How to Make DIY LED Oscilloscope Homemade

Introduction

Oscilloscope is an electronic instrument used to measure voltage signals that are changing over time. The traditional oscilloscope is a complex and expensive tool and may not be affordable for hobbyists or beginners who want to learn about electronics. However, you can make your own oscilloscope using some basic electronic components. In this article, we will learn how to make a DIY LED oscilloscope homemade using LM3914 IC, CD4017 IC, and 555 timer IC.

Introduction to Major Components

LM3914 IC:

LM3914 is a monolithic integrated circuit used to drive 10 LED bars with analog voltage input. It is a versatile IC with various applications. Commonly, it is used to design a battery level indicator, VU-meter or a sound level meter. In this project, we will use the LM3914 IC to design the LED display of our oscilloscope.

CD4017 IC:

CD4017 is a decade counter chip that counts from zero to nine. It has ten individual outputs and one clock input. It is commonly used in electronic circuits, for example, in LED chasers. We will use the CD4017 IC in our project to create a sweep generator that will manipulate the input signal and display it on the LED display.

555 TIMER IC:

The 555 timer IC is a versatile IC that can be used as a timer, an oscillator, and a flip-flop. It has three inputs i.e. Trigger, Threshold and Control Voltage. In this project, we will use the 555 timer IC to generate a square waveform that will be used as a clock signal for the CD4017 IC.

Circuit Diagram of DIY LED Oscilloscope Homemade

This project can be designed using a few basic components. The circuit diagram of this project is shown below.

More Circuit Layouts

Components List of DIY LED Oscilloscope Homemade

Following is the list of all components used in this project:

1X LM3914 IC
1X CD4017 IC
1X 555 TIMER IC
1X 0.1 uF CAPACITOR
100X 3mm LEDs
1X 5K VARIABLE RESISTOR
1X 50K VARIABLE RESISTOR
2X 10K RESISTORS
2X 1K RESISTORS
10X 100 OHMS RESISTORS
5mm DC FEMALE JACK
JUMPER WIRES
2X VERO BOARDS

Explanation of DIY LED Oscilloscope Homemade

Materials Required:

The list of materials required to build the DIY LED oscilloscope is provided above in the Components List section for your ready reference.

How to Make DIY LED Oscilloscope:

The following steps will help you make your own DIY LED oscilloscope:

10×10 LED Matrix Connections:

connect all positive wires of leds in a row. Connect all negative wires of leds in a column.
Connect 100 ohms resisters to all positive wires.

555 Timer IC Connections:

First Install 555 timer ic on a board. Join its pin-4 to pin-8 and connect to the +5v supply line. Also connect its pin-1 to the negative supply which is ground. Now connect its pin-2 to pin-6. Now connect 0.1 capacitor from pin-1 to ground. Now take 1k resister and connect it from pin-6 to pin-7 of the 555 timer ic.

CD4017 IC Connections:

Install CD4017 on vero board and connect its pin-8, 13, 15 to ground. Connect its pin-16 to +5v supply. Connect pin-14 to the pin-3 of 555 timer ic.

LM3914 IC Connections:

Install LM3914 IC on vero board and connect its pin-2, 4, 8 to negative supply ground. Then connect its pin-3 to positive supply +5v. Connect pin-9 to pin-11 together and also pin-6 to pin-7 together. Also connect 1k resister from pin-7 to ground.

50k Potentiometer Connections:

Join pin-1 and pin-2 together and connect them to pin-7 of 555 timer ic. Also connect its pin-3 to positive supply +5v.

5k Potentiometer Connections:

First connect its pin-3 to negative supply ground. And its center pin-2 to pin-5 of LM3914. Now connect one side of 10k resister to pin-1 and the other to psotive supply +5v. Take a 10k resister and connect its one side to center pin-2 of 5k potentiometer and the other side will be connected to the input signal.

Connecting LED Matrix:

Connect all negative pins to LM3914 and all positive pins to CD4017 IC according to the circuit diagram supplied above.

Connection of the Power Supply

First of all, connect the 5V battery to the power rails of the breadboard. Make sure the positive terminal of the battery is connected to the positive rail of the breadboard and the negative terminal of the battery is connected to the negative rail of the breadboard.

Step 6: Connection of the Input Signal

Now, connect your input signal to the 10k resister coming from the pin-5 of LM3914 and center pin pin-2 of 5k potentiometer. You can use the oscilloscope probe to measure the input signal.

Step 7: Turn On the Power

Now, turn on the power supply and you will see that the LEDs will start to blink according to your input signal.

Step 8: Adjusting the Oscilloscope

You can adjust the frequency of the clock signal by using potentiometer. You can now use your DIY LED oscilloscope for various applications.

How the Pattern of Waveform is generated on the LED Matrix

By feeding an external waveform signal into pin#5 of the LM3914 IC via a 10k resister, the Y-axis LEDs can indicate the amplitude of the waveform. Meanwhile, the X-axis LEDs are controlled by the IC CD4017 outputs to represent the frequency of the oscilloscope’s time base. The LM3914 detects the waveform amplitude and causes the connected LEDs to light up in a shifting pattern that corresponds to the time period of the waveform signal. This creates a sweeping waveform pattern on the LED matrix. The speed at which the IC 4017 outputs shift determines the direction of the waveform, with slower speeds causing the waveform to move right to left and faster speeds resulting in left to right movement.

The IC 555 astable generates the time base frequency of the IC 4017, which can be adjusted using a VR1 variable resistor. This setup is ideal for showcasing waveform patterns and analyzing signals.

Conclusion of DIY LED Oscilloscope Homemade

In conclusion, by using readily available components such as LM3914 IC, CD4017 IC and 555 TIMER IC, it is possible to create a homemade DIY LED oscilloscope that is both simple and effective. This project can be accomplished even by beginners with some basic knowledge of electronics and can be completed within a short period of time. The LED oscilloscope can be used to monitor electronic signals, test various circuits and troubleshoot faulty equipment. Therefore, by undertaking this project, hobbyists and enthusiasts can gain practical experience and develop their skills in electronics and circuit design. Ultimately, this DIY LED oscilloscope is an excellent entry-level project that provides a solid foundation for further exploration in the field of electronics and circuit design.

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For more project and circuit diagrams, you can go through the Schematics in the main menu where you can find many interesting projects and circuit diagrams like audio amplifier circuits, voltage booster circuit, battery charger circuit and timer circuits etc., which are all beginner circuit projects. Feel free to check them out!

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