be connected to IC2 output pins, in place of the LEDs D2-D11 shown. R8 must also be omitted.
  • Whishing to use a lower number of LEDs or LED strips, pin #15 of IC2 must be disconnected from ground and connected to the first unused output pin.
    For example: if you decided to use 5 LEDs, pin #15 of IC2 must be connected to pin #1; if you decided to use 8 LEDs, pin #15 of IC2 must be connected to pin #9 etc.
  • Current drawing of the circuit is about 10mA.
  • Whishing to use a wall-plug adapter instead of a 9V battery, you can supply the circuit at 12V, allowing the use of up to 6 LEDs per strip, or at 15V, allowing the use of up to 7 LEDs per strip.

Christmas Flashing-LEDs Badge

Christmas Flashing-LEDs Badge

Parts:

R1______________10K  1/4W Resistor
R2_______________1M  1/4W Resistor
R3_______________1K  1/4W Resistor (See Notes)

C1_______________4µ7  25V Electrolytic Capacitor
C2______________47µF  25V Electrolytic Capacitor

D1,D2_________LEDs (2mm. preferred - See Notes)

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

MIC1___________Miniature electret microphone

SW1_____________SPST  Miniature Switch

B1________________3V  Battery (2 x 1.5V AA, AAA Cells in series etc. - See Notes)

Device purpose and Circuit operation:

This circuit was purposely designed as a funny Halloween gadget. It should be placed to the rear of a badge or pin bearing a typical Halloween character image, e.g. a pumpkin, skull, black cat, witch, ghost etc.
Two LEDs are fixed in place of the eyes of the character and will shine more or less brightly following the rhythm of the music or speech picked-up from surroundings by a small microphone. Two transistors provide the necessary amplification and drive the LEDs.
Obviously, the LEDs can be used in any image and are best suited to Christmas decorations.

Notes:

  • Any general purpose, small signal transistor can be used for Q1 and Q2, but please note that R3 could require adjustment, depending on the gain of Q1. For medium gain transistors, the suggested value should do the job. High gain transistors will require a lower value for R3, i.e. about 390 - 470 Ohm. You can substitute R3 with a 1K Trimmer in order to set precisely the threshold of the circuit.
  • Any LED type and color can be used, but small, 2mm diameter, high efficiency LEDs will produce a better effect.
  • No limiting resistors are required for D1 and D2 even if this could seem incorrect.
  • Stand-by current consumption of the circuit is about 1.5mA.
  • Depending on dimensions of your badge, you can choose from a wide variety of battery types:
  • 2 x 1.5 V batteries type: AA, AAA, AAAA, button clock-type, photo-camera type & others.
  • 2 x 1.4 V mercury batteries, button clock-type.
  • 1 x 3 V Lithium cells.

Automatic fading lights

Automatic fading lights

Parts:

R1_____________470R   1/2W Resistor
R2,R3___________10K   1/4W Resistors
R4,R12__________22K   1/4W Resistors
R5_____________220K   1/4W Resistor
R6_______________2M2  1/2W Trimmer (Carbon or Cermet) (Optional, see text)
R7,R9,R14________4K7  1/4W Resistors
R8_____________100K   1/4W Resistor (See text)
R10______________1K   1/4W Resistor
R11____________Photo resistor (Any type, but see Notes)
R13____________470K   1/2W Trimmer (Carbon or Cermet)

C1_____________330nF  400V Polyester Capacitor
C2,C3,C4_______100µF   25V Electrolytic Capacitors
C5______________10nF  400V Polyester Capacitor
C6_______________4n7   63V Polyester Capacitor

D1,D2________1N4007  1000V 1A Diodes
D3_________BZX79C24    24V 500mW Zener Diode
D4__________Red LED   (Flat, rectangular types preferable, see text)
D5_____________DIAC   Silicon Bi-directional Trigger Device (Any type)
D6__________TIC206M   600V 4A TRIAC

Q1____________BC547    45V 100mA NPN Transistor

IC1___________LM358   Low Power Dual Op-amp

SW1____________SPST   Mains suited Switch

Comments:

A lamp or, in many cases, a series of lamps such as those commonly used to decorate Christmas trees or shop windows, will make a nice effect if its luminosity will grow gradually and rather slowly from zero to maximum and then will decrease the same way automatically.
This circuit can easily get this lighting effect using a handful of common, easy to find components, and has been designed trying to avoid special purpose chips, bulky, heavy and expensive components as transformers and the like.

After many tests, it was found that, due to the relatively high current required by the Gate of the Triac, could not get satisfactory result with a direct driving of the Triac without using a power transformer.
The solution chosen, therefore, uses a straightforward lamp dimmer circuit, whose control potentiometer has been replaced by a photo resistor with a trimmer in parallel. The photo resistor is in close contact with an LED, whose light intensity is increased or decreased by means of an IC based triangular wave generator.

Circuit operation:

Due to the low current drawing, the circuit can be supplied from 230Vac mains without a transformer. Supply voltage is reduced to 24Vdc by means of C1 reactance, a two diode rectifier cell D1 & D2 and Zener diode D3.
IC1A and IC1B are wired as a triangle wave generator, whose output voltage at pin 7 varies smoothly from about 10V to 15V and vice versa. The duration of a complete cycle can be set between a minimum of about 5 - 6 seconds and a maximum close to 2 minutes through the trimmer R6.
A good visual effect is obtained with R6 set at about 1M so, you can use a trimmer of this value for R6 or you can replace R5 and R6 with a 1M fixed resistor. The values of R8 and R9 were selected in order to drive the LED through Q1 in the more linear way as possible.
The result is a very smooth transition of the lamps brightness, with no flashes, discontinuities or staggering.

Adjustments:

The performance of a circuit of this type is influenced by a number of variables, mainly related to the wide tolerances of some parts, namely: LED efficiency, Photo resistor characteristics, dc gain of Q1, Triac sensitivity.
For this reason, R13 should be trimmed in order to have the lamp just off or, perhaps better, its filament barely glowing when the cycle of the triangular wave is reaching the lowest level.
R8 may also require an adjustment: in which case, replace it with a 100K or 220K trimmer.
Particular attention should be paid to the assembly of LED and photo resistor. The use of a rectangular, flat LED, greatly facilitates photocell coupling. In practice, it is enough to join these two components together properly and secure them with black electrical tape, being careful not to form small openings through which the external light could penetrate.

Notes:

  • The Photo resistor is not critical and almost any type can be used. However, please note that the small sized samples are frequently unable to withstand voltages higher than about 70 - 100V. Larger types are usually rated at 320V and should be fine.
  • If your mains supply voltage is 115 - 120V, you should make the circuit the following changes: the value of C1 should be doubled. Use two 330nF 250V capacitors wired in parallel, or a single 680nF 250V capacitor. Moreover, though not mandatory, the working voltage of C5 can be reduced to 250V and a 400V Triac can be used for D6 as, for example, the TIC206D.

Personal Alarm

Personal Alarm

Parts:

R1____________330K   1/4W Resistor
R2____________100R   1/4W Resistor

C1_____________10nF   63V Polyester or Ceramic Capacitor
C2____________100µF   25V Electrolytic Capacitor

Q1____________BC547   45V 100mA NPN Transistor
Q2____________BC327   45V 800mA PNP Transistor

SW1____________Reed Switch and small magnet (See Notes)

SPKR___________8 Ohm Loudspeaker (See Notes)

B1_____________3V Battery (two A or AA cells wired in series etc.)

Device purpose:

This circuit, enclosed in a small plastic box, can be placed into a bag or handbag. A small magnet is placed close to the reed switch and connected to the hand or the clothes of the person carrying the bag by means of a tiny cord.
If the bag is snatched abruptly, the magnet looses its contact with the reed switch, SW1 opens, the circuit starts oscillating and the loudspeaker emits a loud alarm sound.
The device can be reverse connected, i.e. the box can be placed in a pocket and the cord connected to the bag.
This device can be very useful in signalling the opening of a door or window: place the box on the frame and the magnet on the movable part in a way that magnet and reed switch are very close when the door or window is closed.

Circuit operation:

A complementary transistor-pair is wired as a high efficiency oscillator, directly driving a small loudspeaker. Low part-count and 3V battery supply allow a very compact construction.

Notes:

  • The loudspeaker can be any type, its dimensions are limited only by the box that will enclose it.
  • An on-off switch is unnecessary because the stand-by current drawing is less than 20µA.
  • Current consumption when the alarm is sounding is about 100mA.
  • If the circuit is used as anti-bag-snatching, SW1 can be replaced by a 3.5mm mono Jack socket and the magnet by a 3.5mm. mono Jack plug having its internal leads shorted. The Jack plug will be connected to the tiny cord etc.
  • Do not supply this circuit at voltages exceeding 4.5V: it will not work and Q2 could be damaged. In any case a 3V supply is the best compromise.

power supply

Variable Power Supply

Parts:

P1____________500R   Linear Potentiometer
P2_____________10K   Log. Potentiometer

R1,R2___________2K2  1/2W Resistors
R3____________330R   1/4W Resistor
R4____________150R   1/4W Resistor
R5______________1R     5W Resistor

C1___________3300µF   35V Electrolytic Capacitor (see Notes)
C2______________1µF   63V Polyester Capacitor

D1,D2________1N5402 200V 3A Diodes
D3_____________5mm. Red LED

Q1____________BC182  50V 100mA NPN Transistor
Q2____________BD139  80V 1.5A  NPN Transistor
Q3____________BC212  50V 100mA PNP Transistor
Q4 __________2N3055  60V 15A   NPN Transistor

T1_____________220V Primary, 36V Center-tapped Secondary
               50VA Mains transformer (see Notes)

PL1____________Male Mains plug

SW1____________SPST Mains switch

Device purpose:

A Variable DC Power Supply is one of the most useful tools on the electronics hobbyist's workbench. This circuit is not an absolute novelty, but it is simple, reliable, "rugged" and short-proof, featuring variable voltage up to 24V and variable current limiting up to 2A. Well suited to supply the circuits shown in this website. You can adapt it to your own requirements as explained in the notes below.

Notes:

  • P1 sets the maximum output current you want to be delivered by the power supply at a given output voltage.
  • P2 sets the output voltage and must be a logarithmic taper type, in order to obtain a more linear scale voltage indication.
  • You can choose the Transformer on the grounds of maximum voltage and current output needed. Best choices are: 36, 40 or 48V center-tapped and 50, 75, 80 or 100VA.
  • Capacitor C1 can be 2200 to 6800µF, 35 to 50V.
  • Q4 must be mounted on a good heatsink in order to withstand sustained output short-circuit. In some cases the rear panel of the metal box in which you will enclose the circuit can do the job.
  • The 2N3055 transistor (Q4) can be replaced with the slightly less powerful TIP3055 type.
  • Excellent quality-price ratio: enjoy!

important

all who are interested in circuit design and implementation should make a clock because in the future circuits that we discuss we need clocks to operate some circuits especially digital circuits so make an a stable multivibrator first we can use it as a clock 

This circuit diagram shows how a 555 timer IC is configured to function as an astable multivibrator.  An astable multivibrator is a timing circuit whose 'low' and 'high' states are both unstable.  As such, the output of an astable multivibrator toggles between 'low' and 'high' continuously, in effect generating a train of pulses. This circuit is therefore also known as a 'pulse generator' circuit.
   
In this circuit, capacitor C1 charges through R1 and R2, eventually building up enough voltage to trigger an internal comparator to toggle the output flip-flop.  Once toggled, the flip-flop discharges C1 through R2 into pin 7, which is the discharge pin.  When C1's voltage becomes low enough, another internal comparator is triggered to toggle the output flip-flop. This once again allows C1 to charge up through R1 and R2 and the cycle starts all over again.
     
C1's charge-up time t1 is given by: t1 = 0.693(R1+R2)C1. C1's discharge time t2 is given by: t2 = 0.693(R2)C1.  Thus, the total period of one cycle is t1+t2 = 0.693 C1(R1+2R2).  The frequency f of the output wave is the reciprocal of this period, and is therefore given by: = 1.44/(C1(R1+2R2)), wherein f is in Hz if R1 and R2 are in megaohms and C1 is in microfarads.  
  
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