CIRCUIT IDEAS

15-STEP DIGITAL POWER SUPPLY

ing resistor across the relay contacts gets
connected to the circuit.
The table shows the theoretical out-
put for various digital input combinations.
NAVEEN THARIYAN NA The measured output is nearly equal to
ANJA
RUP the theoretically calculated output across
regulator IC3 (LM317). The output volt-

H
ere is a simple circuit to obtain
variable DC voltage from 1.25V
to 15.19V in reasonably small
steps as shown in the table. The input
voltage may lie anywhere between 20V
down by closing switch S2.
The output of counter IC2 is used to
realise a digitally variable resistor. This
section consists of four N/O reed relays
that need just about 5mA current for their
age is governed by the following relation-
ship as long as the input-to-output differ-
ential is greater than or equal to 2.5V:
Vout = 1.25(1+R2'/R1')
Where, R1' = R15 = 270 ohms (fixed)

and 35V.
The first section of the circuit com-
prises a digital up-down counter built
around IC1 a quad 2-input NAND
schmitt trigger (4093), followed by
IC2 a binary up-down counter (4029).
Two gates of IC 4093 are used to gen-
erate up-down logic using push but-
tons S1 and S2, respectively, while the
other two gates form an oscillator to
provide clock pulses to IC2 (4029). The
frequency of oscillations can be varied
by changing the value of capacitor C1
or preset VR1.
IC2 receives clock pulses from the os- operation. (EFY lab note. The original and R2' = R11 + R12 + R13 + R14
cillator and produces a sequential binary circuit containing quad bilateral switch = 220 + 470 + 820 +1500 ohms
output. As long as its pin 5 is low, the IC 4066 has been replaced by reed relays = 3,010 ohms (with all relays
counter continues to count at the rising operated by transistorised switches be- energised)
edge of each clock pulse, but stops count- cause of unreliable operation of the One can use either the binary
ing as soon as its pin 5 is brought to logic former.) The switching action is performed weighted LED display as indicated by
1. using BC548 transistors. External resis- LED1 through LED4 in the circuit or a
Logic 1 at pin 10 makes the counter tors are connected in parallel with the 74LS154 IC in conjunction with LED5
to count upwards, while logic 0 makes it reed relay contacts. If particular relay con- through LED20 to indicate one of the 16
count downwards. Therefore the counter tacts are opened by the control input at selected voltage steps of Table I. The in-
counts up by closing switch S1 and counts the base of a transistor, the correspond- put for IC4 is to be tapped from points

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  MAY 2001

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

TABLE sets itself, and hence the output at pins

Binary Equivalent LED4 LED3 LED2 LED1
6, 11, 14, and 12 is equivalent to binary
output dec no. R14 (W) R13 (W) R12 (W) R11 (W) R2' (W) Vout (V) zero, i.e. 0000. The corresponding DC
0000 0 Shorted Shorted Shorted Shorted 0 1.25 output of the circuit is minimum (1.25V).
0001 1 Shorted Shorted Shorted 220 220 2.27 As count-up switch S1 is pressed, the
0010 2 Shorted Shorted 470 Shorted 470 3.43 binary count of IC2 increases and the
0011 3 Shorted Shorted 470 220 690 4.44 output starts increasing too. At the high-
0100 4 Shorted 820 Shorted Shorted 820 5.05
0101 5 Shorted 820 Shorted 220 1040 6.06 est count output of 1111, the output volt-
0110 6 Shorted 820 470 Shorted 1290 7.22 age is 15.19V (assuming the in-circuit re-
0111 7 Shorted 820 470 220 1510 8.24 sistance of preset VR2 as zero). Preset
1000 8 1500 Shorted Shorted Shorted 1500 8.19 VR2 can be used for trimming the output
1001 9 1500 Shorted Shorted 220 1720 9.21
1010 10 1500 Shorted 470 Shorted 1970 10.37
voltage as desired. To decrease the out-
1011 11 1500 Shorted 470 220 2190 11.39 put voltage within the range of 1.25V to
1100 12 1500 820 Shorted Shorted 2390 11.99 15.2V, count-down switch S2 is to be de-
1101 13 1500 820 Shorted 220 2540 13.01 pressed.
1110 14 1500 820 470 Shorted 2790 14.17
Notes. 1. When relay contacts across
1111 15 1500 820 470 220 3010 15.19
a particular resistor are opened, the cor-
marked A through D in the figure. This count value. LEDs at the output of this responding LED glows.
arrangement can be used to replace the IC can be arranged in a circular way along 2. The output voltages are shown as-
LED arrangement at points A, B, C, and side the corresponding voltages. suming the in-circuit resistance of preset
D. This 74LS154 IC is a decoder/ VR2 as zero. Thus when the in-circuit re-
demultiplexer that senses the output of sistance of preset VR2 is not zero, the
IC2 and accordingly activates only one of
Working output voltage will be higher than that
its 16 outputs in accordance with the When the power is switched on, IC2 re- indicated here.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  MAY 2001

 2-LINE INTERCOM-
CUM-TELEPHONE LINE
CHANGEOVER CIRCUIT
T
he circuit presented here can be
used for connecting two tele
phones in parallel and also as a
2-line intercom.
Usually a single telephone is con-
nected to a telephone line. If another tele-
phone is required at some distance, a par-
allel line is taken for connecting the other
telephone. In this simple parallel line op-
eration, the main problem is loss of pri-
vacy besides interference from the other
phone. This problem is obviated in the
circuit presented here.
Under normal condition, two tele-
phones (telephone 1 and 2) can be used
as intercom while telephone 3 is con-
nected to the lines from exchange. In
changeover mode, exchange line is dis-
connected from telephone 3 and gets con-
nected to telephone 2.
For operation in intercom mode, one
has to just lift the handset of phone 1
and then press switch S1. As a result,
buzzer PZ2 sounds. Simultaneously, the
side tone is heard in the speaker of hand-
set of phone 1. The person at phone 2
could then lift the handset and start con-
versation. Similar procedure is to be fol-
lowed for initiation of the conversation
from phone 2 using switch S2. In this
mode of operation, a 3-pole, 2-way slide-
switch S3 is to be used as shown in the
figure.
In the changeover mode of operation,
switch S3 is used to changeover the tele-
phone line for use by telephone 2. The
switch is normally in the intercom mode
and telephone 3 is connected to the ex-
change line. Before changing over the ex-
change line to telephone 2, the person at
telephone 1 may inform the person at tele-
phone 2 (in the intercom mode) that he is
going to changeover the line for use by
him (the person at telephone 2). As soon
as changeover switch S3 is flipped to the
other position, 12V supply is cut off and
telephones 1 and 3 do not get any voltage
or ring via the ring-tone-sensing unit.
Once switch S3 is flipped over for use
of exchange line by the person at tele-
phone 2, and the same (switch S3) is not
flipped back to normal po-
sition after a telephone
call is over, the next tele-
phone call via exchange
lines will go to telephone
2 only and the ring-tone-
sensing circuit will still
work. This enables the
person at phone 3 to know
that a call has gone
through. If the handset of
telephone 3 is lifted, it is
found to be dead. To make
telephone 3 again active,
switch S3 should be
changed over to its normal
position.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21 189
 40-Metre Direct
Conversion Receiver
U
sing the circuit of direct-conver-
sion receiver described here, one
can listen to amateur radio QSO
signals in CW as well as in SSB mode in
the 40-metre band.
The circuit makes use of three
n-channel FETs (BFW10). The first
FET (T1) performs the function of
ant./RF amplifier-cum-product detector,
while the second and third FETs (T2
and T3) together form a VFO (vari-
able frequency oscillator) whose output
is injected into the gate of first FET (T1)
through 10pF capacitor C16. The VFO is
tuned to a frequency which differs from
the incoming CW signal frequency by
about 1 kHz to produce a beat frequency
note in the audio range at the output
of transformer X1, which is an audio
driver transformer of the type used in
transistor radios.
The audio output from transformer X1
is connected to the input of audio amplifier
built around IC1 (TBA820M) via volume
control VR1. An audio output from the AF
amplifier is connected to an 8-ohm, 1-watt
speaker.
The receiver can be powered by a
12-volt power-supply, capable of sourc-
ing around 250mA current. Audio-
output stage can be substituted with a
readymade L-plate audio output circuit
used in transistor amplifiers, if desired.
The necessary data regarding the coils
used in the circuit is given in the circuit
diagram itself.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

MAINS-OPERATED SAN
I THE
O

CHRISTMAS STAR
PRINCE PHILLIPS
capacitors C1, C2, and C3, diodes D1 and
D2, and zener ZD1 are used to develop a
fairly steady 5V DC supply voltage that

H
ere is a low-cost circuit of Christ-
mas star that can be easily con-
structed even by a novice. The main
advantage of this circuit is that it doesnt
require any step-down transformer or ICs.
Components like resistors R1 and R2,
provides the required current to operate
the multivibrator circuit and trigger triac
BT136 via LED1.
The multivibrator circuit is constructed
using two BC548 transistors (T1 and T2)
and some passive components. The fre-
quency of the multivibrator circuit is con-
trolled by capacitors C4 and C5 and resis-
tors R3 through R7. The output of the
multivibrator circuit is connected to tran-
sistor T3, which, in turn, drives the triac
via LED1. During positive half cycles of
the multivibrators output, transistor T3
energises triac BT136 and the lamp glows.
This circuit is estimated to cost Rs 75.

MAY 2002 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

INFRARED TOY CAR SAN

I THE
O

MOTOR CONTROLLER
T.K. HAREENDRAN

T
his add-on circuit enables remote depressed again, the monostable is example, behind the front glass, and con-
switching on/off of battery-operated retriggered to reset decade counter IC2 and nect its wires to the circuit board using a
toy cars with the help of a TV/ the motor is switched off. Standby LED1 short 3-core ribbon cable/shielded wire.
video remote control handset operating at glows again. Note. Since the circuit uses modu-
3040 kHz.
When the circuit is energised
from a 6V battery, the decade
counter CD4017 (IC2), which is
configured as a toggle flip-flop, is
immediately reset by the power-on-
reset combination of capacitor C3
and resistor R6. LED1 connected
to pin 3 (Q0) of IC2 via resistor R5
glows to indicate the standby con-
dition. In standby condition, data
output pin of the integrated infra-
red receiver/demodulator
(SFH505A or TSOP1738) is at a
high level (about 5 volts) and tran-
sistor T1 is off (reverse biased).
The monostable wired around IC1
is inactive in this condition.
When any key on the remote
control handset is depressed, the
output of the IR receiver momen-
tarily transits through low state and
transistor T1 conducts. As a result,
the monostable is triggered and a
short pulse is applied to the clock
input (pin 14) of IC2, which takes Q1 out- This circuit can be easily fabricated on lated infrared beam for control function,
put (pin 2) of IC2 high to switch on motor a general-purpose printed board. After con- ambient light reflections will not affect the
driver transistor T2 via base bias resistor struction, enclose it inside the toy car and circuit operation. However, fluorescent
R7 and the motor starts rotating connect the supply wires to the battery of tubelights with electronic ballasts and CFL
continously (car starts running). Resistor the toy car with right polarity. Rewire the lamps may cause malfunctioning of the
R8 limits the starting current. DC motor connections and fix the IR re- circuit.
When any key on the handset is ceiver module in a suitable location, for

JULY 2002 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

 CCIIRRC UCIUT IITD EIADS E A S

MAINS MANAGER SUN

IL KU
MAR

SHIBASHISH PATEL

V
ery often we forget to switch off volts via diode D3. This voltage is suffi- possible, plug the unit into the mains via
the peripherals like monitor, scan- cient to hold transistor T2 in forward bi- an earth leakage circuit breaker. The mains
ner, and printer while switching off ased condition for about 200 ms even af- LED1 should glow and the slave LED2
our PC. The problem is that there are sepa- ter the controlling load on the master should remain off. Now connect a table
rate power switches to turn the peripher- socket is switched off. lamp to the master socket and switch it
als off. Normally, the peripherals are con- When transistor T2 is on, transistor on. The lamp should operate as usual.
nected to a single of those four-way trail- T1 gets forward biased and is switched The slave LED should turn on whenever
ing sockets that are plugged into a single on. This, in turn, triggers Triac 1, which the lamp plugged into slave socket is
wall socket. If that socket is accessible, all then powers the slave loads. Capacitor C4 switched on. Both lamps should be at full
the devices could be switched off from and resistor R9 form a snubber network to brightness without any flicker. If so, the
there and none of the equipment used will ensure that the triac turns off cleanly with unit is working correctly and can be put
require any modification. an inductive load. into use.
Here is a mains manager
circuit that allows you to turn
all the equipment on or off by
just operating the switch on
any one of the devices; for
example, when you switch off
your PC, the monitor as well
as other equipment will get
powered down automatically.
You may choose the main
equipment to control other
gadgets. The main equipment
is to be directly plugged into
the master socket, while all
other equipment are to be con-
nected via the slave socket.
The mains supply from the
wall socket is to be connected
to the input of the mains man-
ager circuit.
The unit operates by
sensing the current drawn by
the control equipment/load
from the master socket. On
sensing that the control
equipment is on, it powers up the other LED1 indicates that the unit is operat- Note. 1. The device connected to the
(slave) sockets. The load on the master ing. Capacitor C1 and zener ZD1 are effec- master socket must have its power switch
socket can be anywhere between 20 VA tively in series across the mains. The result- on the primary side of the internal trans-
and 500 VA, while the load on the slave ing 15V pulses across ZD1 are rectified by former. Some electronic equipment have
sockets can be 60 VA to 1200 VA. diode D2 and smoothened by capacitor C2 the power switch on the secondary side
During the positive half cycle of the to provide the necessary DC supply for the and hence these devices continue to draw
mains AC supply, diodes D4, D5, and D6 circuit around transistors T1 and T2. Resis- a small current from the mains even when
have a voltage drop of about 1.8 volts tor R3 is used to limit the switching-on switched off. Thus such devices, if con-
when current is drawn from the master surge current, while resistor R1 serves as a nected as the master, will not control the
socket. Diode D7 carries the current dur- bleeder for rapidly discharging capacitor C1 slave units correctly.
ing negative half cycles. Capacitor C3, in when the unit is unplugged. LED1 glows 2. Though this unit removes the power
series with diode D3, is connected across whenever the unit is plugged into the mains. from the equipment being controlled, it
the diode combination of D4 through D6, Diode D1, in anti-parallel to LED1, carries doesnt provide isolation from the mains.
in addition to diode D7 as well as resistor the current during the opposite half cycles. So, before working inside any equipment
R10. Thus current pulses during positive Dont plug anything into the master or connected to this unit, it must be un-
half-cycles, charge up the capacitor to 1.8 slave sockets without testing the unit. If plugged from the socket.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JULY 2002

 7MHz CW/AM QRP TRANSMITTER
D. PRABAHARAN

T
he circuit
of a 7MHz
C W / A M
QRP transmit-
ter described here
can be used to
transmit either
CW or audio fre-
quency modulat-
ed signal over a
7MHz carrier.
The carrier fre-
quency oscillator is
crystal controlled
using 7MHz crystal
in its fundamental
mode. The tank
circuit comprises a
shortwave oscilla-
tor coil which can
be tuned to 7MHz
frequency with the
help of J gang
capacitor VC1.
Transistor T2
(with identical tank circuit connected sion line for maximum power transfer. For CW operation, switch S1 is to be
at its collector as in case of transis- Suitable heatsink should be used for kept on for bypassing the audio driver
tor T1) serves as a power amplifier. transistor T2. transformer and Morse key is used
The RF output from oscillator stage Tuning adjustments may be accom- for on/off-type modulation. CW would
is inductively coupled to the power plished using a 6-volt torch bulb. Connect be generated during key depressions.
amplifier stage. The output from power the bulb to the collector of transistor T1 For AF modulation, Morse key points
amplifier is routed via capacitor C3 first through a coupling capacitor and should be closed and switch S1 should
and inductor L3 to a half-wave dipole tune J gang VC1 for maximum bril- be flipped to off position.
using a 75-ohm coaxial cable. J gang liance. (Note: the bulb would light ac- Any suitable mic. amplifier may be
capacitor VC3 along with inductor L3 cording to intensity of RF energy.) Same used to feed audio input to the audio
forms an antenna tuning and matching procedure may be repeated for power am- driver transformer X1. (For transformer
network between the output of power plifier stage and antenna tuning network X1 you may use the transistor-radio
amplifier stage and coaxial transmis- for ensuring maximum power transfer. type AF driver transformer.)

Reader Comments: Vaibhav Kumar air-core tube using 26 SWG wire.

I request the author for the following
clarifications:
1. Please indicate the construction
details of coils L1 and L3 as well as the
inductor which is connected in parallel
to VC2.
2. Can we use any other crystal in
place of 7MHz crystal?
M.A. Kamal
Guwahati
What is the range of this transmit-
ter and what is the output power of this
circuit?
Saharanpur
The author D. Prabaharan, com-
ments:
In reply to the above queries, I
would like to say that the transistor T1
is BF495. Power output of this circuit is
about 150mW. It can be further increased
by using separate power supply for the
power-amplifier stage (24V, 1A).
The coil details are as follows L1 is
short-wave oscillator coil; L2:14 turns on
1cm-diameter air-core tube using 26 SWG
wire; L3 has 12 turns on 1.5cm-diameter
The frequency allotted for amateur
radio operators is 7.0 MHz to 7.1 MHz.
Hence, any crystal available within this
frequency can be used. Range of this QRP
transmitter depends on propagation condi-
tions. If conditions are good, the range is
about 500 kms in the CW mode and 100
kms in the AM mode.
It is possible to convert this transmit-
ter to 20-meter HAM band. Any crystal
available from 14 MHz to 14.350 MHz
range can be used for the purpose. How-
ever, this conversion needs following

198 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19

modifications on coils L1, L2 and L3L1:
shortwave oscillator coil; L2: 11 turns on
1cm-diameter air-core tube using 26 SWG
wire; L3: 9 turns on 1cm-diameter air-
core tube using 28 SWG wire.
An ammeter with a range 0-250mA
or a multimeter with 0-250mA can be
connected in-between the positive of the x 250mA
supply and the modulation transformer. = 6watt (the power amplifier draws
Adjust VC1, VC2 and VC3 for maximum 250mA current).
current through ammeter (CW-200mA, DC power input (AM mode) = 24V x
AM-125mA). The power input in CW and 120mA
AM mode is calculated as shown below: = 2.8watt (the power amplifier draws
DC power input (CW mode) = 24V 120mA current).
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19 199

9-LINE TELEPHONE SHARER
DHURJATI SINHA
T
his circuit is able to handle nine
independent telephones (using a
single telephone line pair) lo-
cated at nine different locations, say,
up to a distance of 100m from each
other, for receiving and making outgo-
ing calls, while maintaining conversa-
tion secrecy. This circuit is useful when
a single telephone line is to be shared
by more members residing in different
rooms/apartments.
Normally, if one connects nine
phones in parallel, ring signals are
CIRCUIT IDEAS
DWIV
EDI
S.C.
heard in all the nine telephones (it is
also possible that the phones will not
work due to higher load), and out of
nine persons eight will find that the call
is not for them. Further, one can over-
hear others conversation, which is not
desirable. To overcome these problems,
the circuit given here proves beneficial,
as the ring is heard only in the desired
extension, say, extension number 1.
For making use of this facility, the
calling subscriber is required to initially
dial the normal phone number of the
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  FEBRUARY 2001
called subscriber. When the call is estab-
lished, no ring-back tone is heard by the
calling party. The calling subscriber has
then to press the asterik (*) button on
the telephone to activate the tone mode
(if the phone normally works in dial mode)
and dial extension number, say, 1, within
10 seconds. (In case the calling subscriber
fails to dial the required extension num-
ber within 10 seconds, the line will be
disconnected automatically.) Also, if the
dialed extension phone is not lifted within
10 seconds, the ring-back tone will cease.
The ring signal on the main phone
line is detected by opto-coupler MCT-
2E (IC1), which in turn activates the
10-second on timer, formed by IC2
(555), and energises relay RL10 (6V, 100-
ohm, 2 C/O). One of the N/O
contacts of the relay has been
used to connect +6V rail to the
processing circuitry and the
other has been used to provide
220-ohm loop resistance to de-
energise the ringer relay in
telephone exchange, to cut off
the ring.
When the caller dials the
extension number (say, 1) in
tone mode, tone receiver
CM8870 (IC3) outputs code
0001, which is fed to the 4-
bit BCD-to-10 line decimal de-
coder IC4 (CD4028). The out-
put of IC4 at its output pin
14 (Q1) goes high and
switches on the SCR (TH-1)
and associated relay RL1. Re-
lay RL1, in turn, connects, via
its N/O contacts, the 50Hz ex-
tension ring signal, derived
from the 230V AC mains, to
the line of telephone 1. This
ring signal is available to tele-
phone 1 only, because half
of the signal is blocked by di-
ode D1 and DIAC1 (which do
not conduct below 35 volts).
As soon as phone 1 is
lifted, the ring current in-
creases and voltage drop
across R28 (220-ohm, 1/2W re-
sistor) increases and operates
opto-coupler IC5 (MCT-2E).
This in turn resets timer IC2
causing:
(a) interruption of the
power supply for processing
circuitry as well as the ring
 A HIERARCHICAL PRIORITY ENCODER
A
normal priority encoder encodes
only the highest-order data line.
But in many situations, not only
the highest but the second-highest
priority information is also needed. The
circuit presented here encodes both
the highest-priority information as well
as the second-highest priority information
of an 8-line incoming data. The circuit
uses the standard octal priority encoder
74148 that is an 8-line-to-3-line (4-2-1)
binary encoder with active-low data in-
puts and outputs.
The first encoder (IC1) generates the
highest-priority value, say, F. The active-
low output (A0, A1, A2) of IC1 is in-
verted by gates N9 through N11 and fed
to a 3-line-to-8-line decoder (74138) that
requires active-high inputs. The decoded
outputs are active-low. The decoder iden-
tifies the highest-priority data line and
that data value is cancelled using XNOR
gates (N1 through N8) to retain the sec-
ond-highest priority value that is gener-
ated by the second encoder.
To understand the logic, let the in-
coming data lines be denoted as L0 to L7.
Lp is the highest-priority line (active-low)
and Lq the second-highest priority line
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22
(active-low). Thus Lp=0 and Lq=0. All
lines above Lp and also between Lp and
Lq (denoted as Lj) are at logic 1. All lines
below Lq logic state are irrelevant, i.e.
dont care. Here p is the highest-priority
value and q the second-highest-priority
value. (Obviously, q has to be lower than
p, and the minimum possible value for p
is taken as 1.)
Priority encoder IC1 generates binary
output F2, F1, F0, which represents the
value of p in active-low format. The
complemented F2, F1, and F0 are ap-
plied to 3-line-to-8-line (one out of eight
outputs is active-low) decoder 74138. Let
the output lines of 74138 be denoted as
M0 through M7. Now only one line is
active-low among M0 through M7, and
that is Mp (where the value of p is ex-
plained as above). Therefore the logic level
of line Mp is 0 and that of all other M
lines 1.
The highest-priority line is cancelled
using eight XNOR gates as shown in the
figure. Let the output lines from XNOR
gates be N0 through N7. Consider inputs
Lp and Mp of the corresponding XNOR
gate. Since Mp = 0 and also Lp = 0, the
output of this XNOR gate is Np = comple-
ment of Lp = 1. All other Ls are not
changed because the corresponding Ms
are all 1s. Thus data lines N0 through N7
are same as L0 through L7, except that
the highest-priority level in L0 through
L7 is cancelled in N0 through N7.
The highest-priority level in N0
through N7 is the second-highest priority
leftover from L0 through L7, i.e. Nq=0 and
Nj=1 for q<j7. Now these N lines are ap-
plied to priority encoder 2 (IC3) to gener-
ate S2, S1, S0, which represent q. Thus
the second-highest priority value is ex-
tracted. Through cascading one can re-
cover the third-highest priority, and so on.
For example, let L0 through L7 = X X
X 0 1 1 0 1. Here the highest 0 line is L6
and the next highest is L3 (X denotes
dont care). Thus p=6 and q=3. Now the
active-low output of the first priority en-
coder will be F2 F1 F0 = 0 0 1. The input
to 74138 is 1 1 0 and it outputs M0
through M7 = 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1. Since M6=0,
only L6 is complemented by XNOR gates.
Thus the outputs of XNORs are N0
through N7 = X X X 0 1 1 1 1. Now N3=0
and the highest priority for N is 3. This
value is recovered by priority encoder 2
(IC3) as S2 S1 S0 = 1 0 0.
 ACCURATE ELECTRONIC
STOP-WATCH
H
ere is a simple circuit which
can be used as an accurate
stop-watch to count up to 100
seconds with a resolution of 0.01 second
or up to 1000 seconds with a resolution of
0.1 second. This stop-watch can be used for
sports and similar other activities.
A 1MHz crystal generates stable
frequency which is divided by two stages
of 74390 ICs (dual decade counter) and
another stage employing 7490 (decade
counter) IC to obtain a final frequency of
100 Hz or 10 Hz. Due to the use of crystal,
the final frequency is very accurate.
The output of IC4 (7490) is counted
and displayed using IC5 74C926 (4-digit
counter with multiplexed 7-segment LED
driver). Due to multiplexed display the
power consumption is very low. Switch S2
(2-pole, 2-way) is used to select appropri-
ate input frequency and corresponding
decimal point position to display up to
either 99.99 seconds or 999.9 seconds
maximum count.
For proper operation, first press
switch S3 (reset) and then operate switch
S2, according to the resolution/range
desired (0.1 sec. or 0.01 sec.)/(100 seconds
or 1000 seconds). Now to start counting,
press switch S1. To stop counting, press
switch S1 again. The counting will stop
and display will show the correct time
elapsed since the start of counting.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19 195

ADD-ON STEREO CHANNEL
SELECTOR
PRABHASH K.P.
T
he add-on circuit presented here
is useful for stereo systems. This
circuit has provision for connect-
ing stereo outputs from four different
sources/channels as inputs and only one
of them is selected/ connected to the
output at any one time.
When power supply is turned on,
channel A (A2 and A1) is selected. If no
audio is present in channel A, the cir-
cuit waits for some time and then se-
lects the next channel (channel B), This
search operation continues until it de-
tects audio signal in one of the chan-
nels. The inter-channel wait or delay
time can be adjusted with the help of
preset VR1. If still longer time is
needed, one may replace capacitor C1
with a capacitor of higher value.
Suppose channel A is connected to
a tape recorder and channel B is con-
nected to a radio receiver. If initially
C I RC ICR CUUII T
T I D E A S
IDEAS
RUPANJANA
channel A is selected, the audio from
the tape recorder will be present at the
output. After the tape is played com-
pletely, or if there is sufficient pause
between consecutive recordings, the cir-
cuit automatically switches over to the
output from the radio receiver. To
manually skip over from one (selected)
active channel, simply push the skip
switch (S1) momentarily once or more,
until the desired channel inputs gets
selected. The selected channel (A, B, C,
or D) is indicated by the glowing of cor-
responding LED (LED11, LED12,
LED13, or LED14 respectively).
IC CD4066 contains four analogue
switches. These switches are connected
to four separate channels. For stereo
operation, two similar CD4066 ICs are
used as shown in the circuit. These ana-
logue switches are controlled by IC
CD4017 outputs. CD4017 is a 10-bit ring
97
counter IC. Since only one of its out-
puts is high at any instant, only one
switch will be closed at a time. IC
CD4017 is configured as a 4-bit ring
counter by connecting the fifth output
Q4 (pin 10) to the reset pin. Capacitor
C5 in conjunction with resistor R6 forms
a power-on-reset circuit for IC2, so that
on initial switching on of the power
supply, output Q0 (pin 3) is always
high. The clock signal to CD4017 is pro-
vided by IC1 (NE555) which acts as an
astable multivibrator when transistor
T1 is in cut-off state.
IC5 (KA2281) is used here for not
only indicating the audio levels of the
selected stereo channel, but also for for-
ward biasing transistor T1. As soon as
a specific threshold audio level is de-
tected in a selected channel, pin 7 and/
or pin 10 of IC5 goes low. This low
level is coupled to the base of transistor
T1, through diode-resistor combination
of D2-R1/D3-R22. As a result, transis-
tor T1 conducts and causes output of
IC1 to remain low (disabled) as long as
the selected channel output exceeds the
preset audio threshold level.
Presets VR2 and VR3 have been in-
cluded for adjustment of individual au-
dio threshold levels of left stereo chan-
nels, as desired. Once the multivibrator
action of IC1 is disabled, output of IC2
does not change further. Hence, search-
 C I R C U I T I D E A S

ing through the channels continues un- switch S1 is used to skip a channel even ily extended up to ten, by using addi-
til it receives an audio signal exceeding if audio is present in the selected chan- tional 4066 ICs.
the preset threshold value. The skip nel. The number of channels can be eas-

98

ANTI-THEFT SECURITY
FOR CAR AUDIOS
T.K. HAREENDRAN
T
his small circuit, based on popu-
lar CMOS NAND chip CD4093,
can be effectively used for protect-
ing your expensive car audio system
against theft.
When 12V DC from the car battery is
applied to the gadget (as indicated by
LED1) through switch S1, the circuit goes
into standby mode. LED inside
optocoupler IC1 is lit as its cathode ter-
minal is grounded via the car audio (am-
plifier) body. As a result, the output at
pin 3 of gate N1 goes low and disables
the rest of the circuit.
CIRCUIT IDEAS
S.C.
DWIV
EDI
Whenever an attempt is made to re-
move the car audio from its mounting by
cutting its connecting wires, the
optocoupler immediately turns off, as its
LED cathode terminal is hanging. As a
result, the oscillator circuit built around
gates N2 and N3 is enabled and it con-
trols the on/off timings of the relay via
transistor T2. (Relay contacts can be used
to energise an emergency beeper, indica-
tor, car horns, etc, as desired.)
Different values of capacitor C2 give
different on/off timings for relay RL1 to
be on/off. With 100F we get approxi-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  JULY 2001
mately 5 seconds as on and 5 seconds as
off time.
Gate N4, with its associated compo-
nents, forms a self-testing circuit. Nor-
mally, both of its inputs are in high state.
However, when one switches off the igni-
tion key, the supply to the car audio is
also disconnected. Thus the output of gate
N4 jumps to a high state and it provides
a differentiated short pulse to forward bias
transistor T1 for a short duration. (The
combination of capacitor C1 and resistor
R5 acts as the differentiating circuit.)
As a result, buzzer in the collector
terminal of T1 beeps for a short duration
to announce that
the security cir-
cuit is intact.
This on period
of buzzer can be
varied by chang-
ing the values of
capacitor C1
and/or resistor
R5.
After con-
struction, fix the
LED and buzzer
in dashboard as
per your re-
quirement and
hide switch S1
in a suitable location. Then connect lead
A to the body of car stereo (not to the
body of vehicle) and lead B to its positive
lead terminal. Take power supply for the
circuit from the car battery directly.
Caution. This design is meant for car
audios with negative ground only.
 Audio-Visual Extra of the resistors and capacitors may be
carried out to obtain desired pleasing
tone.

Ringer for Phone Working of the circuit is quite simple.

The bell signal, approximately 75V AC,
passes through capacitor C1 and resistor
R2 and appears across the diode bridge

M
any a times one needs an ex- 8-pin mini DIP pack. comprising diodes D1 to D4. The rectified
tra telephone ringer in an ad- Resistor R3 is used for bell sensitiv- DC output is smoothed by capacitor C2.
joining room to know if there ity adjustment. The bell frequency is The dual-tone ring signal is output from
is an incoming call. For example, if the controlled by resistor R5 and capacitor pin 8 of IC1 and its volume is adjusted
telephone is installed in the drawing C4, and the repetition rate is controlled by volume control VR1. Thereafter, it is
room you may need an extra ringer in the by resistor R4 and capacitor C3. A little impressed on the piezo-ceramic sound
bedroom. All that needs to be done is to experimentation with the various values generator.
connect the given circuit in parallel with
the existing telephone lines using twin
flexible wires.
This circuit does not require any ex-
ternal power source for its operation. The
section comprising resistor R1 and diodes
D5 and LED1 provides a visual indication
of the ring. Remaining part of the circuit
is the audio ringer based on IC1 (BA8204
or ML8204). This integr- ated circuit,
specially designed for telec- om application
as bell sound generator, requires very few
external parts. It is readily available in

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20


Dual-Channel Digital
Volume Control
SHEENA K.
T
his circuit could be used for re-
placing your manual volume con-
trol in a stereo amplifier. In this
circuit, push-to-on switch S1 controls the
forward (volume increase) operation of
both channels while a similar switch
S2 controls reverse (volume decrease)
operation of both channels.
Here IC1 timer 555 is configured as
an astable flip-flop to provide low-fre-
. DH
ILLO
N
A.P.S
quency pulses to up/down clock input
pins of pre-setable up/down counter
74LS193 (IC2) via push-to-on switches
S1 and S2. To vary the pulse width of
pulses from IC1, one may replace tim-
ing resistor R1 with a variable resistor.
Operation of switch S1 (up) causes
the binary output to increment while
operation of S2 (down) causes the bi-
nary output to decrement. The maxi-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU n  AUGUST '99
CIRCUIT IDEAS
mum count being 15 (all outputs logic
1) and minimum count being 0 (all out-
puts logic 0), it results in maximum and
minimum volume respectively.
The active high outputs A, B, C and
D of the counter are used for control-
ling two quad bi-polar analogue switches
in each of the two CD4066 ICs (IC3 and
IC4). Each of the output bits, when high,
short a part of the resistor network com-
prising series resistors R6 through R9
for one channel and R10 through R13
for the other channel,
and thereby control the output of the
audio signals being fed to the inputs of
stereo amplifier. Push-to-on switch S3
is used for resetting the output of
counter to 0000, and thereby turning
the volume of both channels to the mini-
mum level.
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

Infrared Cordless gauge or thicker wires) are used for con-

nection to TV side while high-imped-
ance windings are connected to IR trans-

Headphone G.S.
SAG
OO
mitter. This IR transmitter can be pow-
ered from a 9-volt mains adapter or bat-
tery. Red LED1 in transmitter circuit
functions as a zener diode (0.65V) as
PRADEEP G. well as supply-on indicator.
IR receiver uses 3-stage transistor
amplifier. The first two transistors (T4

U
sing this low-cost project one possible. Range can be extended by and T5) form audio signal amplifier
can reproduce audio from TV using lenses and reflectors with IR sen- while the third transistor T6 is used to
without disturbing others. It sors comprising transmitters and re- drive a headphone. Adjust potmeter VR2
does not use any wire connection be- ceivers. for max. clarity.
tween TV and headphones. In place of IR transmitter uses two-stage tran- Direct photo-transistor towards IR
a pair of wires, it uses invisible infra- sistor amplifier to drive two series-con- LEDs of transmitter for max. range. A
red light to transmit audio signals from nected IR LEDs. An
audio out-
put trans-
former is
used (in re-
verse) to
couple audio
output from
TV to the IR
transmitter.
Transistors
T1 and T2
amplify the
audio sig-
nals re-
ceived from
TV to headphones. Without using any TV through the audio transformer. Low- 9-volt battery can be used with receiver
lens, a range of up to 6 metres is impedance output windings (lower for portable operation.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU n  AUGUST '99

 Auto Reset Over/Under
Voltage Cut-Out
T
his over/under voltage cut-out
will save your costly electrical
and electronic appliances from
the adverse effects of very high and
The circuit utilises comparator 2
for control while comparator 1 output
(connected to reset pin R) is kept low
by shorting pins 5 and 6 of 555 IC. The
positive input pin of comparator 2 is
at 1/3rd of Vcc voltage. Thus as long as
negative input pin 2 is less positive
than 1/3 Vcc, comparator 2 output is
high and the internal flip-flop is set,
i.e. its Q output (pin 3) is high. At
the same time pin 7 is in high imped-
ance state and LED connected to pin
128 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
J. Gopalakrishnan
very low mains voltages. inside 555 timer ICs. Supply is tapped
The circuit features auto reset and from different points of the power sup-
utilises easily available components. It ply circuit for relay and control circuit
makes use of the comparators available operation to achieve reliability.
7 is therefore serving that LED2 just extinguishes
off. The out- when the mains voltage is slightly
put (at pin 3) less than 270V AC. With RESET
reverses (goes pin 4 of IC2 high, the output pin 3 is
low) when pin also high. As a result transistor T2
2 is taken more conducts and energises relay RL1,
positive than connecting load to power supply via
1/3 Vcc. At the its N/O contacts. This is the situation
same time pin as long as mains voltage is greater
7 goes low (as than 160V AC but less than 270V AC.
Q output of in- When mains voltage goes beyond
ternal flip-flop 270V AC, it causes output pin 3 of
is high) and IC2 to go low and cut-off transistor T2
the ED con- and de-energise relay RL1, in spite of
nected to pin 7 RESET pin 4 still being high. When
is lit. Both tim- mains voltage goes below 160V AC,
ers (IC1 and IC1s pin 3 goes high and LED1 is
IC2) are config- extinguished. The high output at pin 3
ured to function in the same fashion. results in conduction of transistor T1.
Preset VR1 is adjusted for under As a result collector of transistor T1
voltage (say 160 volts) cut-out by ob- as also RESET pin 4 of IC2 are pulled
serving that LED1 just lights up when low. Thus output of IC2 goes low
mains voltage is slightly greater than and transistor T2 does not conduct.
160V AC. At this setting the output at As a result relay RL1 is de-energised,
pin 3 of IC1 is low and transistor T1 is which causes load to be disconnected
in cut-off state. As a result RESET pin from the supply. When mains volt-
4 of IC2 is held high since it is connect- age again goes beyond 160V AC (but
ed to Vcc via 100 kilo-ohm resistor R4. less than 270V AC) the relay again
Preset VR2 is adjusted for over energises to connect the load to power
voltage (say 270V AC) cut-out by ob- supply.
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

AUTO SHUT-OFF FOR CASSETTE tween the noise and the signal. Resistor
R4 offers feedback resistance to control
the gain of the opamp. By increasing or

PLAYERS AND AMPLIFIERS

decreasing the value of resistor R4, the
MAR gain can be increased or decreased, re-
IL KU
SUN spectively. The preset time delay of timer
NE555 (which is about one minute) can
ARTHUR LOUIS be increased by increasing the value
of C4.

H
ere are two simple, low-cost cir- interrupt the power supply. Initial energisation of relay RL2 and
cuits that can be used to shut The other circuit, shown in Fig. 2, charging of capacitor C4 take place on
off the mains supply to any au- functions on the basis of the signal re- depression of switch S3 in the same man-
dio or video equipment (such as tape re- ceived from preamp of the appliance used. ner as charging of capacitor C1 (refer Fig.
corder, CD player, and amplifier). These In this circuit, opamp A741 is wired in 1) on depression of switch S1. As a re-
circuits are helpful to those in the habit inverting opamp configuration. It ampli- sult, pins 2 and 6 of NE555 go high and
of falling asleep with their music system fies the signal received from the preamp. the output of timer goes low to switch off
on. Timer NE555 is used to provide the nec- mains supply from the relay to step-down
The circuits will also protect the equip- essary time delay of about one minute. transformer X2 of the appliance. Bleeder
ment from getting damaged due to high- Preset VR1 is used to control the sen- resistor R6 is used to discharge capacitor
voltage spikes whenever there is a re- sitivity of the circuit to differentiate be- C4. Now if signals are received from the
sumption of power after a break. This is
possible because the equipment will get
switched off automatically under such con-
ditions but will not get switched on auto-
matically on resumption of mains supply.
The circuit in Fig. 1 can be used to
shut off any cassette player that has a
reliable auto-stop mechanism. Whenever
switch S1 is pressed momentarily, it ex-
tends the supply to the step-down trans-
former of the tape recorder and charges
capacitor C1 through diode D1. This, in
turn, makes transistor T1 conduct and
energise relay RL1 to provide a parallel
path to switch S1, so that supply to the
step-down transformer continues even
when switch S1 is released.
When any button on the cassette
player is pressed, the capacitor charges
through diode D2. This ensures conduc-
tion of transistor T1 and thus the conti-
nuity of operation of cassette player. How-
ever, whenever the auto-stop mechanism
functions at the end of a tape, the leaf
switch gets opened. This cuts the charg-
ing path for the capacitor and it starts
discharging slowly. After about one
minute, the relay opens and interrupts
main power to the transformer. The time
delay can be increased by increasing the
value of capacitor C1.
If the appliance used is a two-in-one
type (e.g. cassette player-cum-radio), just
connect another diode in parallel with di-
odes D1 and D2 to provide an additional
path for charging capacitor C1 via the
tape-to-radio changeover switch, so that
when radio is played the relay does not

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  APRIL 2001


preamplifier, these are amplified by 741
and fed to the base of transistor T2, which
keeps capacitor C4 charged through re-
sistor R5. When there is no signal, T2
will not conduct and the capacitor slowly
discharges through R6. The output of 555
goes high to switch off the relay and thus
CIRCUIT IDEAS
the mains supply to transformer X2.
Switch S2 can be depressed momentarily
if the device needs to be manually
switched off.
Note. The 12V supply should be pro-
vided to the circuit from the equipments
power supply. Opamp 741 should be
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  APRIL 2001
driven from the preamplifier of the gad-
get used, and not from its power ampli-
fier output. Switches S1 and S2 are 2-
pole push-to-on switches. These can also
be fabricated from 2-pole on-off switches,
which are widely used in cassette play-
ers, by removing the latch pin from them.
 Automatic Dual-
output Display
T
his circuit lights up ten bulbs an oscillator. The output of this oscillator
sequentially, first in one direction is used as a clock for BCD up/down coun-
and then in the opposite direction, ter CD4510 (IC2).
thus presenting a nice visual effect. Depending on the logic state at its
In this circuit, gates N1 and N2 form pin 10, the counter counts up or down.
During count up operation, pin 7 of IC2
outputs an active low pulse on reaching
the ninth count. Similarly, during count-
down operation, you again get a low-going
pulse at pin 7.

This terminal count output from pin
7, after inversion by gate N3, is con-
nected to clock pin 14 of decade counter
IC3 (CD4017) which is configured here
as a toggle flip-flop by returning its Q2
output at pin 4 to reset pin 15. Thus
output at pin 3 of IC3 goes to logic 1 and
logic 0 state alternately at each terminal
count of IC2.
Initially, pin 3 (Q0) of IC3 is high
and the counter is in count-up state. On
reaching ninth count, pin 3 of IC3 goes
low and as a result IC2 starts counting
down. When the counter reaches 0 count,
Q2 output of IC3 momentarily goes high to
reset it, thus taking pin 3 to logic 1 state,
and the cycle repeats.
The BCD outputs of IC2 are con-
nected to 1-of-10 decoder CD4028 (IC4).
During count-up operation of IC2, the
outputs of IC4 go logic high sequentially
from Q0 to Q9 and thus trigger the tri-
acs and lighting bulbs 1 through 10,
one after the other. Thereafter, during
count-down operation of IC2, the bulbs
light in the reverse order, presenting a
wonderful visual effect.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY LIGHT
 PRIYANK MUDGAL
T
his emergency light has the
following two advantages:
1. It turns on automatically
when the mains power fails, so you
need not search it in the dark.
2. Its battery starts charging as soon
as the mains resumes.
Operation of the circuit is quite
straightforward. Mains supply is
114 MARCH 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
stepped down by transformer X1, rec-
tified by a full-wave rectifier compris-
ing diodes D1 and D2, filtered by ca-
pacitor C1 and fed to relay coil RL1.
The relay energises to connect the bat-
tery to the charging circuit through its
normally-opened (N/O) contacts. Free-
wheeling diode D3 acts as a spike
buster for the relay.
The charging circuit is built around
npn transistor BD139 (T1). The trans-
S.C. DW
IVEDI
former output is fed to the collector of
transistor T1, which provides a fixed
bias voltage of 6.8V to charge the bat-
tery. When the battery is fully charged,
the battery voltage becomes equal to
the breakdown voltage
of the zener diode
(ZD1). Zener diode ZD1
conducts to provide an
alternative path for the
current to ground and
battery charging stops.
When mains fails,
relay RL1 de-energises.
The battery now gets
connected to the white
LED array (comprising
LED1 through LED6)
through current-limit-
ing resistor R2. The
LEDs glow to light up the room. To
increase the brightness in your room,
you can increase the number of white
LEDs after reducing the value of resis-
tor R2 and also use a reflector assem-
bly. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY TORCH
J
ust dont think that this is yet
another addition to other emer-
gency light circuits published in
EFY earlier. This circuit is a hit different.
Its main features are:
1. Very reliable operation.
2. As transformer is not used, it is
compact and cost-effective.
3. The torch bulb glows automatically
at power off and goes out on restoration
of power.
4. Since Ni-Cd battery is used, no
maintenance is required. Also, battery life
is very long, nearly 4-5 years (though this
depends on frequency of usage and also on
ampere-hour rating of the battery used).
Sounds interesting, doesnt it? Read on
then. The circuit is very simple, compris- charges the battery through resistor R4 and 3. Collector voltage must be 2.0V
ing just a handful of components. This LED D5 combination at about 50mA rate. to 2.2V, i.e. nearly equal to the battery
implies that the circuit operation also is The glowing LED (D5) also gives an indica- voltage.
very simple. The circuit consists of two tion of mains presence. Further, due to the All above voltages should be checked
parts: LED (D5), base of transistor T1 is about with AC mains off. If any of the above-
1. Power supply for charging the Ni- 1.6V (drop across D5) more positive than its mentioned voltages is absent it indicates
Cd battery. emitter. This voltage is more than sufficient that the transistor is bad and it should be
2. Switchover circuit which detects to keep the transistor at cut-off. replaced by a good one.
mains failure and switches the bulb on. As soon as the mains voltage fails, the Here is a word of caution now. Since
In the power supply section, capacitors base of transistor T1 is pulled low through the circuit is not isolated from AC mains. it
C1 and C2 function as non-dissipating, re- resistor R3 which drives transistor T1 to may be hazardous to touch any component
active impedances which limit the current saturation thereby turning the bulb on. when the mains supply is on, especially
to a safe value. With the values of capaci- Since the transistor is in its saturated if the supply wires (live and neutral) get
tors as shown, the maximum current that state, the voltage drop across it is very interchanged. It is strongly recommended
can be drawn is limited to about 70 mA low. Hence the bulb glows with full bril- to use an all-plastic enclosure (including
at 230V AC. Resistor R2 limits the initial liance. The bulb can be switched off by the reflector for the bulb) for the circuit.
surge current and resistor R1 assists in the ON/OFF switch, when not required. Also the ON/OFF switch used should have
discharging the capacitors after switch off. With this bulb (2.2V, 250mA) the torch can a plastic lever. Take proper care and pre-
Diodes D1 through D4 form a conventional work continuously for about two hours. cautions while building, testing and using
bridge rectifier while capacitor C3 is the The batteries should be charged for about the circuit, and never ever allow the supply
filter capacitor. Fuse F1 is for protection 14 hours after they are discharged. wires to interchange. It is advisable to pro-
and is very helpful in the event of any You can verify following voltages in vide a plug for the mains input on the box
component giving up the ghost. This sup- the circuit: itself so that it can be plugged directly into
ply charges the battery as long as mains 1. Base voltage of the transistor must a mains outlet. This reduces the chances of
is present. be 1.8V to 2.0V, i.e. about 0.6V less than mains supply wires getting interchanged.
In the switchover section, transistor the battery voltage. With proper precautions and a little
T1 is used as switch. Normally, when AC 2. Emitter voltage must be equal to the care, it is hoped that this small circuit will
mains supply is present, the rectifier output battery voltage. help make life a bit more comfortable.

178 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

AUTOMATIC HEAT DETECTOR IVEDI

lay is in energised state. LED1, con-
nected in series with 68-ohm resistor
R1 across resistor R4, glows when the
DW
SUKANT KUMAR BEHARA S.C. siren is on.
To test the working of the cir-

T
his circuit uses a complementary Pin Designation Sound Effect cuit, bring a burning matchstick
pair comprising npn metallic SEL1 SEL2 close to transistor T1 (BC109),
transistor T1 (BC109) and pnp No Connection No Connection Police Siren which causes the resistance of its
germanium transistor T2 (AC188) to de- +3V No Connection Fire Engine Siren emitter-collector junction to go low
tect heat (due to outbreak of fire, etc) Ground No Connection Ambulance Siren due to a rise in temperature and it
in the vicinity and energise a siren. The Do not care +3V Machine Gun starts conducting. Simultaneously,
collector of transistor T1 is connected transistor T2
to the base of transistor T2, while the also conducts be-
collector of transistor T2 is connected cause its base is
to relay RL1. connected to the
The second part of the circuit com- collector of tran-
prises popular IC UM3561 (a siren and sistor T1. As a
machine-gun sound generator IC), which result, relay RL1
can produce the sound of a fire-brigade energises and
siren. Pin numbers 5 and 6 of the IC switches on the
are connected to the +3V supply when siren circuit to
the relay is in energised state, whereas produce loud
pin 2 is grounded. A resistor (R2) con- sound of a fire-
nected across pins 7 and 8 is used to fix brigade siren.
the frequency of the inbuilt oscillator. Lab note.
The output is available from pin 3. We have added a
Two transistors BC147 (T3) and sound from UM3561. Resistor R4 in se- table to enable readers to obtain all pos-
BEL187 (T4) are connected in ries with a 3V zener is used to provide sible sound effects by returning pins 1
Darlington configuration to amplify the the 3V supply to UM3561 when the re- and 2 as suggested in the table.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  MARCH 2001

 Automatic Room Power
Control
A
n ordinary automatic room power
control circuit has only one light
sensor. So when a person enters
the room it gets one pulse and the lights
come on. When the person goes out it gets
another pulse and the lights go off. But
what happens when two persons enter
the room, one after the other? It gets two
pulses and the lights remain in off state.
The circuit described here overcomes
the above-mentioned problem. It has a
small memory which enables it to auto-
matically switch on and switch off the
lights in a desired fashion.
The circuit uses two LDRs which are
placed one after another (separated by a
distance of say half a metre) so that they
may separately sense a person going into
the room or coming out of the room.
Outputs of the two LDR sensors, after
processing, are used in conjunction with a
bicolour LED in such a fashion that when
a person gets into the room it emits green
light and when a person goes out of the
room it emits red light, and vice versa.
These outputs are simultaneously applied
to two counters.
One of the counters will count as +1,
+2, +3 etc when persons are coming into
the room and the other will count as -1,
-2, -3 etc when persons are going out
of the room. These counters make use
of Johnson decade counter CD4017 ICs.
The next stage comprises two logic ICs
which can combine the outputs of the two
counters and determine if there is any
person still left in the room or not.
Since in the circuit LDRs have been
used, care should be taken to protect them
from ambient light. If desired, one may
use readily available IR sensor modules
to replace the LDRs. The sensors are in-
stalled in such a way that when a person
enters or leaves the room, he intercepts
the light falling on them sequentiallyone
after the other.
When a person enters the room, first
he would obstruct the light falling on
LDR1, followed by that falling on LDR2.
When a person leaves the room it will be
the other way round.
In the normal case light keeps fall-
ing on both the LDRs, and as such their
resistance is low (about 5 kilo-ohms). As a

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

result, pin 2 of both timers (IC1 and IC2),
which have been configured as monostable
flip-flops, are held near the supply voltage
(+9V).
When the light falling on the LDRs
is obstructed, their resistance becomes
very high and pin 2 voltages drop to near
ground potential, thereby triggering the
flip-flops. Capacitors across pin 2 and
ground have been added to avoid false
triggering due to electrical noise.
When a person enters the room,
LDR1 is triggered first and it results in
triggering of monostable IC1. The
short output pulse immediately charges
up capacitor C5, forward biasing transis-
tor pair T1-T2. But at this instant the
collectors of transistors T1 and T2 are in
high impedance state as IC2 pin 3 is at low
potential and diode D4 is not conducting.
But when the same person pass-
es LDR2, IC2 monostable flip-flop is
triggered. Its pin 3 goes high and this
potential is coupled to transistor pair
T1-T2 via diode D4. As a result transistor
pair T1-T2 conducts because capacitor C5
retains the charge for some time as its
discharge time is controlled by resistor
R5 (and R7 to an extent). Thus green LED
portion of bi-colour LED is lit momentar-
ily.
The same output is also coupled to IC3
for which it acts as a clock. With entry of
each person IC3 output (high state) keeps
advancing. At this stage transistor pair
T3-T4 cannot conduct because output pin
3 of IC1 is no longer positive as its output
pulse duration is quite short and hence
transistor collectors are in high imped-
ance state.
When persons leave the room, LDR2
is triggered first, followed by LDR1.
Since the bottom half portion of circuit is
identical to top half, this time, with the
departure of each person, red portion of bi-
colour LED is lit momentarily and output
of IC4 advances in the same fashion as in
case of IC3.
The outputs of IC3 and those of IC4
(after inversion by inverter gates N1
through N4) are ANDed by AND gates
(A1 through A4) and then wire ORed
(using diodes D5 through D8). The net
effect is that when persons are entering,
the output of at least one of the AND
gates is high, causing transistor T5 to
conduct and energise relay RL1. The bulb
connected to the supply via N/O contact of
relay RL1 also lights up.
When persons are leaving the room,
and till all the persons who entered the
room have left, the wired OR output
continues to remain high, i.e. the bulb
continues to remains on, until all persons
who entered the room have left.
The maximum number of persons
that this circuit can handle is limited to
four since on receipt of fifth clock pulse
the counters are reset. The capacity of
the circuit can be easily extended to
handle up to nine persons by removing
the connection of pin 1 from reset pin (15)
and utilising Q1 to Q9 outputs of CD4017
counters. Additional inverters, AND gates
and diodes will, however, be required.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
 AUTOMATIC SPEED-CONTROLLER
FOR FANS AND COOLERS
D
uring summer nights, the tem- shall get AC supply directly, and so it shall high, while at low speed, it will run for a
perature is initially quite high. run at top speed. When output Q2 becomes much longer time period when any of the
As time passes, the temperature high and Q1 becomes low, relay RL1 is four outputs Q5 through Q8 is high.
starts dropping. Also, after a person falls turned off and relay RL2 is switched on. If one wishes, one can make the fan
asleep, the metabolic rate of ones body The fan gets AC through a resistance and run at the three speeds for an equal amount
decreases. Thus, initially the fan/cooler its speed drops to medium value. This con- of time by connecting three decimal
needs to be run at full speed. As time tinues until output Q4 is high. When Q4 decoded outputs of IC3 to each of the
passes, one has to get up again and again goes low and Q5 goes high, relay RL2 is transistors T1 to T3. One can also get
to adjust the speed of the fan or the cooler. switched off and relay RL3 is activated. more than three speeds by using an
The device presented here makes the The fan now runs at low speed. additional relay, transistor, and associated
fan run at full speed
for a predetermined
time. The speed is
decreased to medium
after some time, and
to slow later on. Af-
ter a period of about
eight hours, the fan/
cooler is switched off.
Fig. 1 shows the
circuit diagram of
the system. IC1 (555)
is used as an astable
multivibrator to
generate clock
pulses. The pulses
are fed to decade
dividers/counters
formed by IC2 and
IC3. These ICs act as

Throughout the process, pin

divide-by-10 and divide-by-9 counters,
respectively. The values of capacitor C1
and resistors R1 and R2 are so adjusted
that the final output of IC3 goes high
after about eight hours.
The first two outputs of IC3 (Q0 and
Q1) are connected (ORed) via diodes D1
and D2 to the base of transistor T1. Ini-
tially output Q0 is high and therefore
relay RL1 is energised. It remains
energised when Q1 becomes high. The
method of connecting the gadget to the
fan/cooler is given in Figs 3 and 4.
It can be seen that initially the fan
11 of the IC3 is low, so T4 is cut
off, thus keeping T5 in satura-
tion and RL4 on. At the end of
the cycle, when pin 11 (Q9) be-
comes high, T4 gets saturated
and T5 is cut off. RL4 is switched
off, thus switching off the fan/
cooler.
Using the circuit described above, the
fan shall run at high speed for a com-
paratively lesser time when either of Q0
or Q1 output is high. At medium speed, it
will run for a moderate time period when
any of three outputs Q2 through Q4 is
components, and connecting one or more
outputs of IC3 to it.
In the motors used in certain coolers
there are separate windings for separate
speeds. Such coolers do not use a rheostat
type speed regulator. The method of
connection of this device to such coolers is
given in Fig. 4.
The resistors in Figs 2 and 3 are the
tapped resistors, similar to those used in
manually controlled fan-speed regulators.
Alternatively wire-wound resistors of
suitable wattage and resistance can be
used.

194 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21

 AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE
CONTROLLED FAN
H
ere is a circuit through which the
speed of a fan can be linearly con-
trolled automatically, depending
on the room temperature. The circuit is
highly efficient as it uses thyristors for
power control. Alternatively, the same
circuit can be used for automatic tempera-
ture controlled AC power control.
In this circuit, the temperature sensor
used is an NTC thermistor, i.e. one having
a negative temperature coefficient. The
value of thermistor resistance at 25C is
about 1 kilo-ohm.
Op-amp A1 essentially works as
I to V (current-to-voltage) converter
and converts temperature variations
into voltage variations. To amplify
the change in voltage due to change in
temperature, instrumentation ampli-
fier formed by op-amps A2, A3 and A4
is used. Resistor R2 and zener diode
D1 combination is used for generating
reference voltage as we want to am-
plify only change in voltage due to the
change in temperature.
Op-amp A741 (IC2) works as a
comparator. One input to the compara-
tor is the output from the instrumen-
tation amplifier while the other input
is the stepped down, rectified and
suitably attenuated sample of AC volt-
age. This is a negative going pulsating
DC voltage. It will be observed that
with increase in temperature, pin 2 of
IC2 goes more and more negative and
hence the width of the positive going
output pulses (at pin 6) increases lin-
early with the temperature. Thus IC2
functions as a pulse width modulator
in this circuit. The output from the
comparator is coupled to an optocou-
pler, which in turn controls the AC
power delivered to fan (load).
The circuit has a high sensitivity and
the output RMS voltage (across load) can
be varied from 120V to 230V (for a temp.
range of 22C to 36C), and hence wide
variations in speed are available. Also
note that speed varies linearly and not
in steps. Besides, since an optocoupler is
used, the control circuit is fully isolated
from power circuit, thus providing added
safety. Note that for any given tempera-
ture the speed of fan (i.e. voltage across
load) can be adjusted to a desired value
by adjusting potmeters VR1 and VR2
appropriately.
Potmeter VR1 should he initially kept
in its mid position to realise a gain of ap-
proximately 40 from the instrumentation
amplifier. It may be subsequently trimmed
slightly to obtain linear variation of the
fan speed.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19 189
 blown fuse indicator
G
enerally, when an equipment in-
dicates no power, the cause may
be just a blown fuse. Here is a
circuit that shows the condition of fuse
through LEDs. This compact circuit is
very useful and reliable. It uses very few
components, which makes it inexpensive
too.
Under normal conditions (when fuse
is alright), voltage drop in first arm
is 2V + (2 x 0.7V) = 3.4V, whereas in
12 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22
second arm it is only 2V. So current flows
through the second arm, i.e. through the
green LED, causing it to glow; whereas
the red LED remains off.
When the fuse blows off, the supply
to green LED gets blocked, and because
only one LED is in the circuit, the red LED
glows. In case of power failure, both LEDs
remain off.
This circuit can be easily modified to
produce a siren in fuse-blown condition
(see Fig. 2). An optocoupler is used to
trigger the siren. When the fuse blows, red
LED glows. Simultaneously it switches
on the siren.
In place of a bicolour LED, two LEDs
of red and green colour can be used.
Similarly, only one diode in place of D1
and D2 may be used. Two diodes are used
to increase the voltage drop, since the
two LEDs may produce different voltage
drops.
 CD-ROM Drive as Digital
-audio CD-Player
A
CD-ROM drive can be used as a
stand-alone unit for playing dig-
ital audio CDs without interfacing
with a computer. The stereo output of
CD player available at the audio jack
can be amplified using audio input fa-
cility which is normally available on a
tape-deck/tape-recorder or a stereo
amplifier. Audio socket on front/rear of
the CD-ROM drive is capable of driving
headphones or speakers of less than 500
mW. Proper stereo jacks for interconnec-
tion between CD-ROM drive and tape
deck are available from computer/tape
recorder spares vendors. The principle of
operation is illustrated here with the help
of block diagram.
The 4-pin power supply socket avail-
able at the rear of a CD-ROM player is
meant for +5V, ground (two middle pins)
and +12V inputs. The power supply can be since it has self-contained power supply is routed using a yellow wire and
easily derived using a conventional power circuit inside. for +5V a red wir is used, while for
supply circuit as shown in the figure. If While there may be minor differ- ground black wires are used with the sup-
you have an external CD-ROM drive, it ences amongst the available CD-ROM ply connector.
can be simply plugged into the mains drives external controls, a typical Once the power supply has been
drives controls are shown in connected correctly, you will notice
the figure here. Please ensure that LED indicator on the drive starts
that a proper power supply con- flashing. Now the digital audio CD can
nector available from computer be loaded after pushing the eject but-
spare parts vendor is used for ton. A second push of the same button
connection to CD-ROM drive. causes retraction of CD carriage into the
To identify +5V and +12V pins drive. One can change the track (song)
on the drive connector, please on the CD using play switch on the
note that in the computer +12V CD-ROM drive.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

 circuit
ideas

Drinking Water Alarm s.c. dwiv

edi

Dr C.H. Vithalani

T
he State Jal Boards supply
water for limited duration in a
day. Time of water supply is
decided by the management and the
public does not know the same. In such
a situation, this water alarm circuit will
save the people from long wait as it
will inform them as soon as the water
supply starts.
At the heart of this circuit is a
small water sensor. For fabricating
this water sensor, you need two
foilsan aluminium foil and a plastic
foil. You can assemble the sensor by
rolling aluminium and plastic foils
in the shape of a concentric cylinder.
Connect one end of the insulated
flexible wire on the aluminium foil
and the other end to resistor R2. Now work only when water flows through from the tap. The circuit works off a 9V
mount this sensor inside the water the water tap and completes the cir- battery supply.
tap such that water can flow through cuit connection. It oscillates at about Assemble the circuit on any gen-
it uninterrupted. To complete the 1 kHz. The output of the timer at pin eral-purpose PCB and house in a
circuit, connect another wire from 3 is connected to loudspeaker LS1 via suitable cabinet. The water sensor is
the junction of pins 2 and 6 of IC1 to capacitor C3. As soon as water starts inserted into the water tap. Connect
the water pipeline or the water tap flowing through the tap, the speaker the lead coming out from the junc-
itself. starts sounding, which indicates re- tion of 555 pins 2 and 6 to the body of
The working of the circuit is sim- sumption of water supply. It remains the water tap. Use on/off switch S1
ple. Timer 555 is wired as an astable on until you switch off the circuit to power the circuit with the 9V PP3
multivibrator. The multivibrator will with switch S1 or remove the sensor battery.

w w w. e f y m ag . co m e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u m a r c h 2 0 0 8 1 0 5

FLASHING BEACON
ASHOK K. DOCTOR
A
flashing beacon has many uses. It
can be employed as a distress sig-
nal on highways or as a direction
pointer for parking lots, hospitals, hotels,
etc. Here we present a flashing beacon
that uses well-known regulator IC LM317T.
As LM317T regulator can deliver more than
1 amp. A small 12V, 10W bulb with a
high-quality reflector can serve as a good
visible blinker.
A 12-15V, 1A DC supply is connected
to the input pin of the IC. A 12V, 10W
bulb and a combination of resistors and
capacitors are connected between the out-
put pin and ADJ pin of the IC as shown in
CIRCUIT IDEAS
S.C.
DWI
VED
I
the figure. The IC is pro-
vided with an aluminium
heat-sink to dissipate the
heat generated while deliv-
ering full current. Since the
IC has an inbuilt switch-on
current limiter, it extends
the bulb life.
For the shown values
of resistors and capacitors,
the bulb flashes at approxi-
mately 4 cycles per second.
The number of flashes de-
pends on the charge-dis-
charge time of the capaci-
tors. Different values of resistors and ca- crease the number of flashes.
pacitors can be used to increase or de- This circuit costs around Rs 50.
NOVEMBER 2002 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
 circuit
ideas
GLOW PLUG CONTROLLER
T.A. Babu
I
n diesel engines, the air in the
cylinders is not hot enough to
ignite the fuel under cold condi-
tions. Therefore each cylinder of these
Fig. 1: Glow plug controller
engines is fitted with an electric heater
known as glow plug. A control circuit
is necessary to optimise the functioning
of glow plugs. It raises the air tem-
perature inside the engine cylinder for
quick and reliable starting, extended
battery life and reduced diesel con-
sumption.
The glow plug controller (Fig. 1)
uses a simple timer circuit built around
MOSFET T1 for reliability and simplic-
ity. Momentary pushing of switch S2
1 0 4 m a r c h 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
charges capacitor C1 rapidly via resis-
tor R1. When the voltage on capacitor
C1 exceeds the threshold voltage of
the gate (G) of MOSFET T1, it starts
charging reservoir capacitor C2 and
simultaneously energises relay RL1.
MOSFET T1 remains conducting as
long as the voltage on C1 is greater
than the threshold voltage of the MOS-
FET gate.
The on time period depends on
the value of capacitor C1 and resistor
R2, which govern the discharge current
of capacitor C2. The component values
given here will produce on time of
around 25 seconds. In effect, when you
press switch S2 momentarily, the relay
energises for about 25 seconds and
s.c. dwiv
edi
the glow plug gets the power supply
through its contact.
The red LED (LED1) indicates that
the heating process of glow plugs is
Fig. 2: Pin configurations of bs170
and bc548
on. When the on time is over,
the green LED (LED2) turns on
for a while, followed by a short
beep from the buzzer, which in-
dicates that the engine is ready
for starting. Glow plugs draw a
heavy current, hence high-cur-
rent-rating contacts of an automotive
relay are required.
Assemble the circuit on any gen-
eral-purpose PCB and house in a
suitable case. Connect the glow plug
wire to the relay contact. 12V battery
already available with the vehicle is
used to power the circuit. Connect
the piezobuzzer and LED1 and LED2
through an external connection and
place it at a convenient location for the
driver to operate.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

KNOCK ALARM SUN

IL KU
MAR

PRADEEP G. circuit. When someone knocks on the

door, the piezoelectric sensor gener-

T
his circuit (Fig. 1), used in conjunc-
tion with a thin piezoelectric plate,
senses the vibration generated on
knocking a surface (such as a door or a
table) to activate the alarm. It uses readily-
available, low-cost components and can
also be used to safeguard motor vehicles.
The piezoelectric plate is used as the sen-
sor. It is the same as used in ordinary
ates an electrical signal, which is am-
plified by transistors T1 through T3.
The amplified signal is rectified
and filtered to produce a low-level
DC voltage, which is further ampli-
fied by the remaining transistors. The
final output from the collector of pnp
transistor T6 is applied to reset pin 4
of 555 (IC1) that is wired as an Fig. 2: Proposed installation of knock alarm

Fig. 1: The circuit of knock alarm

piezobuzzers and is easily available in the
market.
The piezoelectric plate can convert any
mechanical vibration into electrical varia-
tion. As it doesnt sense sound from a dis-
tance like a microphone, it avoids false
triggering. The plate can be fixed on a door,
cash box, cupboard, etc using adhesive. A 1-
1.5m long, shielded wire is connected be-
tween the sensor plate and the input of the
astable multivibrator. Whenever the col-
lector of transistor T6 goes high, the astable
multivibrator activates to sound an alarm
through the speaker. The value of resistor
R12 is chosen between 220 and 680 ohms
such that IC1 remains inactive in the ab-
sence of any perceptible knock.
When the circuit receives an input sig-
nal due to knocking, the alarm gets acti-
vated for about 10 seconds. This is the
time that capacitor C5 connected between
the emitter of transistor T4 and ground
takes to discharge after a knock. The time
delay can be changed by changing the
value of capacitor C5. After about 10 sec-
onds, the alarm is automatically reset.
The circuit operates off a 9V or a 12V
battery eliminator. The proposed installa-
tion of the knock alarm is shown in Fig. 2.
This circuit costs around Rs 75.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU NOVEMBER 2002

 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

MEDIUM-POWER S.C. DW
IVEDI

FM TRANSMITTER
PRADEEP G. in RF stages as oscillator.) The third tenna. For the
stage is a class-A tuned amplifier that maximum range,

T
he range of this FM transmi- boosts signals from the oscillator. Use use a sensitive re-
tter is around 100 metres at 9V of the additional RF amplifier increases ceiver. VC1 is a
DC supply. the range of the transmitter. frequency-adjust-
The circuit comprises three stages. Coil L1 comprises four turns of ing trimpot. VC2
The first stage is a microphone pream- 20SWG enamelled copper wire wound should be adjusted
plifier built around BC548 transistor. to 1.5cm length of a 4mm dia. air core. Fig. 2: Pin for the maximum
configurations of
The next stage is a VHF oscillator wired Coil L2 comprises six turns of 20SWG transistors BC548
range. The trans-
around another BC548. (BC series tran- enamelled copper wire wound on a and C2570 mitter unit is pow-
sistors are generally used in low-fre- 4mm dia. air core.
quency stages. But these also work fine Use a 75cm long wire as the an-

Fig. 3: Walkie-talkie arrangement

ered by a 9V PP3 battery. It can be

combined with a readily available FM
receiver kit to make a walkie-talkie set
Fig. 1: FM transmitter as shown in Fig. 3. z

80 AUGUST 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

CMYK
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
MOBILE SHIELD
 D. MOHAN KUMAR
P
rotect your mobile phone from
unauthorised use or theft using
this simple circuit. It can gener-
ate a loud chirping sound when some-
body attempts to take away the mo-
bile handset. The added feature is that
the circuit also works as a mobile
charger.
The circuit is powered by a
step-down transformer X1 with recti-
fier diodes D1 and D2 and filter ca-
pacitor C1. Regulator IC 7812 (IC1)
along with noise filter capacitors C2
and C3 provides regulated power sup-
ply.
The circuit utilises two NE555
timer ICs: One as a simple astable
multivibrator (IC2) and the second as
a monostable (IC3). The astable
multivibrator has timing resistors R1
and R2 but no timing capacitor as it
works with stray capacitance. Its pins
6 and 2 are directly connected to a pro-
tecting shield made up of 10cm10cm
copper-clad board.
The inherent stray capacitance of
the circuit is sufficient to given an out-
put frequency of about 25 kHz with
R1 and R2. This arrangement provides
92 AUGUST 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
MALAYAP
greater sensitivity and enables the cir-
cuit with hand capacitance effect. Out-
put pulses from the oscillator are di-
rectly given to trigger pin 2 of the
monostable. The monostable uses a
low-value capacitor C6, resistors R3
and preset VR1 for timing.
The output frequency of the
monostable is adjusted using preset
VR1 such that it is slightly less than
that of the astable. This makes the
circuit standby, when there is no
hand capacitance present. So in the
standby mode, the astables output
will be low. This makes the trigger
input of monostable low and output
high.
The warning LED1 and buzzer are
connected such that they become ac-
tive only when the output of the
monostable sinks current. In the
standby state, the LED1 remains off
and the buzzer is silent. As somebody
tries to take the mobile phone from
the protecting shield, his hand comes
near the shield or makes contact with
the shield, which introduces hand ca-
pacitance in the circuit. As a result, the
astables frequency changes, which
makes the trigger pin of the
monostable low and its output oscil-
PASAMY
lates. This produces chirping sound
from the buzzer and also makes the
LED1 blink.
The circuit can also be used as a
mobile charger. It provides output of
6V at 180 mA through regulator IC
7806 (IC4) and resistor R5 for charg-
ing the mobile phone. Diode D3 pro-
tects the output from polarity rever-
sal.
The circuit can be wired on a
common PCB. Enclose it in a suitable
case with provision for charger out-
put leads. Make the protective shield
using 10cm10cm copper-clad board
or aluminium sheet. Connect it to
the circuit using a 15cm plastic wire.
Leads of all capacitors should be
short.
Adjust VR1 slowly using a plastic
screwdriver until the buzzer stops
sounding. Bring the hand close to the
shield and adjust VR1 until the buzzer
sounds. With trial-and-error proce-
dure, set it for the maximum sensitiv-
ity such that as soon the hand comes
near the shield, the buzzer starts
chirpring and the LED blinks. Instead
of using the copper cladding for shield,
a metallic mobile phone holder can be
used as the shield. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
circuit
ideas
Three-Phase Appliance Protector
R.G. Thiagaraj Kumar and
P. Kasi Rajan
M
any of our costly appliances
require three-phase AC sup-
ply for operation. Failure
of any of the phases makes the appli-
ance prone to erratic functioning and
may even lead to failure. Hence it is
of paramount importance to moni-
tor the availability of the three-phase
supply and switch off the appliance
in the event of failure of one or two
phases. The power to the appliance
should resume with the availability of
all phases of the supply with certain
time delay in order to avoid surges and
momentary fluctuations.
The complete circuit of a three-
phase appliance protector is described
here. It requires three-phase supply,
three 12V relays and a timer IC NE555
along with 230V coil contactor having
8 8 au g u s t 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
four poles.
Relays RL1 and RL2 act as a
sensing devices for phases Y and
B, respectively. These relays are
connected such that each acts as an
enabling device for the subsequent
relay. Therefore the combination of
the relays forms a logical AND gate
connected serially.
The availability of phase R en-
ergises relay RL1 and its normally-
opened (N/O) contacts close to
connect phase Y to the input of
transformer X2. The availability of
phase Y energises relay RL2 and its
N/O contacts close to connect phase
B to the input of transformer X3, thus
applying a triggering input to timer
IC NE555 (IC1).
Therefore the delay timer built
around NE555 triggers only when
all the phases (R, Y and B) are avail-
able. It provides a delay of approxi-
edi
s.c. dwiv
mately four seconds, which energises
relay RL3 and its N/O contact closes
to connect the line to the energising
coil of four-pole contactor relay RL4.
Contactor RL4 closes to ensure the
availability of the three-phase sup-
ply to the appliance.
The rating of contactor RL4 can be
selected according to the full-load cur-
rent rating of the appliances. Here the
contact current rating of the four-pole
contactor is up to 32A. The availability
of phases R, Y and B is monitored by
appropriate LEDs connected across
the secondary windings of transform-
ers X1, X2 and X3, respectively. Hence
this circuit does not require a separate
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

indicator lamp for monitoring the
availability of the three phases. When
phase R is available, LED1 glows.
When phase Y is available, LED2
glows. When phase B is available,
LED3 glows.
The main advantage of this protec-
tor circuit is that it protects three-phase
appliances from failure of any of the
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
phases by disconnecting the power
supply through the contactor and
automatically restores the three-phase
supply to the appliance (with reason-
able time delay) when all the phases
are available.
Assemble the circuit on a gen-
eral-purpose PCB and enclose in a
cabinet with the relays and contactor
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u au g u s t 2 0 0 8 8 9
circuit
ideas
mounted on the backside of cabinet.
Connect the appliance through exter-
nal wires.
Caution. To avoid the risk of elec-
tric shock, ensure that AC mains is
disconnected during assembly of the
circuit and double check everything
before connecting your circuit to the
mains.
circuit
ideas
Constant-Current
Battery Charger
Monoj Das
T
here are many ways of battery
charging but constant-current
charging, in particular, is a
popular method for lead-acid and Ni-
Cd batteries. In this circuit, the battery
is charged with a constant current that
is generally one-tenth of the battery
capacity in ampere-hours. So for a
4.5Ah battery, constant charging cur-
rent would be 450 mA.
This battery charger has the follow-
ing features:
1. It can charge 6V, 9V and 12V bat-
teries. Batteries rated at other voltages
can be charged by changing the values
of zener diodes ZD1 and ZD2.
2. Constant current can be set as
per the battery capacity by using a
potmeter and multimeter in series with
the battery.
3. Once the battery is fully charged,
it will attain certain voltage level (e.g.
1 1 4 Au g u s t 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
13.5-14.2V in the case of a 12V battery),
give indication and the charger will
switch off automatically. You need not
remove the battery from the circuit.
4. If the battery is discharged be-
low a limit, it will give deep-discharge
indication.
5. Quiescent current is less than 5
mA and mostly due to zeners.
6. DC source voltage (VCC) ranges
from 9V to 24V.
7. The charger is short-circuit pro-
tected.
D1 is a low-forward-drop schottky
diode SB560 having peak reverse volt-
age (PRV) of 60V at 5A or a 1N5822
diode having 40V PRV at 3A. Nor-
mally, the minimum DC source volt-
age should be D1 drop+Full charged
battery voltage+VDSS+ R2 drop, which
is approximately Full charged battery
voltage+5V. For example, if we take
full-charge voltage as 14V for a 12V
battery, the source voltage should be
s.c. dwiv
edi
14+5=19V.
For the sake of simplicity, this con-
stant-current battery charger circuit is
divided into three sections: constant-
current source, overcharge protection
and deep-discharge protection sec-
tions.
The constant-current source is
built around MOSFET T5, transistor
T1, diodes D1 and D2, resistors R1, R2,
R10 and R11, and potmeter VR1. Diode
D2 is a low-temperature-coefficient,
highly stable reference diode LM236-5.
LM336-5 can also be used with reduced
operating temperature range of 0 to
+70C. Gate-source voltage (VGS) of T5
is set by adjusting VR1 slightly above
4V. By setting VGS, charging current
can be fixed depending on the battery
capacity. First, decide the charging
current (one-tenth of the batterys Ah
capacity) and then calculate the nearest
standard value of R2 as follows:
R2 = 0.7/Safe fault current
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

R2 and T1 limit the charging cur-
rent if something fails or battery termi-
nals get short-circuited accidentally.
To set a charging current, while
a multimeter is connected in series
with the battery and source supply is
present, adjust potmeter VR1 slowly
until the charging current reaches its
required value.
Overcharge and deep-discharge
protection have been shown in dotted
areas of the circuit diagram. All com-
ponents in these areas are subjected to
a maximum of the battery voltage and
not the DC source voltage. This makes
the circuit work under a wide range of
source voltages and without any influ-
ence from the charging current value.
Set overcharge and deep-discharge
voltage of the battery using potmeters
VR1 and VR2 before charging the bat-
tery.
In overcharge protection, zener
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
diode ZD1 starts conducting after
its breakdown voltage is reached,
i.e., it conducts when the battery
voltage goes beyond a prefixed high
level. Adjust VR2 when the battery
is fully charged (say, 13.5V in case of
a 12V battery) so that VGS of T5 is set
to zero and hence charging current
stops flowing to the battery. LED1
glows to indicate that the battery is
fully charged. When LED1 glows, the
internal LED of the optocoupler also
glows and the internal transistor con-
ducts. As a result, gate-source voltage
(VGS) of MOSFET T5 becomes zero and
charging stops.
Normally, zener diode ZD2 con-
ducts to drive transistor T3 into con-
duction and thus make transistor T4
cut-off. If the battery terminal voltage
drops to, say, 11V in case of a 12V bat-
tery, adjust potmeter VR3 such that
transistor T3 is cut-off and T4 conducts.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u Au g u s t 2 0 0 9 1 1 5
circuit
ideas
LED2 will glow to indicate that the bat-
tery voltage is low.
Values of zener diodes ZD1 and
ZD2 will be the same for 6V, 9V and
12V batteries. For other voltages, you
need to suitably change the values of
ZD1 and ZD2. Charging current pro-
vided by this circuit is 1 mA to 1 A, and
no heat-sink is required for T5. If the
maximum charging current required is
5A, put another LM236-5 in series with
diode D2, change the value of R11 to 1
kilo-ohm, replace D1 with two SB560
devices in parallel and provide a good
heat-sink for MOSFET T1. TO-220 pack-
age of IRF540 can handle up to 50W.
Assemble the circuit on a gen-
eral-purpose PCB and enclose in a
box after setting the charging current,
overcharge voltage and deep-discharge
voltage. Mount potmeters VR1, VR2
and VR3 on the front panel of the
box.
circuit
ideas
Battery-level indicator
Aniruddh K.S.
N
ormally, in mobile phones,
the battery level is shown in
dot or bar form. This lets you
easily recognise the battery level. Here
we present a circuit that lets you know
the battery level of a device from the
number of LEDs that are glowing. It
uses ten LEDs in all. So if three LEDs
glow, it indicates battery capacity of
30 per cent. Unlike in mobile phones
where the battery-level indicator func-
tion is integrated with other functions,
here only one comparator IC (LM3914)
does it all.
The LM3914 uses ten comparators,
which are internally assembled in the
voltage divider network based on the
current-division rule. So it divides the
battery level into ten parts.
The circuit derives the power
supply for its operation from the
battery of the device itself. It uses
ten LEDs wired in a 10-dot mode.
The use of different coloured LEDs
8 4 D E C e m b e r 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
makes it easier to recognise the
voltage level on the basis of the
calibration made. Red LEDs (LED1
through LED3) indicate battery
capacity of less than 40 per cent.
Orange LEDs (LED4 through LED6)
indicate battery capacity of 40 to
less than 70 per cent and green
LEDs (LED7 through LED10) indi-
cate battery capacity of 70 to under
100 per cent. The brightness of the
LEDs can be adjusted by varying the
value of preset VR2 between pins 6
and 7.
Diode D1 prevents the circuit
from reverse-polarity battery con-
nection. The tenth LED glows only
when the battery capacity is full,
i.e., the battery is fully charged.
When the battery is fully charged,
relay-driver transistor T1 conducts
to energise relay RL1. This stops the
charging through normally-open
(N/O) contacts of relay RL1.
For calibration, connect 15V vari-
able, regulated power supply and
edi
s.c. dwiv
initially set it at 3V. Slowly adjust VR1
until LED1 glows. Now, increase the
input voltage to 15V in steps of 1.2V
until the corresponding LED (LED2
through LED10) lights up.
Now the circuit is ready to show
any voltage value with respect to the
maximum voltage. As the number of
LEDs is ten, we can easily consider one
LED for 10 per cent of the maximum
voltage.
Connect the voltage from any
battery to be tested at the input
probes of the circuit. By examining
the number of LEDs glowing you
can easily know the status of the bat-
tery. Suppose five LEDs are glowing.
In this case, the battery capacity is
50 to 59 per cent of its maximum
value.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB. Calibrate it and then en-
close in a box.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
Pyroelectric fire alarm
D. Mohan Kumar
H
ere is an ultra-sensitive fire
sensor that exploits the direct
piezoelectric property of an
ordinary piezo element to detect fire.
The lead zirconate titanate crystals in
the piezo element have the property
to deform and generate an electric
Fig. 1: Pyroelectric fire sensor
Fig. 2: Power supply with battery backup
potential when heated, thus convert-
ing the piezo element into a heat sen-
sor. The circuit described here is very
sensitive. It gives a warning alarm if
the room temperature increases more
than 10C. The entire circuit has two
sectionsthe sensor and the power
supply section.
Sensor side circuit. Fig. 1 shows the
fire sensor circuit. The front end of the
circuit has a sensitive signal amplifier
built around IC1 (CA3130). It gives a
high output when temperature near
the piezo element increases. IC CA3130
is a CMOS operational amplifier with
9 2 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
gate protected p-channel MOSFETs
in the inputs. It has high speed of
performance and low input current re-
quirements. There are two inputsthe
non-inverting input (pin 3) connected
to the piezo element through diode D7
(OA71) that carries the voltage signal
from the piezo element and the invert-
ing input (pin 2) that gets a preset volt-
age through
VR1.
By ad-
justing VR1,
it is easy to
set the ref-
erence volt-
age level
at pin 2. In
normal con-
dition, IC1
gives a low
output and the remaining circuitry is
in a standby state. Capacitor C2 keeps
the non-inverting input of IC1 stable,
so that even a slight change in volt-
age level in the inputs can change the
output to high.
Normally, IC1 gives a low output,
keeping transistor T1 non-conduct-
ing. Reseting pin 12 of IC2 (CD4060)
connected to the collector of transistor
T1 gets a high voltage through R5 and
IC2 remains disabled. When the piezo
element gets heat from fire, asymmetry
in its crystals causes a potential change,
enabling capacitor C2 to discharge. It
s.c. dwiv
edi
momentarily changes the voltage level
at pin 3 of IC1 and its output swings
high. Transistor T1 conducts taking
the reset pin 12 of IC2 to ground. IC2
is now enabled and starts oscillating.
With the shown values of the oscil-
lating components C3 (0.22) and R6
(1M), the first output (Q3) turns high
after a few seconds and a red LED2
starts flashing. If heat near the piezo
persists, Q7 (pin 14) output of IC2 be-
comes high after one minute, and the
alarm starts beeping. If heat contin-
ues, Q9 (pin 15) turns high after four
minutes and turns on the relay driver
transistor T2. At the same time, diode
D8 conducts and IC2 stops oscillating
and toggles.
The solenoid pump connected to
the N/O (normally opened) contact of
the relay starts spraying the fire-ceas-
ing foam or water to the possible sites
of fire.
Power supply circuit. Power
supply section (Fig. 2) comprises a
0-12V, 1A step-down transformer
with a standard full-wave rectifier
formed by D1 through D4 and filter
capacitor C1. A battery backup is
provided if the mains supply is cut-off
due to short-circuit and fire. A 12V,
4.5Ah rechargeable battery is used
for backup to give sufficient current
to the solenoid pump. When mains
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

power is available, diode D5 forward
biases. It provides power to the circuit
and also charges the battery through
resistor R2, and it limits the charging
current to 120 mA. When power fails,
diode D5 reverse biases and diode D6
forward biases, giving instant backup
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
to the circuit. LED1 indicates the avail-
ability of mains power.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose it in a suit-
able case. Connect the piezo element
to the circuit using a thin insulated
wire. Glue the flat side of the piezo el-
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 9 3
circuit
ideas
ement on a 3030cm aluminium sheet
to increase its sensitivity. Fix the sheet
with the piezo sensor to the site where
protection is needed. The remaining
circuit can be fixed at a suitable place.
If only the alarm generator is needed,
omit the relay driver section.
circuit
ideas

Guitar Effect Pedal Power

edi
s.c. dwiv
Raj K. Gorkhali connecting points as shown in Fig. 2.
The circuit (Fig. 2) can be divided

A
friend of mine plays guitar with into two sections: power supply and
several guitar effect pedals. He signal handling. The power supply regulators. This supply is more than
had a problem with battery section is built around transformer X1, enough for the five effect pedals.
eliminators and cables of the pedals regulators 7805 and 7905, bridge recti- The greater the voltage drop across
cluttering the stage and so he asked fier comprising diodes D1 through D4, the regulator, the lower the output
for help. The solution is simple as de- and a few discrete components. The current potential. Resistors R1 and
scribed here. signal-handling circuit is built around R2 provide a constant load to ensure
A small box is fitted to the rear of two OP27 op-amps (IC3 and IC4). that the regulators keep regulating.
the amplifier providing a 9V output for The power supply of about 9V Capacitors C3 through C8 ensure that
the effect pedal. The amplifier section for the effect pedals is derived from the supplies are as clean as possible. It
gets 9V through step-down transformer X1. MOV1 is a is very important to use proper heat-
a pedal switch metal-oxide varistor that absorbs any sinks for IC1 and IC2. Otherwise, these
(refer Fig. 1). large spike in mains power. could heat up.
This power out- IC 7905 (IC1) is a -5V low-power Working of the circuit is simple.
put and guitar regulator. By using a 3.9V zener diode The input signal stage uses a basic
signal input (ZD1) at its ground terminal, you get differentiation amplifier to accept the
lines are com- -8.9V output. The same technique is incoming signal and a voltage fol-
bined into a also applied to IC 7805 (IC2)a +5V lower to buffer the output to the power
Fig. 1: A typical guitar
single unit with regulator to get 8.9V. Use good-qual- amplifier. The differential amplifier is
pedal switch multi-way cable ity components and heat-sinks for the built around IC3. It works by effective-
ly looking at the signals
presented to its inputs.
If the input signals are of
different amplitudes, IC3
amplifies the difference
by a factor determined
by R4/R3 (where R4=R6
and R3=R5). If the input
signals have same ampli-
tudes, these are attenuat-
ed by the common-mode
rejection ratio (CMRR) of
the circuit. The value of
CMRR is determined by
the choice of the op-amp
the auxiliary components
used and circuit topolo-
gy. You can use standard
resistors. With the values
shown, you get an overall
gain of unity.
The combination
of resistor R7 and C13
serves as a passive low-
pass filter, progressively
attenuating unwanted
high-frequency signals.
Fig. 2: Pedal power circuit The second op-amp (IC4)

1 0 8 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m

forms a simple voltage follower (its
output follows its input), providing a
low output impedance to drive into the
standard power amplifier.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and fit it to the rear of an
amplifier. The unit must be compact,
yet robust. So use a very sturdy alu-
minium extrusion for the cabinet in or-
der to neatly house the assembled PCB.
To ensure simple operation, there
are only three connections to the unit.
circuit
ideas
First, mains power is tapped from the
transformer. The second lead carries
the 9V output to the amplifier. The
third is the guitar signal input at the
five-way socket for connection to the
effect pedal.

w w w. e f y m ag . co m e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 1 0 9
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
VERSATILE POWER SUPPLY
SUNIL KUMAR
U
sing this circuit, you can ob-
tain the following voltages
(approx.) at a current limited
to one ampere: 3.3V, 5V, 6V, 9V, 12V
and 15V.
The AC mains is stepped down
by transformer X1 to deliver the sec-
ondary output of 18V AC at a maxi-
mum current of 1A dependant upon
the load. The transformer output is
rectified by the bridge rectifier com-
prising diodes D1 through D4, filtered
by capacitor C1 and fed to regulator
IC LM317, which is a 3-terminal posi-
84 FEBRUARY 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
tive regulator capable of providing
1.2V to 37 volts at 1.5A current to the
load.
Resistor R13 and selected combi-
nations of resistors R1 through R12
are used to produce approximately
3.3V, 5V, 6V, 9V, 12V and 15V at the
output. The desired resistors are se-
lected by switching into conduction
one of the six pnp transistors T1
through T6 by grounding the corre-
sponding transistor base using rotary
switch S1.
For example, to get regulated 3.3V,
simply rotate the knob of rotary switch
to 3.3V position. Consequently, tran-
CMYK
S.C. DW
IVEDI
sistor T1 is forward biased to switch
resistors R1 and R2 (in series) across
Adj pin of LM317 and ground to pro-
duce 3.3V.
Other voltages can be produced in
the same way by using rotary switch
S1. Capacitor C2 bypasses any ripple
in the output. Diode D5 is used as the
protection diode. Use a heat-sink for
dissipation of heat from IC LM317. The
fuse-rated lamp provides protection
against short circuit.
This 1A rated power supply can
be used for testing of various circuit
ideas as well as construction projects
published in EFY. z
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
CLOCK TIMER
 D. MOHAN KUMAR
W
ith this simple clock-
controlled timer, you will
never again miss your
favourite TV or radio programme. The
TV or radio will switch on automati-
cally at the time preset by you and
will remain on until the power sup-
ply fails or is disconnected.
The circuit uses the AC signals gen-
erated at the buzzer terminals of an
alarm clock. The AC signals are am-
plified by transistors T1 and T2 and
the amplified output from the emitter
of T2 is fed to the inverting input of
negative-voltage comparator IC LM311
(IC1). The non-inverting input of IC1
gets a presettable voltage through pre-
96 FEBRUARY 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
IVEDI
S.C. DW
set VR1. The inverting and non-invert-
ing inputs of LM311 are different from
other op-amps and it outputs sink cur-
rent through pin 7 or source current
through pin 1.
When pin 3 of IC1 is at a higher
voltage than pin 2, its output sinks
as indicated by LED1. This gives a
short negative pulse to the monostable
wired around timer NE555. Resistor
R5 keeps trigger pin 2 of IC2 high.
The short-interval monostable outputs
a high signal for a brief period to the
gate of SCR1 (BT169) and relay RL1
energises. The latching action of SCR1
keeps the relay pulled even when the
output of the monostable turns low.
The relay can be de-energised by dis-
connecting the supply to the circuit
via switch S1.
The circuit works off a 9V bat-
tery. Assemble it on a general-pur-
pose PCB and enclose in a suitable
cabinet. Provide an AC outlet in the
cabinet to switch on the appliance us-
ing the circuit. As mentioned earlier,
the input signal is obtained from the
buzzer terminals of the clock. Remove
the small buzzer of the clock and con-
nect point A to the positive termi-
nal and point B to the negative ter-
minal of the buzzer. Connect the
mains AC terminal outlet to the nor-
mally-opened (N/O) contact of relay
RL1. So when the relay energises,
230V AC operates the connected ap-
pliance.
Set the desired time in the clock by
adjusting the alarm set-up and switch
on the circuit. When the set time
reaches, the appliance will switch on
automatically. The circuit can also be
connected to digital clocks. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
AUDIO AMPLIFIER FOR
PERSONAL STEREO
M. VENK ATESWAR AN
TESWARAN
I
n the output stages of most broad-
cast receivers and some amplifiers,
there is a limit up to which maxi-
mum power can be developed with-
out distortion. In the widely accepted
output circuit, two output transistors
are connected in series between the
positive and ground and biasing is ad-
justed so that each transistor gets half
the supply voltage.
The circuit presented here is a
simple audio amplifier for a personal
stereo system. In this, supply voltage
to each transistor can be enhanced to
produce a larger output. The audio
driver transformer drives the transis-
tors adequately.
A 9V-0-9V, 300mA transformer has
been used in the set-up. Out of
the four diodes (D1 through D4), two
are used for developing the positive
voltage rail (+9V) and the other
two are used for developing the
negative voltage rail (9V). In the
76 JANUARY 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
pushpull amplifier, each transistor (T2
or T3) gets double the voltage when
activated.
Connect the low audio signal from
the stereo system at input terminals A
and B of the audio amplifier and pro-
vide mains AC to activate the circuit.
During the first half cycle of an AF
cycle, transistor T2 conducts and the
current flows from positive rail to
ground rail (centre tap of transformer
X1) via the loudspeaker coil (connected
between the emitter of transistor T2
and ground) in one direction. While
in the second half cycle, transistor T3
conducts and the current flows from
ground rail to negative rail via the
loudspeaker coil (connected between
ground and the collector of transistor
T3) in a direction opposite to the pre-
vious flow.
Transistors T2 and T3 of the
pushpull audio amplifier should
be matched correctly. If these transis-
tors get heated, change the bleeding
resistor pairs (R3 and R4 for transis-
S.C. DW
IVEDI
tor T2 and R5 and R7 for transistor
T3) so that the acceptable output
without overheating is obtained.
You can also replace these transistors
with another pair of suitable high-
power transistors.
For driving transistors T2 and T3,
a 9V audio driver transformer having
six leads is used. It is readily available
in the market and reasonably matches
the output and input impedances of
the preceeding and succeeding stages.
To test the quality of the audio
output, connect the stereos outputs
to the respective terminals A and B.
Now increase the volume level of
the stereo slowly. If you get a
high-level, high-quality sound across
loudspeaker L1, the amplifier is
working well. If the sound quality is
not good, decrease the volume level
until the audio amplifier gives good
results.
Note that this audio amplifier
works well for low-level audio
signals. z
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

IR MUSIC TRANSMITTER AND

RECEIVER
 IVEDI
PRADEEP G. 10 metres. S.C. DW
The circuit can be divided into

U
sing this circuit, audio musi-
cal notes can be generated
and heard up to a distance of
Fig. 1: Transmitter circuit
Fig. 2: IR audio receiver circuit
two parts: IR music transmitter and
receiver. The IR music transmitter
works off a 9V battery, while the driver stage (built across the transis-
IR music re- tors T1 and T2) to get the maximum
ceiver works off range.
regulated 9V to Here the red LED (LED1) flickers
12V. according to the musical tones gener-
Fig. 1 shows ated by UM66 IC, indicating modula-
the circuit of tion. IR LED2 and LED3 are infrared
the IR music transmitting LEDs. For maximum
transmitter. It sound transmission these should be
uses popular oriented towards IR phototransistor
melody genera- L14F1 (T3).
tor IC UM66 The IR music receiver uses popu-
(IC1) that can lar op-amp IC A741 and audio-fre-
continuously quency amplifier IC LM386 along with
generate musi- phototransistor L14F1 and some dis-
cal tones. The crete components (Fig. 2).
output of IC1 is The melody generated by IC UM66
fed to the IR is transmitted through IR LEDs, re-
ceived by phototransistor
T3 and fed to pin 2 of
IC A741 (IC2). Its gain
can be varied using
potmeter VR1. The output
of IC A741 is fed to IC
LM386 (IC3) via capaci-
tor C5 and potmeter VR2.
The melody produced
is heard through the
receivers loudspeaker.
Potmeter VR2 is used to
control the volume of
loudspeaker LS1 (8-ohm,
1W).
Switching off the
power supply stops
melody generation. 

108 JANUARY 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
AUTOMATIC LOW-POWER
EMERGENCY LIGHT
 S.C. DWIVEDI
H
ere is a white-LED-based
emergency light that offers
the following advantages:
1. It is highly bright due to the use
of white LEDs.
2. The light turns on automatically
when mains supply fails, and turns off
when mains power resumes.
3. It has its own battery charger.
When the battery is fully charged,
charging stops automatically.
The circuit comprises two sections:
charger power supply and LED driver.
The charger power supply section is
Fig. 1: Automatic high intensity LED-based emergency light
built around 3-terminal adjustable
regulator IC LM317 (IC1), while the
LED driver section is built around
transistor BD140 (T2).
In the charger power supply sec-
tion, input AC mains is stepped down
by transformer X1 to deliver 9V, 500
mA to the bridge rectifier, which com-
prises diodes D1 through D4. Filter
capacitor C1 eliminates ripples. Un-
regulated DC voltage is fed to input
pin 3 of IC1 and provides charging
126 JANUARY 2008 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
SUNIL K
UMAR
current through diode D5 and limit-
ing resistor R16. By adjusting preset
VR1, the output voltage can be ad-
justed to deliver the required charg-
ing current.
When the battery gets charged to
6.8V, zener diode ZD1 conducts and
charging current from regulator IC1
finds a path through transistor T1 to Fig. 2: Pin configurations of LM317, BD140
ground and it stops charging of the and BC548
battery.
The LED driver section uses a to- off. On the other hand, when mains
tal of twelve 10mm white LEDs. All fails, the base of transistor T2 becomes
the LEDs are connected in parallel low and it conducts. This makes all
with a 100-ohm resistor in series with the LEDs (LED1 through LED12) glow.
each. The common-anode junction of The mains power supply, when
available,
charges the bat-
tery and keeps
the LEDs off as
transistor T2 re-
mains cut-off.
During mains
failure, the
charging sec-
tion stops
working and
the battery sup-
ply makes the
LEDs glow.
Assemble
the circuit on a
general-pur-
pose PCB and
enclose in a
cabinet with
enough space
for battery and
all the twelve LEDs is connected to switches. Mount the LEDs on the cabi-
the collector of pnp transistor T2 and net such that they light up the room.
the emitter of transistor T2 is directly A hole in the cabinet should be drilled
connected to the positive terminal of to connect 230V AC input for the pri-
6V battery. The unregulated DC volt- mary of the transformer.
age, produced at the cathode junc- EFY lab note. We have tested the
tion of diodes D1 and D3, is fed to circuit with twelve 10mm white LEDs.
the base of transistor T2 through a 1- You can use more LEDs provided the
kilo-ohm resistor. total current consumption does not ex-
When mains power is available, the ceed 1.5A. Driver transistor T2 can de-
base of transistor T2 remains high and liver up to 1.5A with proper heat-sink
T2 does not conduct. Thus LEDs are arrangement. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

CASH BOX GUARD
T.K. Hareendran
M
ost thefts happen after mid-
night when people enter the
second phase of sleep called
paradoxical sleep. Here is a smart
security circuit for your cash box that
thwarts the theft attempt by activating
an emergency beeper. The circuit can
also be used to trigger any external
burglar alarm unit.
The cash box guard circuit (shown
in Fig. 1) is built around IC CD4060
(IC1), which has an inbuilt oscillator
and divider. The basic oscillator is con-
figured by a simple resistor-capacitor
(R-C) network. IC CD4060 divides this
oscillator frequency into binary divi-
sions, which are available as outputs.
In light, reset pin 12 of IC1 remains
low, which enables the oscillator built
around IC1. However, in the dark, it
Fig. 1: Cash box guard circuit
Fig. 2: Assembled unit
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
goes high, which resets the counter
making all the outputs low. This also
stops oscillations of the internal oscil-
lator.
Working of the circuit is simple. If
the cash box is closed, the interior will
be dark. Hence in the dark, the light-
dependant resistor (LDR1) resets IC1
and it stops oscillating and counting.
At the same time, pins 13 and 14 of
IC1 go low. So neither the piezobuzzer
(PZ1) sounds, nor the relay (RL1) en-
ergises, indicating that the cash box
is closed.
If someone tries to open the door
of the cash box, lightmost probably
from the burglars pen torchfalls
on LDR1 fitted into the cash box. As
a result, LDR1 conducts and pin 12
of IC1 goes low. IC1 starts oscillating
and counting. With the present tim-
ing R-C components (at pins 9, 10 and
Fig. 3: Unit fitted inside the cash box and also
connected to an external alarm
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u J a n ua ry 2 0 1 1 1 1 7
circuit
ideas
s.c. dwiv
edi
11), the output timing at pin 14 of IC1
is two-three seconds. Hence pin 14 of
IC1 goes high for two seconds after the
door is opened and goes low for an-
other two seconds. So the piezobuzzer
(PZ1) sounds for two seconds and then
falls silent for the following two sec-
onds. This cycle repeats until the cash
box is closed.
An optional relay is added for a
remotely located audio/visual alert
system. For that, a relay driver circuit
built around npn transistor BC548 (T2)
is used. The relay is energised by the
output from pin 13 of IC1 for about
four seconds after the door is opened
and then de-energised for the follow-
ing four seconds. You can use this re-
lay to activate another remotely located
audio/visual alert system.
After assembling the circuit on a
small PCB, house it in a small tamper-
proof box (refer Fig. 2) leaving a little
window for LDR1 and a small opening
for the piezobuzzer (PZ1). Now fit the
unit inside the cash box (refer Fig. 3)
with LDR1 pointing towards the door
of the cash box.
EFY note. 1. The relay latching
facility can be added to the circuit by
replacing transistor T2 with a suit-
able silicon-controlled rectifier such
as BT169.
2. By changing the value of resistor
R1, you can adjust the light detection
sensitivity of the circuit.
3. If you want to use a 3-pin
piezobuzzer device, remove buzzer-
driver npn transistor T1 and connect
trigger pin of the buzzer directly to
pin 14 of IC1. Also connect the positive
and negative terminals of the buzzer to
respective positive and negative points
of the circuit.
4. Photo-transistor 2N5777 can be
used in place of the 10mm LDR1.
5. The complete kit for this circuit is
available with KitsnSpares.
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
REMOTE-CONTROLLED FAN REGULATOR

Dr C.H. VITHALANI
U
sing this circuit, you can
change the speed of the fan
from your couch or bed. In-
frared receiver module TSOP1738 is
used to receive the infrared signal
transmitted by remote control.
The circuit is powered by regulated
9V. The AC mains is stepped down
by transformer X1 to deliver a second-
ary output of 12V-0-12V. The trans-
former output is rectified by full-wave
rectifier comprising diodes D1 and D2,
filtered by capacitor C9 and regulated
by 7809 regulator to provide 9V regu-
lated output.
Any button on the remote can be
used for controlling the speed of the
fan. Pulses from the IR receiver mod-
ule are applied as a trigger signal to
timer NE555 (IC1) via LED1 and resis-
88 JULY 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
tor R4. IC1 is wired as a monostable
multivibrator to delay the clock given
to decade counter-cum-driver IC
CD4017 (IC2).
Out of the ten outputs of decade
counter IC2 (Q0 through Q9), only five
(Q0 through Q4) are used to control
the fan. Q5 output is not used, while
Q6 output is used to reset the counter.
Another NE555 timer (IC3) is also
wired as a monostable multivibrator.
Combination of one of the resistors R5
through R9 and capacitor C5 controls
the pulse width. The output from IC
CD4017 (IC2) is applied to resistors R5
through R9. If Q0 is high capacitor C5
is charged through resistor R5, if Q1 is
high capacitor C5 is charged through
resistor R6, and so on.
Optocoupler MCT2E (IC5) is wired
as a zero-crossing detector that sup-
plies trigger pulses to monostable
CMYK
IVEDI
S.C. DW
multivibrator IC3 during zero cross-
ing. Opto-isolator MOC3021 (IC4)
drives triac BT136. Resistor R13 (47-
ohm) and capacitor C7 (0.01F) com-
bination is used as snubber network
for triac1 (BT136). As the width of the
pulse decreases, firing angle of the triac
increases and speed of the fan also in-
creases. Thus the speed of the fan in-
creases when we press any button on
the remote control.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and house it in a small
case such that the infrared sensor can
easily receive the signal from the re-
mote transmitter.

WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 circuit
ideas
Aquarium Probe
D. Mohan Kumar
A
number of environmental
factors including light and
temperature affect fish culture.
The temperature of water has profound
effect because fish cannot breed above
or below the critical temperature lim-
its. Temperature between 24C and
33C is found to be the best to induce
spawning in fishes. This particular
temperature range is also necessary
for the healthy growth of nursery fish
fries (young fishes). Rise of water tem-
perature due to sunlight may adversely
affect the fish rearing process.
Fig. 1: Circuit for aquarium probe
The circuit of aquatic probe de-
scribed here can monitor the tem-
perature of water and indicate the
rise in temperature through audio-
visual indicators. A readily available
signal diode 1N34 is used in the
circuit as the temperature sensing
probe. The resistance of the diode
depends on the temperature in its
vicinity.
Typically, the diode can gener-
ate around 600 mV when a potential
difference is applied to its terminals.
For each degree centigrade rise in
9 2 j u ly 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
s.c. dwiv
edi
temperature, the diode generates 2mV
output voltage. That is, at 5C, it is 10
mV, which rises to 70 mV when the
temperature is 35C. This property
is exploited in the circuit to sense the
temperature variation in aquarium
water. Fig. 1 shows the circuit diagram
of the aquarium probe.
Since the output from the diode
sensor is too low, a high-gain invert-
ing DC amplifier is used to amplify
the voltage. CA3140 (IC1) is the CMOS
version op-amp that can operate down
to zero-volt output. The highest output
available from IC1 is 2.25V less than
the input voltage at pin 7. With resistor
R4 and
VR2, the
variation
in diode
Fig. 2: Diode sensor assembly voltage
can be
amplified to the required level. Resis-
tor R1 restricts current flow through
diode D1 and preset VR1 (1-kilo-ohm)
sets the input voltage at pin 3. IC3
(7805) provides regulated 5 volts to the
inputs of IC1, so that the input voltage
is stable for accurate measurement of
temperature.
The output from IC1 is fed to
display driver LM3915 (IC2) through
preset VR3 (50-kilo-ohm). With
careful adjustments, the wiper of
VR3 can provide 0-400 millivolts
to the input of IC2. The highly sensi-
tive input of IC2 accepts as low as
50 mV if the reference voltage at its
pin 7 is adjusted using a variable
resistor. To increase the sensitivity
of IC2, preset VR4 is connected at
one end to reference voltage end
pin 7 and its wiper is connected to
high end pin 6 of the internal resis-
tor chain.
When approximately 70 mV is
provided to the input of IC2 by adjust-
ing preset VR3, LED1 (green) lights
up to indicate that the temperature is
approximately 35C, which is the cross-
ing point. When the input receives 100
mV, LED2 (red) lights up to indicate
approximately 50C.
Finally, the buzzer
starts beeping if the
input receives 130
mV corresponding
to a temperature of
65C.
In short, LEDs
and the buzzer re-
main standby when
the temperature of the
water is below 35C
(normal). With each
step increase of 30
mV in the input (cor-
responding to 15C
rise in temperature),
LEDs and the buzzer
become active.
Pin 16 of IC2 is
used to drive the pi-
ezobuzzer through transistor T1. When
pin 16 of IC2 becomes low, T1 conducts
to beep the piezobuzzer. Resistor R7
keeps the base of transistor T1 high to
avoid false alarm. IC4 provides regu-
lated 9V DC to the circuit.
Assemble the circuit on a common
PCB and enclose in a suitable case.
Glass signal diode D1 is immersed
in water to sense the temperature
of water. Its leads should be coated
with enamel paint to avoid shorting
in water. Alternatively, enclose the
diode in a small glass tube or test
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

tube having sufficient internal space
to fit the diode as shown in Fig. 2.
Make the sensor assembly waterproof
using wax.
Take care while calibrating and
setting the circuit. With 5V DC sup-
ply to diode D1 and an ambient tem-
perature of about 35C, D1 generates
around 70 mV. Adjust VR3 until the
voltage in its wiper increases to 70
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
mV, so that the input of IC2 (pin 5)
receives 70 mV corresponding to the
diode output voltage at 35C. At this
stage, green LED1 should turn on.
If it doesnt, adjust VR4 until LED1
just lights up. Immerse the diode
in temperature-adjusted hot water
(35C) and adjust VR3 and VR4 until
green LED1 lights up. Increase the
water temperature to 50C by adding
circuit
ideas
hot water. Now red LED2 will glow.
At this position, the voltage at pin 6
of IC1 will be around 100 mV. When
the temperature of water increases
further to 65C, the buzzer starts
beeping. After calibration, immerse
the diode assembly in the aquarium
tank just below the water surface
and fix it permanently to avoid float-
ing.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u j u ly 2 0 0 8 9 3
circuit
ideas

Generator Room Light s.c. dwiv

edi

Manuj Paul erator room light, while Fig. 2 shows

the battery charger circuit, which is IC1 remain high, making output pin 3

A
t night when power fails, one optional and can be omitted if the gen- of IC1 low and transistor T2 cut-off. So
finds it difficult to reach the erator is self-start type and has built-in lamp L1 connected between the collec-
generator to start it. Here is battery. tor of T1 and the positive terminal of
the circuit for a generator room light At the heart of the generator room 12V supply does not glow.
that automatically turns on at night, light circuit (Fig.1) is a light-dependent As the ambient light fades dur-
facilitating easy access to the generator. resistor (LDR1) that senses the ambi- ing sunset, the resistance of LDR1
During daytime, the light remains off. ent light as well as light from glowing increases. As a result, the voltage drop
Fig. 1 shows the circuit for gen- LED1. across LDR1 increases and npn transis-
tor T1 conducts. Pins 2 and
6 of IC1 go low to make its
output pin 3 high, and lamp
L1 glows.
You can replace incan-
descent lamp L1 with bright
white LEDs using proper
current-limiting resistors.
Assemble the circuit on
a general-purpose PCB and
enclose in a suitable cabinet.
Install the unit near the gen-
erator. Arrange LED1 and
LDR1 such that during the
availability of mains, light
emitted from LED1 falls di-
rectly on LDR1. Also, make
sure that during daytime
the ambient light falls on
the LDR.
For powering the battery
Fig. 1: Circuit for generator room light charger circuit (Fig. 2), 15V
AC secondary voltage is
During derived from step-down transformer
daytime, sun- X1. For fast charging of the battery,
light or light you may increase the current rating of
from LED1 transformer X1.
reduces the The charger charges the battery
resistance through a thyristor (SCR1) when the
of LDR1. As battery voltage is low. The thyristor
a result, the gets a regulated gate voltage from the
voltage drop zener diode, and goes to tickle charg-
across LDR1 ing mode when the battery voltage
decreases and nears the zener voltage.
npn transistor Assemble the charger circuit on a
T1 does not general-purpose PCB and enclose in
conduct. The a suitable cabinet. Use two crocodile
collector of T1 clips (red for positive and black for
and therefore negative) for connecting the battery
Fig. 2: Battery charger circuit (optional) pins 2 and 6 of terminal to the charger circuit.

8 4 J u ly 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
Mobile Electronic Workbench
Abhijeet Deshpande
T
ypically, implementing and
testing even a small circuit
requires an elaborate setup
that includes breadboards, a dual DC
power supply, hookup wires, ICs and
resistors of different values. This setup
can be quite messy and difficult to
clean up at the end of the experiment.
Also, the power supply can make the
Fig. 1: Circuit for mobile electronic workbench
Fig. 2: Photograph of electronic workbench
9 6 J u ly 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
setup non-portable. Here we present
a mobile electronic workbench that
makes it easier for you to assemble and
test circuits.
This mobile workbench is useful
for students in schools, colleges, re-
search institutions and industries alike.
It can be used conveniently wherever
you want. It is also cost-effective and
very useful for giving demos. As the
power is supplied by the batteries, the
edi
s.c. dwiv
voltage is noise-free.
Fig. 1 shows the circuit of the
mobile electronic workbench. Two
low-drop-out (LDO) regulators (one
positive and the other negative) are
used here to provide regulated +5V
and -5V for digital ICs.
When switch S1 is pushed to on
position, LEDs indicate the availability
of voltages on the breadboard. When it
is in off position, the battery terminals
connect to the sockets for charging the
batteries. Apart from +6V and +5V
supplies, you can also have a 12V
source between +6V and -6V terminals.
As shown in Fig. 2, the mobile
workbench consists of a big mela-
mine tray. At the centre of this tray,
mount the breadboard. On the sides
of the breadboard, stick two 6V, 4.5Ah
maintenance-free lead-acid batteries
(Batt.1 and Batt.2). On a wooden bat-
ten, mount two-pole, two-way toggle
switch S1 and two fuses and two sock-
ets symmetrically. Mount LED1 and
LED2 on the sides of S1.
If you do not want this mobile
workbench on a breadboard, you can
assemble it on a general-purpose PCB
and enclose in a suitable cabinet. Fix
LEDs and switch S1 on the front panel
of the cabinet and the fuses at the back
side of the box.
In place of LM2990-5, you can
use a 5.1V, 2W zener diode with 100-
ohm, 2W series
limiting resis-
tor as shown in
Fig. 3. During
testing, we used
a zener diode for
negative 5V regu-
Fig. 3: Alternative 5V
lation instead of
circuit LM2990-5.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

PARROT-SOUNDING S.C. DW
IVEDI

AC DOORBELL

SANI THEO former used in the
experimental setup

H
ere is a mains-operated door- are shown in Fig. 2.
bell that produces parrot-like The circuit is
sweet voice without requiring powered directly
any musical IC. The circuit is cheap from 220V AC mains.
and easy to construct. The AC mains The operating DC
is fed to the circuit without using any voltage obtained at
step-down transformer. the cathode of diode
The complete circuit is shown in D1 is about 6V. How-
Fig. 1. The main components of the ever, if you press
circuit are a resistor-capacitor network, switch S1 continu-
transistor BC337 and audio output ously for a few sec-
transformer X1. The oscillation fre- onds, the maximum
quency depends on the combination of voltage developed at
resistors R4 and R5 and capacitors C3, this point may go up
C4 and C5. When switch S1 is closed, Fig. 1: Circuit of parrot-sounding doorbell to 20 volts, which
the audio signal generated due to oscil- must be avoided to
lations is amplified by transistor BC337 prolong the life of the
and parrot-like sound is reproduced circuit. R1 limits
from loudspeaker LS1 connected across surge current in the
the secondary of transformer X1. circuit. The parallel
Here we have used an 8-ohm, 0.5W combination of resis-
loudspeaker. The audio output trans- tor R1 and capacitor
former (X1) is normally used in tran- C1 limits the circuit
Fig. 3: Pin
sistor radio. The function of the audio configuration current to a safe level
output transformer is to transform the of BC337 for circuit operation.
high impedance of the output ampli- Fig. 2: Dimensions of audio transformer R2 across C1 pro-
fier to match the much lower imped- vides DC path for the
ance of the speaker. This is necessary be low output and loss of tone qual- current as well as a discharge path when
to get an efficient transfer of the audio ity. The audio frequency tone across the circuit is switched off. This is to
signal to the speaker. If a wrong au- the speaker terminal is about 3 kHz. prevent a possible shock to the opera-
dio transformer is used, the result can The dimensions of the audio trans- tor by charged capacitor C1.

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JUNE 2006 87

CMYK
 circuit
ideas
Poor Mans Hearing Aid
EFY LAB
T
his miniature stereo preampli-
fier-cum-headphone amplifier
circuit works off a 3V battery
(lithium non-rechargeable coin cell).
Although its performance is not
comparable to that of commercially
available sophisticated hearing aids,
still it can serve the purpose well
for persons with a low degree of
hearing impairment. Its maximum
power output at 1 kHz is around 8
mW, which is adequate for driving
the headphones.
The circuit, as shown in Fig. 1,
is wired around Sanyos MSI (me-
dium-scale-integrated) surface-mount
10-pin DIL IC LA4537M, which
measures just 86.41.5 mm 3 . A
functional block diagram of LA4537M
IC is shown in Fig. 2. Since the MSIs
pin-to-pin (centre-to-centre) distance
is only 1 mm, the circuit has to be
assembled on a properly designed
PCB using soldering iron with a
pointed bit. Two ICs (LA4537M)
have been cascaded to increase the
overall sensitivity and thereby the
reception range. You can adjust the
volume of the stereo channels indi-
Fig. 1: Circuit for the hearing aid
8 8 j u n e 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
s.c. dwiv
edi
vidually, as per your requirement,
using presets VR1 and VR2, respec-
tively. house it in a thin metallic case, which
With 3V supply voltage, you can then be mounted in the middle of
can afford to use 1/8-watt resistors, a metallic/plastic headband (gener-
while the electrolytic capacitors ally used by telephone operators),
voltage rating can be as low as 5V. while the two microphones with
This will allow the assembled circuit their associated earpieces are to be
to occupy very little space. Apart extended using screened wires so
from the usual battery on/off that these (microphone-earpiece sets)
switch S1, muting on/off switch can be kept closest to the respective
S2 has also been provided. Both S1 earlobes.
and S2 could be PCB-mount slide Caution. Ensure that shielded
switches. microphone wires do not touch
After assembling the main circuit, (short) the shielded earpiece
wires, as
these are con-
nected to dif-
ferent pins
(reference in-
put pin 5 and
ground pins 3
and 8, respec-
tively) of ICs
LA4537M.
You may use
an insulat-
ing sleeve
over each of
the shielded
Fig. 2: Functional diagram of ic la4537m wires.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas

PC POWER MANAGER s.c. dwiv

edi

T.K. Hareendran fier comprising diodes D1 through D4,

smoothed by capacitors C1 and C2,

V
ery often we forget to switch and regulated by IC LM7812 (IC1). The To activate the PC manager circuit,
off the connected peripher- regulated 12V DC is used to energise proceed as follows: Press start switch
als like monitor, scanner and relay RL1. LED1 works as a power- S1 and hold it in this position for a
printer while switching off our PC. active indicator. few minutes. When power-active
This leads to needless energy con- To set up the circuit, first connect indicator LED1 lights up, relay RL1
sumption and possible shortening of the input socket (SOC1) of the circuit energises and the 230V mains power
the life of the peripheral. PCs with to a proper AC mains wall outlet us- supply from SOC1 is fed to output
an ATX switch-mode power supply ing a three-core power cable. Now socket SOC2 through the contacts of
(SMPS) unit are not provided with a connect one end of a standard USB relay RL1.
mains switch outlet. It is therefore not cable to the B-type USB
possible to achieve automatic switch- input socket and the
ing (on/off) of peripheral units with other end of the cable
the computer power switch. to any vacant USB port
Here is a simple circuit that turns (A-type) of the PC. Fi-
the connected peripherals on/off along nally, plug one standard
with your PC. It consists of a regulated four-way switchboard
power supply, a simple USB interface (extension cord) into the
and two electromagnetic relays used as supply output socket
power switches. (SOC2) of the circuit
The power supply for the circuit is and take power from
derived from the AC mains via trans- this switchboard to acti-
former X1. The 15V AC available at vate all loads like moni-
the secondary winding of transformer tor, scanner, printer and
X1 is first rectified by a bridge recti- even your PC. Fig. 2: Wiring diagram for PC power manager

Fig. 1: Circuit of PC power manager

8 4 J u n e 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m

Now start your computer as usual,
by pressing the power button on the
front panel. When the PC runs, there
will be 5V DC at the USB interface
socket. As a result, relay RL2 energises
via diode D6. The contacts of relay RL2
close switch S1 permanently, and LED2
glows continuously.
Release start switch S1. Now your
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
PC manager is ready to use.
When you switch off your PC, relay
RL2 de-energises. As a result, electric
power from the switchboard (to which
all peripherals are connected) is cut off.
Switch S2 works here as an emergency
bypass switch.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose in a suitable
circuit
ideas
cabinet. Connect SOC1, SOC2 and USB
socket along with switches S1 and S2
and LEDs (LED1 and LED2) on the
front panel of the cabinet. Refer Fig. 2
for connections.
EFY note. Take care during fab-
rication and testing, as the circuit is
at mains potential and may give you
lethal shock.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u J u n e 2 0 0 9 8 5
circuit
ideas
Weekly Reminder
Raj K. Gorkhali
T
his circuit reminds you of all
the important tasks that are
due on a specific day every
week. So be it returning your library
book, switching on your favourite TV
programme, putting the dustbin out
or cleaning the car, it automatically
flashes an LED that very day to alert
you of something to be done. The LED
keeps flashing until you press the re-
set button. The circuit consumes very
little power.
The circuit can count the days.
The rising of the Sun is detected by
a light-dependent resistor (LDR1).
When the sun rises, the ambient
light level reduces the resistance of
LDR1. The voltage level at pin 13
of gate N4 goes low. Since the other
input (pin 12) of gate N4 is high, its
output also goes high. This is invert-
ed by gate N10 whose output goes
low to make counter IC3 advance
by one count. This way each day is
counted. Similarly, the counter ad-
vances by one every morning until it
counts seven days.
9 8 J u n e 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
In the morning of the seventh
day, all the inputs of gate N9 become
high, making its output low. The low
output of gate N9 is inverted by gate
N11 to trigger the pulse generator
built around gates N5 and N7, and
it produces a short-duration pulse
to trigger the flip-flop built around
gates N6 and N8. As a result, the
output of the flip-flop goes high to
enable the astable multivibrator built
around gate N3. The astable mul-
tivibrator produces 2Hz frequency
to flash LED1 as a reminder. LED1
flashes until you press reset switch
S2 momentarily.
When the enable input (pin 8) of
gate N3 is low, the output of the asta-
ble multivibrator remains high. Gate
N2 inverts this high level into low and
the transistor does not conduct. So
LED1 doesnt flash when the astable
multivibrator is disabled.
Counter IC3 also resets when the
pulse generator triggers because its
reset pin 11 is connected to the output
of gate N11.
When the counter IC3 resets, its
output becomes low and its ready
s.c. dwiv
edi
to begin day counting for the next
week.
Suppose you require a reminder for
four days. Then first cover the sensor
and press increment switch S1 thrice
momentarily and leave it. Now your
reminder (flashing of LED1) starts after
four days.
Assemble the circuit on a gen-
eral-purpose PCB and enclose in a
suitable cabinet. After assembling
the circuit, proper setting is required.
First of all, switch on the power.
LED1 flashes. Press switch S2 to stop
it from flashing. Cover LDR1 and
press S1 several times until LED1
flashes again. The counter is now set
at a count of 0 and is ready to start
weekdays counting. Press S2 to stop
flashing.
Do not uncover the sensor im-
mediately after pressing S2. Else, the
counter will register arrival of the
next day and LED1 will flash after six
days. To make it flash weekly on a
particular day, keep the LDR1 in dark
until night.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
INFRARED BUG
T.K. HAREENDRAN
T
his circuit can be used to de-
tect the presence of modulated
infrared signals in its vicinity
from any electronic source, for in-
stance, an IR handheld remote control-
ler. It can also be used for testing IR
burglar alarm systems.
Fig. 1 shows the circuit of the in-
frared bug. Besides the power supply
(one 9V PP3/6F22 compact battery
pack), it consists of an infrared
signal detector-cum-preamplifier
followed by a melody generator
and a tiny audio amplifier. The cir-
Fig. 1: Infrared bug
100 MARCH 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
cuit, in principle, con-
verts the IR signal pulse
trains into noticeable au-
ral notes.
S1 is used to switch
on/off mains power and
LED1 indicates power-
on. Resistor R4 and
zener diode ZD2 form
a low-current voltage Fig. 2: Pin configurations of LM386, BC547/337 and UM66
stabiliser for providing
steady 5.1V DC to the small signal-
preamplifier circuit. IR LED1 is the
main sensing element.
The IR signal detected by IR LED1
is amplified by npn transistors T1 and
CMYK
S.C. DW
IVEDI
T2. The amplified signal is fed to the
melody generator via resistor R5. The
output of the melody generator is fed
to LM386 low-power audio amplifier
(IC2) via variable resistor VR1, which
works as the volume control.
The loudspeaker sounds to in-
dicate the presence of IR signal
near the circuit.
IC LM386 is wired as a
minimum-parts amplifier with
a voltage gain of 20, which is
sufficient for this application.
Capacitor C3 is used for
decoupling of the positive rail
and the R-C combination net-
work comprising C4 and R7
bypasses high frequency to
ground.
The circuit can be easily
wired on a small veroboard or
any general-purpose PCB. Pin
configurations of IC LM386,
transistor BC547 and melody
generator UM66 are shown in
Fig. 2. A miniature metallic
cabinet may be used for enclos-
ing the gadget. z
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 circuit
ideas
Triple Power Supply s.c. dwiv
edi

Sandip Trivedi and P.D. Lele is used for op-amp-based analogue

circuit experiments.

T
his low-cost, multipurpose
power supply fulfils the re-
quirements of almost all labora-
tory experiments. Nonetheless, it can
be easily fabricated by hobbyists.
A single transformer is used to
build this triple power supply. Regula-
tor IC LM317 generates variable power
supply of 1.25 to 20V, 1A. The dual
12V, 1A power supply is generated
by regulators 7812 and 7912. Similarly,
dual 5V, 1A power supply is gener-
ated by regulators 7805 and 7905.
On/off switches (S2 through S4)
select the required power supply. Vari-
able power supply is used to study the
characteristics of devices. Fixed +5V
power supply is used for all digital,
microprocessor and microcontroller
experiments. Dual 12V power supply
Fig. 1 shows the circuit of the triple
power supply, while Fig. 2 shows the
pin configuration of the regulators
used in the circuit. Transformer X1
steps down the mains power to deliver
the secondary output of 18V-0-18V.
The transformer output is rectified by
full-wave bridge rectifier BR1, filtered
by capacitors C1, C2, C3, C7 and C8,
and regulated by IC1 through IC5.
Regulator IC1 (LM317) provides vari-
able voltages (1.25 to 20V), while IC2
and IC4 provide regulated +12V and
12V, respectively. The output of IC2 is
fed to regulator IC3 (7805), which pro-
vides fixed +5V. Similarly, the output
of IC4 is fed to regulator IC5 (7905),
which provides fixed 5V. Capacitors
C4 through C6, and C9 through C11,
are used for further filtering of ripples
in positive and negative regulated
power supplies. LED1 glows to indi-
cate that +5V is available, while LED2
indicates that 5V is available.
Switch S1 is used for mains on/
off. Using switches S2 through
S4, any of the three supplies can be
independently turned off when not
required in a particular experiment.
This reduces unnecessary power dis-
sipation and increases the life and
reliability of the power supply. Since
the circuit uses three terminal regula-
tors, only capacitors are required at
the input and output. The use of few
components makes the circuit very
simple. The three terminal regulators
have heat-sink provision to directly
deliver 1A output current. To ensure
the maximum output, do not forget to

HEAT SINK

S2 = FOR VARIABLE VOLTAGE IN IC1 OUT

3
LM317 2
S3 = FOR +12V AND +5V S2 1
R1
ADJ. +1.25 TO 20V
S4 = FOR 12V AND 5V 120

S1-S4 = ON/OFF SWITCH C3

0.1
VR1 GND
2.2K
+12V
POT

S1
ON/OFF HEAT SINK HEAT SINK
SWITCH
IN IC2 OUT IN IC3 OUT
1 7812 3 1 7805 3
X1 S3 2 2
F1
1.5A GND GND
R2
FUSE
BR1 330
C1 C4 C5
L W04 1000 C2 100 10
+5V
C6
230V AC 35V 0.1 25V 16V 0.1
50Hz
BR1 LED1
N W04

GND
X1 = 230V AC
PRIMARY TO 18V-0-18V, C7 C8 C9 C10 R3
1.5A SECONDARY 1000 0.1 100 10 330
TRANSFORMER 35V 25V 16V C11 5V
0.1
GND GND
1 1 LED2
BR1-W04 2 IC4 3 2 IC5 3
1.5A, BRIDGE S4 IN 7912 OUT IN 7905 OUT
RECTIFIER

HEAT SINK HEAT SINK

12V
GND

Fig. 1: Tripple power supply

w w w. e f y m ag . co m e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u M a r c h 2 0 0 9 8 1
circuit
ideas
Fig. 2: Pin configurations of regulators
use heat-sinks for the regulators.
The three-terminal regulators are
almost non-destructible. These have
inbuilt protection circuits including
the thermal shutdown protection. Even
if there is overload or shorting of the
output, the inbuilt overload protection
circuit will limit the current and slowly
reduce the output voltage to zero.
Similarly, if the temperature increases
beyond a certain value due to excessive
load and heat dissipation, the in-built
thermal shutdown circuit will reduce
the output current and the output volt-
age (gradually) to zero. Thus complete
protection is provided to the circuitry.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose in a box as
shown in Fig. 3.
The step-by-step procedure to build
the triple power supply for the labora-
tory follows:
8 2 M a r c h 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
Fig. 3: Proposed cabinet for power supply
1. Collect all the components shown
in the circuit diagram.
2. Connect switch S1, fuse, trans-
former and mains cord to the assem-
bled PCB as well as the box.
3. Keep the multimeter in DC volt-
age range (more than 25V DC) and
measure the DC voltage across ca-
pacitors C1 and C7 (1000 F, 35V). This
voltage should be around 18V1.41=25
to 26V DC. Check both positive and
negative voltages with respect to
ground.
4. It is advisable to use three-wire
mains cable and plug. If you are using
any metallic box, earthing wire/pin of
the mains plug should be soldered to
the body of the metallic box using an
earthing tag.
5. If the 18V-0-18V
transformer is replaced
with 15V-0-15V trans-
former, the output
voltage of the variable
supply using LM317
will be correspond-
ingly lower.
6. If proper voltages
are available, go to step
7. Otherwise, check the
connections.
7. Connect variable regulator
LM317 to the circuit and check 1.25V
to 20V output by varying the 2.2-kilo-
ohm linear potentiometers.
8. Now connect ICs 7812, 7912, 7805
and 7905 to the circuit and check their
output voltage.
9. Connect terminals, potmeter,
switches and indicator LED on the
front panel of the box and complete
the connections. Close the box by us-
ing screws.
Precaution. At the primary side of
the transformer, 230V AC could give
lethal shocks. So be careful not to touch
this part. EFY will not be responsible
for any resulting loss or harm to the
user.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
Antisleep Alarm for Students
Suresh Kumar K.B.
T
his circuit saves both time and
electricity for students. It helps
to prevent them from dozing
off while studying, by sounding a beep
at a fixed time interval, say, 30 minutes.
If the student is awake during the beep,
he can reset the circuit to beep in the
next 30 minutes. If the timer is not reset
during this time, it means the student
is in deep sleep or not in the room, and
the circuit switches off the light and fan
in the room, thus preventing the wast-
age of electricity.
The circuit is built around Schmitt-
trigger NAND gate IC CD4093 (IC1),
timer IC CD4020 (IC2), transistors
9 8 M a r c h 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
BC547, relay RL1 and buzzer.
The Schmitt-trigger NAND gate
(IC1) is configured as an astable multi-
vibrator to generate clock for the timer
(IC2). The time period can be calcu-
lated as T=1.38RC. If R=R1+VR1=15
kilo-ohms and C=C2=10 F, youll get
T as 0.21 second. Timer IC CD4020
(IC2) is a 14-stage ripple counter.
Around half an hour after the reset
of IC1, transistors T1, T2 and T3 drive
the buzzer to sound an intermediate
beep. If IC2 is not reset through S1
at that time, around one minute later
the output of gate N4 goes high and
transistor T4 conducts. As the output
of gate N4 is connected to the clock
input (pin 10) of IC2 through diode
edi
s.c. dwiv
D3, further counting stops and relay
RL1 energises to deactivate all the ap-
pliances. This state changes only when
IC1 is reset by pressing switch S1.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose it in a suit-
able cabinet. Mount switch S1 and the
buzzer on the front panel and the relay
at the back side of the box. Place the
12V battery in the cabinet for powering
the circuit. In place of the battery, you
can also use a 12V DC adaptor.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

REMOTE CONTROL FOR SANI TH

EO

HOME APPLIANCES
S. MOHAN nal is fed to clock pin 14 of decade appliance. Transistor T2 (BC548) con-
counter IC CD4017 (IC1). Pin 8 of IC1 nected to pin 2 of IC1 drives relay RL1.

C
onnect this circuit to any of is grounded, pin 16 is connected to Vcc Diode 1N4007 (D1) acts as a freewheel-
your home appliances (lamp, and pin 3 is connected to LED1 (red), ing diode. The appliance to be con-
fan, radio, etc) to make the which glows to indicate that the ap- trolled is connected between the pole of
appliance turn on/off from a TV, VCD pliance is off. the relay and neutral terminal of mains.
or DVD remote control. The circuit can The output of IC1 is taken from its It gets connected to live terminal of AC
be activated from up to 10 metres. pin 2. LED2 (green) connected to pin 2 mains via normally opened (N/O) con-
The 38kHz infrared (IR) rays is used to indicate the on state of the tact when the relay energises. z
generated by the re-
mote control are re-
ceived by IR receiver
module TSOP1738 of
the circuit. Pin 1 of
TSOP1738 is connected
to ground, pin 2 is con-
nected to the power
supply through resis-
tor R5 and the output
is taken from pin 3. The
output signal is ampli-
fied by transistor T1
(BC558).
The amplified sig-

82 MAY 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

CMYK

SCHOOL/COLLEGE
QUIZ BUZZER

GOVINDA RAJU TEKUMUDI
M
anual buzzers used for quiz
competitions in schools and
colleges create a lot of confu-
sion in identifying the first respondent.
Although there are circuits using PCs
and discrete ICs, they are either too
expensive or limited to only a few
number of players.
The quiz buzzer circuit given here
can be used for up to eight players,
which is maximum in any quiz com-
Fig. 1: Power supply
Fig. 2: Circuit of school/college quiz buzzer
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S.C. DW
IVEDI
petition. The circuit uses IC 74LS373 section is IC 74LS373, an octal
and a few passive components that are latch that is used to transfer
readily available in the market. the logic state at data input pins
The circuit can be divided into two D0 through D7 to the corresponding
sections: power supply and quiz Q0 through Q7 outputs. Data pins D0
buzzer. through D7 are normally pulled low
Fig. 1 shows the power supply sec- by resistors R1 through R8, respec-
tion. The regulated 5V power supply tively.
for the quiz buzzer section is derived One terminal of push-to-on
from AC mains. The 230V AC mains switches S1 through S8 is connected
is stepped down to 7.5V AC by trans- to +5V, while the other terminal is
former X1, rectified by bridge rectifier connected to the respective data input
BR1, filtered by C1 and regulated pins. The switches are to be extended
by regulator to the players through cord wire. The
IC1. Capacitor torch bulbs BL1 through BL8 can be
C2 bypasses housed in boxes with the front side of
ripples in the the boxes covered with a white paper
regulator out- having the name or number of the
put. contestant written over it for easy
Fig. 2 identification. Place the boxes above
shows the the head level so that these can be
quiz buzzer seen by the audience also.
section. At the When the power is switched on us-
heart of this ing switch S9 (provided terminals A
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MAY 2006 87
CMYK
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
and B of both the power supply and
quiz buzzer sections are intercon-
nected), the circuit is ready to use.
Now all the switches (S1 through S8)
are open and Q0 through Q7 outputs
of IC 74LS373 are low. As a result, the
gates of silicon-controlled rectifiers
SCR1 through SCR8 are also low.
As soon as a contestant momen-
88 MAY 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
tarily presses his respective switch, the
corresponding output data pin goes
high. This triggers the corresponding
SCR and the respective bulb glows. At
the same time, the piezobuzzer (PZ1)
sounds as transistor T1 conducts.
Simultaneously, the base of tran-
sistor T2 becomes high to make it con-
duct. Latch-enable (LE) pin 11 of IC2
CMYK
is tied to ground to latch all the Q0
through Q7 outputs. This restricts fur-
ther change in the output state due to
any change in the state of switches S1
through S8 by any other contestant.
Only one of the eight torch bulbs
glows until the circuit is reset by on/
off switch S9. Note. The complete kit
is available at Kits n Spares outlet.

WWW.EFYMAG.COM

5-BAND GRAPHIC EQUALISER
 SOMEN GHOSH
T
his equaliser uses low-cost
op-amps. Good-quality op-
amps powered by a single volt-
age supply are readily available in the
market. The op-amp should have a
noise density of less than 24nV/Hz,
slew rate of more than 5V/s and gain-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
bandwidth product greater than 3
MHz. The NE5532 or LM833 used in
this circuit meets these requirements.
Equaliser circuits typically divide
the audio spectrum into separate fre-
quency bands and have independent
gain control for each band. The out-
put of each band is mixed at IC4(A)
and then fed to an audio power am-
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
R. SUNDAR
A KUMAR
plifier. Proper quality factor (Q) needs
to be selected to avoid overlap in ad-
jacent bands as this introduces
colouration into the audio signal.
We have used the multiple-feed-
back bandpass filter topology shown
in left-most corner at the bottom of the
figure. This is a circuit for single-chan-
nel bandpass filter. If the capacitors are
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MAY 2007 87
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
amplifier with a gain of 2. The input
Component Values for 5-band Equaliser signal is divided by 2 by the resistive
Centre C Ra Rb Rc Gain (A) Quality (Q) network comprising R3 and R4. Hence
frequency (F) (kilo- (kilo- (kilo-
the net gain of this amplifier is unity.
fo (Hz) ohms) ohms) ohms)
Two 100k resistors (R1 and R2) are
60 C4=C5=0.1 R9=11 R11=27 R10=91 4.1 1.7 used as a voltage divider and the junc-
250 C7=C8=0.1 R14=2.7 R15=6.3 R13=22 4.1 1.7 tion voltage is fed to its
1000 C10=C11=0.047 R18=1.5 R19=3.3 R17=11 3.7 1.6 positive input through R6. This
4000 C13=C14=0.0022 R22=7.5 R23=18 R21=63 4.2 1.7 divider has enough power to feed all
16000 C16=C17=0.0022 R26=2 R27=4.3 R25=15 4.2 1.7 other op-amps directly. Resistor Ro
(R8=R12=R16=R20=R24=R28=R30=100)
of the same value, the calculations are the octave division, application and has the dual function of noise reduc-
fairly simple. For calculating the com- some degree of manufacturers prefer- tion and resistive isolation of capaci-
ponent values, use the following for- ence, but nearly all share the basic oc- tive load. It may be varied between 50
mulae: tave boundaries that are based on a and 150 ohms depending on the noise
Centre frequency (fo) : 1/2C(Ra||Rb)Rc centre frequency of 1000 Hz. in the circuit.
Bandwidth (B) : 1/CRc A balance between the number of The potmeters (VR1 through VR5)
Quality factor (Q) : fo/B = foCRc filters and bandwidth need to be ob- are in the signal path and hence should
Gain (A) : Rc/2Ra served. It is possible to use a wider be of the best quality possible. Wrap
These can be combined to give the bandwidth and fewer filters, or nar- the body of the pots with bare copper
following formulae: rower bandwidth and more filters. wire and solder the other end of the
Ra = Q/2foAC Anything narrower than 1/3 octave is wire to ground. Since the filters are
Rb = Q/2foC (2Q2A) rare, since the complexity of the filters very sensitive, all resistances should
Rc = Q/foC increases for higher values of Q. This be metal-film type and the capacitors
Begin the calculations by choosing can get rather expensive and in reality should be polyester type.
a large value of capacitance (~0.1F) and is of limited use for most applications Each stage of the op-amp needs to
smaller value of resistances. Increasing in audio systems. be capacitively coupled to the next
the capacitance decreases resistances National Semiconductor lists the stage so that the DC does not get
(Ra, Rb and Rc). Care must be taken to following mid-frequencies for a 10- propagated and amplified. For a good
avoid overloading on the input buffer band graphic equaliser: 32, 64, 125, 250, low-frequency response, this coupling
op-amp. Note that stray capacitances 500, 1k, 2k, 4k, 8k and 16k. It also rec- capacitor should be greater than 1 F.
on the board reduces the value of C. ommends a Q of 1.7 for equalisers. A 10F, 16V capacitor is used in each
The bandwidth and gain do not de- The table lists the component val- stage of the circuit here.
pend on Rb. Hence, Rb can be used to ues for different centre frequencies of The circuit is powered by a 12V
modify the mid-frequency without af- the equaliser. We used Q of 1.7 and DC regulated supply. A well-regulated
fecting the bandwidth and gain. gain (A) of 4. supply using 7812 is recommended.
For equalisers, there are standard The circuit for the 5-band equaliser Ground the Vcc pin of each op-amp
mid-frequencies that are normally uses IC1 (A) LM833 as the buffer stage with a 0.1F ceramic disk capacitor to
used. The exact frequencies depend on for the equaliser. It is a non-inverting bypass the noise. 

88 MAY 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

circuit
ideas
Solar Panel based Charger
and Small LED Lamp
P.V. Vinod Kumar Thekkumuri
Y
ou can save on your electric-
ity bills by switching to alter-
native sources of power. The
photovoltaic module or solar panel
Fig. 1: Circuit of solar panel based charger
Fig. 2: LED lamp circuit
described here is capable of deliver-
ing a power of 5 watts. At full sun-
light, the solar panel outputs 16.5V.
It can deliver a current of 300-350
mA. Using it you can charge three
8 0 M ay 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
types of batteries: lead acid, Ni-Cd
and Li-ion. The lead-acid batteries
are commonly used in emergency
lamps and UPS.
The working of the circuit is sim-
ple. The output of the solar panel is
fed via diode 1N5402 (D1), which
acts as a polarity guard and pro-
tects the solar panel. An ammeter
is connected in series between
diode D1 and fuse to measure the
current flowing during charging
of the batteries. As shown in Fig.
1, we have used an analogue mul-
timeter in 500mA range. Diode
D2 is used for protection against
reverse polarity in case of wrong
connection of the lead-acid battery.
When you connect wrong polarity,
the fuse will blow up.
For charging a lead-acid bat-
tery, shift switch S1 to on posi-
tion and use connector A. After
you connect the battery, charging
starts from the solar panel via diode
D1, multimeter and fuse. Note that
pulsating DC is the best for charging
lead-acid batteries. If you use this cir-
edi
s.c. dwiv
cuit for charging a lead-acid battery,
replace it with a normal pulsating DC
charger once a week. Keep checking
the water level of the lead-
acid battery. Pure DC voltage
normally leads to deposition
of sulphur on the plates of
lead-acid batteries.
For charging Ni-Cd cells,
shift switches S1 and S3 to
on position and use con-
nector B. Regulator IC 7806
(IC1) is wired as a constant-
current source and its output
is taken from the middle ter-
minal (normally grounded).
Using this circuit, a constant
current goes to Ni-Cd cell for
charging. A total of four 1.2V
cells are used here. Resistor
R2 limits the charging cur-
rent.
For charging Li-ion battery
(used in mobile phones), shift switches
S1 and S2 to on position and use con-
nector C. Regulator IC 7805 (IC2) pro-
vides 5V for charging the Li-ion bat-
tery. Using this circuit, you can charge
a 3.6V Li-ion cell very easily. Resistor
R3 limits the charging current.
Fig. 2 shows the circuit for a small
LED-based lamp. It is simple and low-
cost. Six 10mm white LEDs (LED2
through LED7) are used here. Just
connect them in parallel and drive
directly by a 3.6V DC source. You can
use either pencil-type Ni-Cd batteries
or rechargeable batteries as the power
source.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose in a small box.
Mount RCA socket on the front panel of
the box and wire RCA plug with cable
for connecting the battery and LED-
based lamp to the charger.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
Digital Timer Enhancement
Raj K. Gorkhali
T
his simple circuit automatically
activates or deactivates an elec-
tronic device at the time of alarm
preset in a clock. When the alarm rings,
the tone burst generated at the terminal
of the buzzer triggers the circuit and the
relay energises or de-energises to switch
on or switch off the load.
The circuit is built around ICs
CD40106 (IC1) and CD4017 (IC2) and
a few discrete components. IC1 is a hex
Schmitt trigger, while IC2 is a decade
counter. The circuit works off regulat-
ed 6V power supply, while the alarm
clock runs off its own 1.5V battery.
The tone burst generated at the
piezobuzzer is tapped from its connec-
tion points. The positive terminal of the
clock buzzer is connected to the base of
transistor T1 and the negative terminal
is connected to ground of the circuit.
When the alarm clock sounds, the
signal from the clock buzzer makes
transistor T1 conduct. As a result, pin
1 of gate N1 goes low and it outputs
high at pin 2. This low-to-high transi-
tion clocks the counter (IC2) at pin 14
through diode D1 and gate N2. In this
way, IC2 advances by one at each clock
produced due to the sounding alarm.
There are two situations where this
9 8 M ay 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
circuit can be used:
1. You want an appliance or gadget
to switch on automatically at a preset
time
2. You switch on an appliance or
gadget manually at a particular time
and want it to switch off automatically
at a preset time
Let us see how it works when you
want your appliance to switch on at a
preset time, say, 3 pm. Set the alarm in
your clock to 3 pm and slide switch S3
towards Q1. When the alarm sounds
at 3 pm, Q0 output of IC2 advances to
Q1 and relay RL1 energises to connect
the load (appliance) to mains power
supply through its contacts. The load
remains on until you reset IC2 by
momentarily pressing S1. At this time,
you need to pause the alarm using
pause switch of the clock.
Now suppose you manually start
the load at 3 pm and want it to stop
automatically at 6 pm. First, reset IC2
by momentarily pressing S1 and slide
switch S3 towards Q2. Set the alarm in
your clock to 6 pm. To start the load,
press switch S2 momentarily at 3 pm.
The Q0 output of IC2 advances to Q1
and relay RL1 energises to connect the
load to mains power supply through
its contacts. When the alarm sounds at
6 pm, Q1 output of IC2 advances to Q2
s.c. dwiv
edi
and relay RL1 de-energises to discon-
nect the load from mains power supply
through its contacts. At this time, you
need to pause the alarm using pause
switch of the clock.
When you press reset switch S1,
LED1 glows to indicate that the circuit
is ready to work. When you press start
switch S2, LED2 glows to indicate start
mode. Glowing of LED3 means that
the counter has stopped counting and
needs to be reset before use.
When the counter is in stop mode,
Q2 output of IC2 remains high. As this
pin is connected to the clock-enable
input (pin 13) of IC2, the clock input
is inhibited. In this condition, any tone
burst signal arriving from the clock
has no effect on IC2 and therefore the
circuit remains in stop mode. You can
now set the alarm time in the clock.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose in a small
cabinet. Connect the base of transistor
(T1) to positive terminal of the alarm
clock and negative terminal to ground
of the circuit. Put the alarm clock at a
convenient place. If you do not want to
use a 6V battery, replace it with a 6V
adaptor to power the circuit. Mount
the LEDs and the pushbutton on the
front panel of the cabinet.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas

Traffic Controller s.c. dwiv

edi

N.R. Paranjape high-to-low pulse at its pin 3

triggers IC3 through C5. IC3

T
his simple traffic controller can is configured as a monosta-
be used to teach children rudi- ble with on time of about 4
ments of traffic rules. seconds, which means pin 3
The circuit (shown in Fig. 1) uses of IC3 will remain high for
readily available components. It main- this period and energise relay
ly comprises rectifier diodes (1N4001), RL2 through driver transistor
a 5V regulator 7805, two timers IC 555, T2. The amber lamp (B2) thus
two relays (5V, single-changeover), lights up for 4 seconds.
three 15W, 230V bulbs and some dis- As soon as 4-second time
crete components. period of timer IC3 at pin 3
Mains power is stepped down by lapses, relay RL2 de-ener-
transformer X1 to deliver a secondary gises and the green lamp (B3)
output of 9V, 300 mA. The transformer lights up for the rest of off
output is rectified by a full-wave period of IC2, which is about
bridge rectifier comprising diodes D1 26 seconds. The green lamp
through D4, filtered by capacitor C1 is activated through the nor-
and regulated by IC 7805 (IC1). mally closed (N/C) contacts
IC2 is wired as a multivibrator with of relay RL2.
on and off periods of approximately So when mains power is
30 seconds each with the component switched on, red light glows for
values selected. As soon as mains 30 seconds, amber for 4 seconds
power is switched on, pin 3 of IC2 goes and green for 26 seconds.
high for 30 seconds. This, in turn, ener- You can assemble this cir-
gises relay RL1 through transistor T1 cuit on a general-purpose PCB
and the red lamp (B1) glows through and enclose in an insulated
its normally-open (N/O) contact. At box. The box should have
the same time, mains power is discon- enough space for mounting
nected from the pole of relay RL2. transformer X1 and two re-
As the on time of IC2 ends, a lays. It can be fixed near 230V Fig. 2: Construction details of traffic controller unit

Fig. 1: Circuit of traffic controller

8 0 N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m

AC, 50Hz power supply or mounted
on the PVC tube used in construction
of the traffic light container.
Construction of the traffic light
container box is shown in Fig. 2. A
stout cardboard box of 30x15x10cm3 is
required for housing the lamps. To en-
sure strength, use a 10x45cm2 plywood
plate having 1.5cm thickness and se-
cure onto it three light sockets and the
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
box using nuts and bolts or screws.
Make three tubes of thin alumini-
um sheet, which is readily available in
hardware shops. The inner diameter of
aluminium tubes should be such that
these can snugly fit on the light sock-
ets. Using a sharp knife, make holes
opposite the sockets carefully. Wire the
sockets at the back and take the wires
out through the PVC tube.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 8 8 1
circuit
ideas
First, fix three 15W bulbs (B1
through B3) and then press on the
tubes. Support the other ends of the
tubes in the holes made on the front
panel of cardboard box. Sandwich gela-
tine papers of the three colours between
two sheets of cardboard and fix over the
tubes. The visibility of red, amber and
green lights improves with their mount-
ing on the tubular shape.
circuit
ideas
DuoPhone
Raj K. Gorkhali
T
his simple circuit of a duo-
phone allows you to access
two telephone lines through
one telephone set. Each telephone con-
versation will remain entirely separate
unless you choose to combine the two
lines through a conference switch. Its
unique feature is a three-party conver-
sation/conference facility.
The entire circuit is divided into
three main sectionsthe ringer, hold
and conferencing. The telephone set
is connected to line 1 under normal
conditions. The ringer is used for in-
9 2 N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
edi
s.c. dwiv
dicating a call on line 2 that is not con-
nected to the telephone receiver. When
you have a call on line 2, the ringer
will buzz. The telephone receiver can
then be connected to line 2 through
the telephone changeover switch S4 to
receive the call.
The ringer section is built around
IC3 and its associated components. Its
circuit uses IC 1240 to detect the ring
signal and keeps the buzzer ringing
for an incoming call on line 2. The sup-
ply voltage for the ringer is obtained
from the phone lines AC ring (80V AC
RMS) signal and is regulated inside the
IC so that the noise on the line does not
affect operation of the IC. The two-tone
frequencies generated are switched by
an internal oscillator in a fast sequence,
which appear at the output amplifier
and drive the piezo buzzer element
directly.
The hold section is built around
IC1 and IC2 . Switch S1 is used to hold
line 1 and S2 is used to put line 2 on
hold. Since one telephone set is used
for two separate lines, provision is
thus made to hold the first call while
the telephone set is connected to make
or receive the second call.
The circuit comprises two identi-
cal hold circuits, each with its own
flashing LED to maintain the holding
current. Each hold circuit has a timer
LM555 (IC1 or IC2) connected as a
free-running oscillator operating at
a frequency of 2 Hz. The output pin
3 of each timer is used for driving an
LED that flashes twice in a second.
The hold circuit is powered by the
telephone lines through manually-
operated hold switches (S1 and S2).
Resistors R2 and R6 are placed in
the hold circuits to ensure that suf-
ficient current is drawn from the
telephone line to prevent a discon-
nection.
The conferencing section is built
around the audio coupling trans-
former X1. Switch S3 enables three-
way conversation through both the
telephone lines. The transformer
couples the audio signals from one
telephone line to the other. At the
same time, complete DC isolation
is maintained between both the
telephone lines. Capacitors C1 and
C3 are used for preventing any DC
from flowing into the transformer
windings. Resistor R1 provides a
holding current on line 1 when the
telephone set is connected to line
2 during a conference call. Once
the three-way conversation is es-
tablished through the double-pole
single-throw (DPST) switch S3, the
hold circuits and flashing LED indi-
cators are turned off. LED3, which
gets illuminated by the holding cur-
rent through R1, provides a visual
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

indication of the conferencing.
The working of the circuit is sim-
ple. To check if the wiring of switch
S4 is correct, connect the telephone
set to line 1. Now lift up the handset
and dial the number of line 2. the
ringer would sound. Now discon-
nect line 1 and connect line 2 through
switch S4. You would get the dial
tone from line 2.
To check a conference call, you
would need the help of two friends.
First connect switch S4 to line 1 and
make a call to friend 1. Now flip the
DPST switch S3 to the on position.
This puts on hold friend 1 on line 1
and the conference LED3 lights up.
Connect switch S4 to line 2 and dial
friend 2. When the call on line 2 is
answered, a three-way conversation
can be made.
When the duophone is not in use,
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
connect switch S4 to line 1. All other
switches should be in the off mode
and all LEDs should be unlit. This
permits the telephone ringer to be
activated if a call comes on line 2. For
making calls using line 1 or line 2,
you can simply connect switch S4 to
the desired line.
Assemble the circuit on a gen-
eral purpose PCB and enclose it in
a suitable cabinet. Fix the switches
S1 through S4 on the front side of
the cabinet. Also fix the LEDs on the
front of the cabinet and the buzzer at
the back of the cabinet. It would be
better if you use telephone sockets
for the telephone lines. Sockets are
relatively inexpensive and save time
when troubleshooting needs to be
done. Use modular plugs to connect
the circuit and the two telephone
lines. By using such quick discon-
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 9 3
circuit
ideas
nect plugs, you can easily remove
the unit from the telephone lines.
Check the polarity of the telephone
lines with a multimeter and connect
it to the circuit accordingly.
To check the circuit after complet-
ing the wiring, connect a 6V regulated
power supply to line 1. When you
switch S1 to the on position, LED1
blinks at a rate of 2 Hz. If you flip
switch S1 to the off position and
switch S3 to the on position, LED1
stops blinking and LED3 starts glow-
ing, indicating that the conferencing
facility is being used. Now disconnect
line 1 from the 6V power supply, con-
nect it to line 2 and flip switch S2 to
the on position. Now LED2 blinks at
a rate of 2 Hz. Before connecting the
circuit to the telephone lines, flip each
hold switch to the off position. Now
your circuit is ready to be used.
circuit
ideas
Smart Laptop Docking Station
T.K. HAREENDRAN
Y
ou can easily convert your
ordinary docking station into a
smart electronic laptop docking
station with antitheft alarm.
The add-on sensor circuit required
for this is built around IC CNY70 (IC1)
and IC CD4060 (IC2) as shown in Fig.
1. IC CNY70 is an integrated reflective-
type opto-sensor that contains a pho-
totransistor and an infrared LED. The
LED emits infrared light and the tran-
sistor works as a receiver. The current
flowing through the phototransistor
depends on the intensity of the light
detected.
IC CD4060 is a 14-stage ripple-car-
ry binary counter. The counter is reset
to zero by a gating positive voltage at
Fig. 1: Circuit for laptop docking station with antitheft alarm
Fig. 2: Proposed assembly for docking station
1 1 2 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
the reset input independent of clock.
Power supply to the circuit is
derived from AC mains by using step-
down transformer X1. The transformer
output is rectified by a full-wave
bridge rectifier comprising diodes D1
through D4 and smoothed by capaci-
tor C1.
When power switch S1 is in on
position, the circuit gets power supply
and power-on indicator LED1 lights
up. At the same time, the mains socket
also gets the AC mains supply. This
mains socket can be used to connect
the laptop charger and/or a desktop
lamp, etc.
Working of the circuit is simple.
When the laptop is in the docking
station, the phototransistor inside IC1
receives the IR light from the LED,
edi
s.c. dwiv
reflected by the laptop surface. The
phototransistor conducts to make re-
set pin 12 of IC2 high, so IC2 does not
oscillate.
When someone lifts up the laptop
from the docking station, the photo-
transistor cuts off and pin 12 of IC2
goes low. As a result, IC2 starts oscil-
lating. After a few seconds, delay pin
3 of IC2 goes high to drive transistor
T1. The piezobuzzer starts beeping to
raise an alert and the LED2 glows to
indicate that someone has stolen the
laptop from the dockyard.
The simplicity of the circuit makes
it ideal for construction on a small
PCB. After completion of wiring, check
the circuit for proper functioning of all
the sections and enclose the unit in a
suitable ABS case. Mount the finished
unit beneath the docking station using
small screws/double-sided glue pads
so that the opto-sensor is exactly at
the centre of the docking-station base
plate. Refer Fig. 2 for the arrangement.
If your laptop computer is black in
colour, it will reflect far less IR light.
You can overcome this drawback by
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

attaching a white sticker suitably at the
bottom of the laptop.
Calibrate the circuit before first
use. Set preset VR1 at the centre and
place the laptop in the docking station.
Now turn VR1 slowly until IC2 goes to
standby (no-oscillation) mode. Then
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
remove the laptop from the docking
station, ensure that IC2 is enabled
(pin 12 is low) and wait for the alarm
sound. Repeat the process and adjust
VR1 until you get the correct result.
Note that the LED in the opto-sensor is
permanently powered via resistor R2.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 0 1 1 3
circuit
ideas
Similarly, you are free to experiment
with the values of IC2 timing compo-
nents C5, R3 and R4 for increasing or
decreasing the delay time.
EFY note. During testing at EFY
Lab, we used CX sensor from OMRON
in place of CNY70.
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
TELEPHONE-OPERATED
CALLING SYSTEM
 YOGESH KATARIA (VU3PYF)
D
ual-tone multiple-frequency
(DTMF) receiver IC is com-
monly used in telephone
equipment. One common DTMF
receiver is Holtek HT9170 used in
electronic communication circuits. The
Holtek HT9170 series comprises DTMF
receivers integrated with digital de-
coder and bandsplit filter functions.
All HT9170 series ICs use digital
counting techniques to detect and de-
code all the 16 DTMF tone pairs into a
4-bit code output.
This telephone-operated calling cir-
cuit is very helpful for doctors in call-
ing the patients, in banks and in vari-
ous other situations where persons
have to be called or signalled. When
you need to call a person amongst
many standing outside your cabin, just
lift the telephone handset off the cradle
and press the respective number. The
number of the person called will be
displayed and a bell will sound to in-
form the person that it is his turn.
100 OCTOBER 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
The circuit can also be used in quiz
contests and by visually- or hearing-
impaired people. It can be used to call
a maximum of nine different persons.
The circuit is built around DTMF
receiver IC HT9170, BCD-to-7-segment
decoder/driver 7447, quad 2-input OR
gate and common-anode display.
Simple melody generator IC UM66 is
used to produce melody sound in the
loudspeaker through Darlington-pair
transistors (T1 and T2).
The tone pair DTMF generated by
pressing the telephone key is con-
verted into binary values internally in
the IC. The binary values are indicated
by the glowing of LEDs at the output
of IC1.
The output of IC1 is connected to:
1. LEDs connected via resistors R15
through R18 at pins 11 through 14, re-
spectively. LED1 indicates the LSB and
LED4 indicates the MSB.
2. BCD-to-7-segment decoder/
driver 7447, whose outputs are con-
nected to the common-anode display
for displaying the pressed number on
CMYK
S.C. DW
IVEDI
the telephone connected in parallel to
the circuit.
3. Gates N1 and N2 to activate the
call bell.
Here is how the circuit works: Con-
nect the telephone and the circuit in
parallel to the telephone line. Connect
6V to the circuit. When you press
switch S1, DIS1 shows 0. Lift the
handset off the cradle and dial a num-
ber, say, 1. The output of IC1 becomes
A3A2A1A0 = 0001. LED1 glows, the
display shows 1 and the call bell
sounds.
To stop the call bell, put the re-
ceiver on the cradle and press switch
S1 momentarily. Now DIS1 shows 0
and LED1 stops glowing.
For calling other numbers, follow
the same procedure: Lift the handset
off the cradle and press the desired
number (0 through 9). The respective
LED will glow, the number will be dis-
played on DIS1 and the call bell will
sound. Now put the handset on the
cradle and press S1 momentarily to
stop the call bell. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
MOTORBIKE ALARM
 T.A. BABU
T
his simple-to-build alarm can
be fitted in bikes to protect
them from being stolen. The
tiny circuit can be hidden anywhere,
without any complicated wiring. Vir-
tually, it suits all bikes as long as they
have a battery. It doesnt drain out the
battery though as the standby current
is zero.
The hidden switch S1 can be a
small push-to-on switch, or a reed
switch with magnet, or any other simi-
lar simple arrangement. The circuit
is designed around a couple of low-
voltage MOSFETs configured as
monostable timers. Motorbike key S2
is an ignition switch, while switch S3
is a tilt switch.
Motorbike key S2 provides power
supply to the gate of MOSFET T2, when
Fig. 1: Cheap motorbike alarm
116 OCTOBER 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
S.C. DW
IVEDI
turned on. When you turn ignition off
using key S2, you have approximately
15 seconds to get off the bike; this func-
tion is performed by resistor R6 to dis-
charge capacitor C3. Thereafter, if any-
one attempts to get on the bike or move
it, the alarm sounds for approximately
15 seconds and also disconnects the
ignition circuit.
During parking, hidden switch S1
is normally open and does not allow
triggering of MOSFET T1. But when
someone starts the motorbike through
ignition switch S2, MOSFET T2 trig-
gers through diode D1 and
resistor R5. Relay RL1 (12V,
2C/O) energises to activate
the alarm (built around
IC1) as well as to discon-
nect the ignition coil from
the circuit. Disconnection of Fig. 2: Pin configurations of trigger and relay RL1 re-
the ignition coil prevents BT169, BS170 and BC548
generation of spark from the spark plug.
Usually, there is a wire running from
the alternator to the ignition coil, which
has to be routed through one of the N/
C1 contacts of relay RL1 as shown in
Fig. 1. Fig. 2 shows the pin configura-
tions of SCR BT169, MOSFET BS170
and transistor BC548.
Also, on disconnection of the coil,
sound generator IC UM3561 (IC1) gets
power supply through N/O2 contact
of relay RL1. This drives the darlington
pair built around T3 and T4 to pro-
duce the siren sound through loud-
speaker LS1.
To start the vehicle, both hidden
switch S1 and ignition key S2 should
be switched on. Otherwise, the alarm
will start sounding. Switching on S1
triggers SCR1, which, in
turn, triggers MOSFET T1.
MOSFET T1 is configured
to disable MOSFET T2
from functioning. As a re-
sult, MOSFET T2 does not
mains de-energised, alarm
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

deactivated and ignition coil connected
to the circuit. Connection to the igni-
tion coil helps in generation of spark
from the spark plug. Keeping hidden
switch S1 accessible only to the owner
prevents the bike from pillaging.
Tilt switch S3 prevents attempt to
move the vehicle without starting it.
Glass- and metal-bodied versions of
the switch offer bounce-free switching
and quick break action even when
tilted slowly. Unless otherwise stated,
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
the angle by which the switch must be
tilted to ensure the contact operation
(operating angle), must be approxi-
mately 1.5 to 2 times the stated differ-
ential angle. The differential angle is
the measure of the just closed posi-
tion to the just open position.
The tilt switch has characteristics
like contacts make and break with vi-
bration, return to the open state at rest,
non-position sensitivity, inert gas and
hermetic sealing for protection of con-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU OCTOBER 2007 117
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
tacts and tin-plated steel housing. If
you find difficulty in getting the tilt
switch, you may replace it with a reed
switch (N/O) and a piece of magnet.
The magnet and the reed switch
should be mounted such that the con-
tacts of the switch close when the bike
stand is lifted up from rest.
EFY note. Make sure that while
driving, the two internal contacts of
the Tilt switch dont touch each
other. 
circuit
ideas

Muscular Stimulator s.c. dwiv

edi

Ashok K. Doctor attached. It is useful to relieve head-

ache and muscular pain and revive

H
ere is a circuit that stimulates frozen muscles that impair movement. aid in removing cellulitis.
nerves of that part of your Though it provides muscles stimula- The system comprises two units:
body where electrodes are tion and invigoration, its mainly an muscular stimulator and timer.
Fig. 1 shows the circuit of the
muscular stimulator. IC 7555 is
wired as an astable multivibrator
to generate about 80Hz pulses.
The output of IC1 is fed to tran-
sistor T1, whose emitter is further
connected to the base of transistor
T2 through R3 and VR1. The col-
lector of transistor T2 is connected
to one end of the secondary wind-
ing of transformer X1. The other
end of the secondary winding of
the transformer is connected to
ground.
When IC1 oscillates, trans-
former X1 is driven by the pulse
frequencies generated to produce
high voltage at its primary termi-
nals. Separate electrodes are con-
nected to each end of the primary
Fig. 1: Muscular stimulator circuit winding of transformer X1. Diode
1N4007 (D1) protects transistor T2
against high-voltage pulses generated
by the transformer.
Using potmeter VR1 you can con-
trol the intensity of current sensing at
the electrodes. The brightness level of
LED1 indicates the amplitude of the
pulses. If you want to increase the in-
tensity level, replace the 1.8-kilo-ohm
resistor with 5.6 kilo-ohms or higher
value up to 10 kilo-ohms.
X1 is a small mains transformer
with 220V primary to 12V, 100/150mA
secondary. It must be reverse connect-
ed, i.e., connect the secondary winding
to the collector of T2 and ground, and
primary winding to the output elec-
trodes. The output voltage is about 60V
but the output current is so small that
there is no threat of electric shock.
Electrodes are made of small, thin-
guage metallic plates measuring about
2.52.5 cm2 in size. Use flexible wires
Fig. 2: Timer circuit to solder electrodes and connect to the

9 6 o c to b e r 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m

output of the device. Before attaching
metal electrodes to the body, wipe
them with a damp cloth. After attach-
ing the electrodes to the body (with the
help of elastic bands on velcro straps),
flip switch S1 to activate the circuit
and rotate the knob of intensity-control
preset VR1 very slowly until you feel a
slight tingling sensation.
Fig. 2 shows the timer circuit. It
uses IC NE555 wired in monostable
mode. Initially, when you press switch
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
S2, the monostable triggers and its out-
put goes high for 10 minutes. Thereaf-
ter, its output goes low to give a beep
sound from the piezobuzzer and lights
up the red LED (LED2) indicating that
stimulation time is over.
Assemble the timer with a separate
switch and a 9V DC battery in the same
cabinet as the stimulator. Tape the elec-
trodes to the skin at opposite ends of
the chosen muscle and rotate VR1 knob
slowly until you sense light itching
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u o c to b e r 2 0 0 8 9 7
circuit
ideas
when the muscular stimulation circuit
is powered on. At the same time, flip
switch S2 to start the timer for counting
the time. At the end of the timing cycle,
the piezobuzzer beeps. Each session
should last about 10 minutes.
Caution: Heart patients and
pregnant women should not use
this device. Also, do not attach elec-
trodes to burns, cuts, wounds or any
injury. Consult your physician before
using this circuit.
circuit
ideas
Electronic Metronome
Raj K. Gorkhali
A
metronome is used by musi-
cians for practice in maintain-
ing a consistent tempo, or
rubato, around a fixed beat. This circuit
produces a regular beat at the rate of
40 to 200 beats per minute. It accentu-
ates every second, third, fourth, fifth,
sixth or eighth beat, which is adjust-
able as per your liking and require-
ment. Every beat is indicated by the
glowing of an LED. The accented beat
is indicated by another LED.
The beat is derived from an astable
multivibrator (IC1) running between
0.67 Hz (40 beats per minute) and 3.47
Hz (208 beats per minute), and a pulse
generator built around NOR gates N1
and N3, resistor R3 and capacitor C2.
The beat covers all the musical tempi
from adagio to presto. The results are
a very short burst of sound, remi-
niscent of the tick of a mechanical
metronome. If you prefer a beep rather
than a tick sound, the pulses should be
lengthened by reducing the value of R3
to, say, 5.6 or 6.8 kilo-ohms.
1 1 6 O c to b e r 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
IC1 drives the pulse generator.
The length of the pulse is about 10 ms,
and it appears at pin 1 of IC3 (NOR
gate N3). At each pulse, the red LED
(LED1) flashes to indicate occurrence
of the beat. The pulse passes through
NAND gates N6 and N7 of IC4. The
pulse output from pin 6 of N7 is fed to
NAND gate N8. The audio signal out-
put generated by another multivibrator
(IC6) is also fed to gate N8. The audio
signal can be adjusted to obtain a note
of suitable pitch.
The output from IC1 also goes
to IC2 (CD4022), which is a divide-
by-eight counter/divider with eight
decoded outputs. Rotary switch S1 al-
lows the counter to be reset every two,
three, four, five or six counts, or cycle
through eight counts without resetting.
Output Q0 of IC2 drives the sec-
ond pulse generator built around
NOR gates N2 and N4, resistor R4
and capacitor C3. The output is an
accented beat pulse, which is fed
to NAND gates N5 and N9 and the
base of transistor T2. Since C3 has a
higher capacitance than C2, this pulse
sani the
o
is longer (about 40ms) and is used to
mark the accented beat. The result is a
tick sound lasting about 40 ms, which
sounds every second, third, fourth,
fifth, sixth or eighth beat, depending
on the setting of S1. The accent pulse
makes the yellow LED (LED2) flash.
It is important that the base tick
note or beat is not heard on the ac-
cented beat. This is achieved by gates
N5 through N7 of IC4.
The final audio signal appears at
pin 3 of IC5 (NAND gate N10). This
signal can be fed to the audio power
amplifier stage. When you supply 6V
DC to the circuit, you can hear the
base or tempo beats and accented beats
from the speaker of your power ampli-
fier. The red LED (LED1) flashes with
the beat and the yellow LED (LED2)
flashes on the accented beat.
Construction and testing is simple.
Assemble the circuit on a breadboard
or general-purpose PCB. Mount all the
components, except S1, and temporar-
ily connect pin 15 of IC2 to ground rail.
IC1 produces an audible tick sound
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

(tempo beat) at a fixed rate that varies
as VR1 is adjusted. IC6 produces a tone
that varies in pitch from about 250 Hz
(about an octave below middle C) to
about 2 kHz (about two octaves above
middle C) as VR2 is adjusted. The
counter goes through its normal eight-
stage cycle and the yellow LED (LED2)
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
flashes once for every eight flashes of
the red LED (LED1).
Now connect a loudspeaker to pin
3 of NAND gate N10 through a 10F
capacitor. The circuit should produce a
series of tick sound with a double-tick
sound at every eighth tick sound. If
this works well, remove pin 15 of IC2
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u O c to b e r 2 0 1 0 1 1 7
circuit
ideas
from the ground rail and connect to
six-way rotary switch S1. Remove the
speaker and 10F capacitor from pin 3
of N10 and connect pin 3 to an audio
power amplifier. Use presets VR1 and
VR2 such that turning their knobs
clockwise increases the tempo and the
pitch, respectively.

BELL-CUM LIGHT CONTROLLER
 SURESH KUMAR K.B.
T
his bell-cum-light controller
circuit is equipped with four
switches labelled S1 through
S4. While S4 is the mains on/off
toggle switch for powering the timer
circuit for lighting up a bulb for a spe-
cific duration (mainly during night),
the functions and placement of the
other three switches (which are push
switches) follow.
Switch S1 (labelled call-bell and
timer-on) is located at the outer entry
gate of the house for use by a visitor.
This switch activates bell circuit for as
long as the switch is kept pressed. On
its release, a timer is initialised, which,
in turn, switches on a bulb to light up
the path between the outer gate and
the house door for a specific duration
(3 minutes).
Switch S2 (labelled timer on) is
situated inside the house for use by
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
the inhabitants for activating the
above-mentioned timer for switching
on the light for three minutes from in-
side the house. S2 is meant to be used
during darkness with S4 on.
Like S1, switch S3 (labelled call- cut off transistor T2. Thus the relay is
bell) is located outside the entry gate.
It is meant to be used during day,
when mains switch S4 is off. When
switch S3 is pressed, it activates only
the bell circuit for as long as the switch
is kept pressed. Since the bell circuit is
powered by a 3V battery, this circuit
can be activated even if mains switch
is off.
With switch S4 on, the supply to
bulb B1 is routed via N/O contacts of
relay RL1. Simultaneously, the AC
mains stepped down by transformer
X1 is rectified by diodes D1 and D2
followed by filter capacitor C1. The DC
supply thus becomes available for
timer circuit comprising CD4060 (IC1)
and relay driver circuit comprising
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU SEPTEMBER 2006 95
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
IVEDI
S.C. DW
transistors T1 and T2.
IC1 is a 14-stage binary counter and
oscillator IC. In its quiescent state, the
Q13 output (pin 3) is high, which re-
sults in conduction of transistor T1 to
in de-energised state and the bulb is
off.
When the master reset is activated
by pressing of switch S1 and/or S2,
all the output pins of IC1 including
Q13 output go low. Thus transistor T1
is cut off, while T2 conducts to energise
relay RL1 as also the bulb. Once S1
and S2 are released, the timer starts
counting.
Pressing of switch S1 additionally
results in forward biasing of transis-
tor T3, which conducts to extend 3V
battery supply to melody generator
UM66 (IC2). The output of the melody
generator drives transistor T3 to out-
put the tune via loudspeaker LS1.
Thus, when a visitor presses switch
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S1 at the gate, the calling bell sounds
and the timer resets. The Q13 output
of IC1 goes low to cut off transistor
T1. Transistor T2 conducts to energise
the relay and turn the light on.
When switch S1 is released, the
timer starts counting. After three min-
utes (determined by resistor R4 (100-
kilo-ohm) and capacitor C3 (0.1F),
the Q13 output goes high, i.e., tran-
96 SEPTEMBER 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
sistor T1 conducts and T2 cuts off.
The relay de-energises to turn the light
off.
Since diode D5 is connected from
Q13 to clock input terminal (pin 11),
the terminal is always high when Q13
is high, disabling the counting of IC1.
So the state is latched until the next
resetting takes place. On time period
can be varied according to the distance
CMYK
between the gate and the house. It is
decided by the values of resistor R4
and capacitor C3 as follows:
On period = 300xR4xC3 minutes
The light controller circuit will
work at night, provided mains switch
S4 is on. During night, only switches
S1 and S2 will be used, while switch
S3 is used in the day for the calling
bell only. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
circuit
ideas

Inverter for Soldering Iron

Lovely T.P. pairs T3-T5 and T4-T6 (utilising BC558
and BD140). The outputs from the

H
edi
ere is a simple but inexpen- drivers are fed to transistors T7 and T8 s.c. dwiv
sive inverter for using a small (each 2N3055) connected for push-pull
soldering iron (25W, 35W, operation. Use suitable heat-sinks for
etc) in the absence of mains supply. It transistors T5 through T8.
uses eight transistors and a few resis- A 230V AC primary to 12V-0-12V, respectively.
tors and capacitors. 4.5A secondary transformer (X1) is When you power the circuit using
Transistors T1 and T2 (each BC547) used. The centre-tapped terminal of switch S1, transformer X1 produces
form an astable multivibrator that pro- the secondary of the transformer is 230V AC at its primary terminal. This
duces 50Hz signal. The complementary connected to the battery (12V, 7Ah), voltage can be used to heat your sol-
outputs from the collectors of transis- while the other two terminals of the dering iron.
tors T1 and T2 are fed to pnp Darling- secondary are connected to the collec- Assemble the circuit on a general-
ton driver stages formed by transistor tors of power transistors T7 and T8, purpose PCB and house in a suitable
cabinet. Connect the
battery and trans-
former with suita-
ble current-carrying
wires. On the front
panel of the box, fit
power switch S1 and
a 3-pin socket for con-
necting the soldering
iron.
Note that the rat-
ings of the battery,
transistors T7 and
T8, and transformer
may vary as these all
depend on the load
(soldering iron).

1 1 6 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 CCI IRRC UCIUT IITD EIADS E A S
AUTOMATIC NIGHT LAMP WITH
MORNING ALARM
D. MOHAN KUMAR
T
his circuit automatically turns on a
night lamp when bedroom light is
switched off. The lamp remains
on until the light sensor senses daylight
in the morning. A super-bright white
LED is used as the night lamp. It gives
bright and cool light in the room. When
the sensor detects the daylight in the
morning, a melodious morning alarm
sounds.
The circuit is powered from a
standard 0-9V transformer. Diodes D1
through D4 rectify the AC voltage and the
resulting DC voltage is smoothed by C1.
Regulator IC 7806 gives regulated 6V DC
to the circuit. A battery backup is pro-
vided to power the circuit when mains
fails. When mains supply is available, the
9V rechargeable battery charges via diode
D5 and resistor R1 with a reasonably
constant current. In the event of mains
failure, the battery automatically takes up
the load without any delay. Diode D5
prevents the battery from discharging back-
wards following the mains failure and
diode D6 provides current path from the
battery.
The circuit utilises light-dependant re-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU DECEMBER 2003
sistors (LDRs) for sensing darkness and
light in the room. The resistance of LDR is
very high in darkness, which reduces to
minimum when LDR is fully illuminated.
LDR1 detects darkness, while LDR2 de-
tects light in the morning.
The circuit is designed around the
popular timer IC NE555 (IC2), which is
configured as a monostable. IC2 is acti-
vated by a low pulse applied to its trigger
pin 2. Once triggered, output pin 3 of IC2
goes high and remains in that position un-
til IC2 is triggered again at its pin 2.
When LDR1 is illuminated with
ambient light in the room, its resistance
remains low, which keeps trigger pin 2
of IC2 at a positive potential. As a result,
output pin 3 of IC2 goes low and
the white LED remains off. As the
illumination of LDR1s sensitive window
reduces, the resistance of the device in-
creases.
In total darkness, the specified LDR
has a resistance in excess of 280 kilo-
ohms. When the resistance of LDR1 in-
creases, a short pulse is applied to trigger
pin 2 of IC2 via resistor R2 (150 kilo-
ohms). This activates the monostable and
its output goes high, causing the white
LED to glow.
SAN
I THE
O
Low-value capacitor C2 maintains the
monostable for continuous operation,
eliminating the timer effect. By increasing
the value of C2, the on time of the white
LED can be adjusted to a predetermined
time.
LDR2 and associated components gen-
erate the morning alarm at dawn. LDR2
detects the ambient light in the room at
sunrise and its resistance gradually falls
and transistor T1 starts conducting. When
T1 conducts, melody-generator IC UM66
(IC3) gets supply voltage from the emitter
of T1 and it starts producing the melody.
The musical tone generated by IC3 is
amplified by single-transistor amplifier T2.
Resistor R7 limits the current to IC3 and
zener diode ZD limits the voltage to a
safer level of 3.3 volts.
The circuit can be easily
assembled on a general-purpose PCB.
Enclose it in a good-quality plastic case
with provisions for LDR and LED. Use a
reflective holder for white LED to
get a spotlight effect for reading. Place
LDRs away from the white LED,
preferably on the backside of the case, to
avoid unnecessary illumination. The
speaker should be small so as to make
the gadget compact.

PROGRAMMABLE TIMER
FOR APPLIANCES
MITESH P. PARIKH
T
his programmable timer is useful
for domestic, commercial as well
as industrial applications. It auto-
matically turns the appliance on/off after
a preset time. The time period can be
varied from 8 seconds to 2 hours with
S.C.
DWI
the help of rotary switches S2 and S3.
The circuit works in two modes: off mode
and cyclic mode. Slide switch S4 is used
for mode selection.
In the off mode, the appliance turns
on after a preset time (set by rotary switch
S2), remains on for another preset time
(set by rotary switch S3) and then turns
C I R CC UI RICTU I IT DI ED EAASS
VED
I
off. In the cyclic mode, this process re-
peats again and again.
The circuit is built around three quad
two-input NAND gate ICs CD4011 (IC1,
IC3 and IC5), two 14-bit binary ripple
counters CD4020 (IC2 and IC4) and a re-
lay driver transistor (T1). It works off a
12V DC, 500mA power supply. You can
FEBRUARY 2004 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
 CIRCUIT IDEAS
also power the circuit from mains by us-
ing a 12V DC, 500mA adaptor in place of
the 12V DC power supply.
Lets assume that you want an appli-
ance to turn on after two minutes and
keep it on for another two minutes. For
this set the rotary switches S2 and S3 to
positions as shown in the figure.
Initially, when power switch S1 is closed,
a small charging current pulse through
capacitors C2 and C3 resets both the counters
(IC2 and IC4) to make all their outputs (Q4
through Q14) low. The high output at pin
10 of NAND gate N3 starts the first oscillator
comprising NAND gates N1 and N2, which
provides clock pulses to IC2 at the rate of
one pulse per second. The glowing of red
LED (LED1) indicates that this oscillator is
working well and timer is on.
During the first 2 minutes, relay RL1
remains de-energised by the control cir-
cuit formed by NAND gates N7, N8 and
N9 and LED2 is off, which indicates that
the appliance is in off codition. The sec-
ond oscillator built around NAND gates
N4 and N5 (which provides clock pulses
to IC4 at the rate of one pulse per sec-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU FEBRUARY 2004
ond) is inhibited by the timing control
circuit formed by NAND gates N6, N10
and N11.
After 128 pulses (approximately two
minutes), the Q8 output of IC2 goes high
to perform the following three functions:
1. Make the output at pin 10 of NAND
gate N3 low via rotary switch S2, which
inhibits the first oscillator
2. Energise relay RL1 via NAND gates
N8 and N9 and relay driver transistor T1
to make appliance on
3. Make the output at pin 10 of NAND
gate N10 low, which is connected to the
inputs of NAND gate N11 to make its
output at pin 11 high. This high output is
further connected to the input (pin 1) of
NAND gate N4.
Now the second oscillator starts os-
cillating and provides clock pulses to pin
10 of IC4 at the rate of one pulse per
second.
Now, after 128 pulses (approximately
two minutes), the Q8 output of IC4 goes
high. This de-energises the relay via
NAND gates N7 and N9 and relay driver
transistor T1, provided the mode-selec-
tion slide switch S4 is towards off posi-
tion. The high Q8 output will inhibit the
second oscillator via NAND gates N6, N10
and N11 to stop clock pulses to pin 10 of
IC4. Thus the relay is energised only once
(for 2 minutes) since clock pulses to both
IC2 and IC4 are stopped altogether and
their outputs get latched.
In case the mode-selector switch S4
is towards cycle on side, clock pulses to
IC4 would continue and the relay is alter-
nately energised and de-energised for two
minutes each. This continues until the
circuit is switched off and started again,
or the mode-selector switch is slided to-
wards cycle off side.
Rotary switch S2 is used for start
time selection and rotary switch S3 is
used for hold time selection. The start
and hold time can be increased up to 24
hours by changing the values of R and C
components of the oscillator circuit of
first and second oscillator.
For heavier load, use a relay of a higher
current rating. The circuit can be made on
a multipurpose PCB and put in a plastic or
metal cabinet with proper ventilation.
 CCI IRRC UCIU
T II TD E IADS E A S
LOW-COST ELECTRONIC QUIZ TABLE
VINOD C.M.
H
ere is a simple, low-cost quiz table
for four game participants. It de-
termines the contestant who first
presses the switch (S1 through S4) to
answer a question and locks out the re-
maining three entries. Simultaneously, the
Fig. 1: Schematic of low-cost electronic quiz table
Fig. 2: Set-up for electronic quiz table
respective audio alarm sounds and the
bulb glows. The quiz table can be used
for more number of contestants simply by
adding buzzers, bulbs, MOSFETs and di-
odes. Besides, it provides an option for
varying the time for which an individual
buzzer and the corresponding bulb should
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU APRIL 2004
S.C.
DWI
VED
I
be on after a particular competitor has connected in parallel to bulb BL1 sounds
pressed the pushbutton. These timings for the preset time. At the same time, ca-
can be set by presets VR1 through VR4 as pacitor C1 charges up to 12V, which then
required. discharges through preset VR1. The dis-
The circuit works off 12V, 1.5A power charging time of capacitor C1 is decided
supply. The current rating of the power by preset VR1. For example, if preset VR1
supply should be according to the load is set for a resistance of 4.7k, it will give a
(wattage of bulbs). For higher-wattage delay of approximately 4 seconds, mean-
ing that buzzer
PZ1 and bulb BL1
will be on for 4
seconds. It also
indicates that par-
ticipant A is the
first to press his
switch. Even if
any other partici-
pant, say, partici-
pant B, presses
switch S2 after
participant A has
already pressed
switch S1, buzzer
PZ2 and bulb BL2
will not function
bulbs, use power supply of a higher cur- since MOSFET T2 has no gate voltage to
rent rating. trigger because it is grounded through R2
If participant A presses switch S1, and D1.
MOSFET T1 is triggered and the corre- The same principle applies for other
sponding bulb BL1 (connected between contestants as well. Instead of bulbs, you
drain of the MOSFET and 12V supply) can also use a group of LEDs. Fig. 2 shows
glows and simultaneously piezobuzzer PZ1 the set-up for electronic quiz table.
circuit
ideas
Remote-operated Master Switch
D. Mohan Kumar
G
enerally, a bedside master
switch is used to switch
on lamps both indoors and
outdoors when there is a threat of
intruder. This circuit can be used to
activate the master switch from the
bed without searching for the switch
in darkness. It can be activated by the
TV remote handset. The security lamps
glow for three minutes and then turn
off. The circuit is sensitive and can be
activated from a distance of up to 25
metres.
IR receiver module TSOP 1738
(IRX1) is used to sense the pulsed
38kHz IR rays from the TV remote
handset. The IR receiver module has
a PIN photodiode and a preamplifier
enclosed in an IR filter epoxy case. Its
open-collector output is 5 volts at 5mA
current in the standby mode.
In the standby mode, no IR rays
from the remote handset fall on the IR
receiver, so its output pin 3 remains
high and LED1 doesnt glow. Through
resistor R2, the base of transistor T1
remains high and it does not conduct.
As a result, the voltage at pin 3 of IC
CA3130 (IC1) remains low. The poten-
8 8 a p r i l 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
tial divider comprising resistors R4 and
R5 maintains half of 5.1V at pin 2 of
IC1. In brief, the voltage at pin 2 of IC1
is higher than at pin 3 and its output
remains low. LED2 remains off and
transistor T2 does not conduct. Relay
RL1 remains de-energised and, as a re-
sult, security lamps (both indoors and
outdoors) remain switched off.
When you press any key of the
remote TV handset, IR rays fall on the
receiver (IRX1) and its output goes low.
LED1 flashes in sync with pulsation of
the IR rays. At the same time, transis-
tor T1 (BC558) conducts to take pin 3 of
IC1 high. IC1 is used as a comparator
with timer action.
When transistor T1 conducts, pin 3
of IC1 gets a higher voltage than pin 2
making the output of IC1 high. Mean-
while, capacitor C4 charges to full
voltage and keeps pin 3 high for a few
minutes even after T1 is non-conduct-
ing. Resistor R3 provides discharge
path for capacitor C4, which decides
the time period for which the output of
comparator IC1 should remain high.
The high output of IC1 energises re-
lay RL1 through relay-driver transistor
T2. Thus the load, i.e., security lamps,
turn on for three to four minutes. LED2
edi
s.c. dwiv
glows to indicate activation of the
relay as well as switching on of the
security lights. Connect a single-pole,
single-throw on/off switch (MS) to
activate the security lamps manually
when required.
Zener diode ZD1 provides 5.1V DC
for safe operation of the IR receiver
and associated circuit. Power for the
circuit is derived from a step-down
transformer (X1) and a bridge recti-
fier comprising diodes D1 through D4.
Smoothing capacitor C1 removes rip-
ples, if any, from the power supply.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose in a suitable
cabinet. Drill holes on the front panel
for mounting the IR sensor and LEDs.
Connect the master switch between the
normally-open (N/O) contact and pole
of relay RL1 so that the master switch
can be used when needed. The relay
contacts rating should be more than
4A. Mount the unit near the master
switch using minimal wiring.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
Automatic Light Controller
Using 7806
M.K. Chandra Mouleeswaran
V
oltage regulator ICs (78xx se-
ries) provide a steady output
voltage, as against a widely
fluctuating input supply, when the
common terminal is grounded. Any
voltage about zero volt (ground) con-
nected in the common terminal is add-
ed to the output voltage. That means
the increase in the common terminal
voltage is reflected at the output. On
the other hand, if the common terminal
is disconnected from the ground, the
full input voltage is available at the
output.
This characteristic is utilised in the
present circuit. When the common
terminal is connected to the ground,
the regulator output is equivalent to
the rated voltage, and as soon as the
terminal is disconnected from the
ground, the output increases up to the
input voltage.
The common terminal is control-
led by a transistor, which works as a
switch on the terminal. For automatic
control of light, a light-dependent re-
sistor (LDR1) is connected to the base
9 2 A p r i l 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
of the transistor. In this way, the volt-
age regulator is able to operate a light
bulb automatically as per the ambient
light.
To derive the power supply for
the circuit, the 50Hz, 230V AC mains
is stepped down by transformer X1
to deliver a secondary output of 12V,
250 mA. The secondary output of the
transformer is applied to a bridge rec-
tifier comprising diodes D1 through
D4, filtered by capacitor C1 and fed
to the input terminal of the regulator
(IC1).
The common terminal (pin 2) of IC1
is connected to the ground line of the
circuit through transistor BC557 (T1).
The transistor is biased by R2, R3, VR1
and LDR1. The grounding of IC1 is
controlled by transistor T1, while light
is sensed by LDR1. Using preset VR1,
you can adjust the light-sensing level
of transistor T1.
The output of IC1 is fed to the base
of transistor T2 (through resistor R4
and zener diode ZD1) and relay RL1.
LED1 connected across the positive
and ground supply lines acts as a
power-on indicator.
s.c. dwiv
edi
Normally, the resistance of LDR1
is low during daytime and high dur-
ing nighttime. During daytime, when
light falls on LDR1, pnp transistor T1
conducts. The common terminal of IC1
connects to the ground and IC1 outputs
6V. As a result, transistor T2 does not
conduct and the relay remains de-en-
ergised. The light bulb remains off as
the mains connection is not completed
through the relay contacts.
During nighttime, when no light
falls on LDR1, it offers a high resist-
ance at the base junction of transistor
T1. So the bias is greatly reduced and
T1 doesnt conduct. Effectively, this
removes the common terminal of IC1
from ground and it directs the full
input DC to the output. Transistor T2
conducts and the relay energises to
light up the bulb as mains connection
completes through the relay contacts.
As LDR1 is in parallel to VR1+R3
combination, it effectively applies
only half of the total resistance of
the network formed by R3, VR1 and
LDR1 to the junction at T1 in total
darkness. In bright light, it greatly
reduces the total effective resistance
at the junction.
The circuit is
simple and can be
assembled on a small
general-purpose
PCB. Use a heat-sink
for IC1. Make sure
that LDR1 and the
light bulb are well
separated.
The circuit can be
used for streetlights,
tubelights or any
other home electri-
cal lighting system
that needs to be au-
tomated.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

TELECONFERENCING SYSTEM S.C. DW

IVEDI

PRINCE PHILLIPS Both the primary and secondary line in operation even though no tele-
coils of the coupling transformer consist phone on that line is present.

H
ere is a low-cost teleconfer- of 500 turns of 40SWG insulated copper Here, transistor T1 acts like a re-
encing system that lets you wire. At the secondary side, a small sistor to DC and as high impedance
talk to two persons at a time circuit is used for DC holding. This cir- for audio signals. The high impedance
in any part of the world
over two telephone lines.
The circuit makes use of
a coupling transformer
and some passive com-
ponents.
The circuit is con-
nected between the two
telephone lines. It works
like this: When X calls
A on the first telephone
line, A puts this call on cuit is built around transistor T1 of the circuit is provided by condenser
hold, dials Y on the other telephone (BC547), resistors R2 and R3 (15 kilo- C3, which prevents any audio signal
line (which is free) and keeps this call ohms and 100 ohms, respectively), con- from appearing at the base of T1.
too on hold, and slides switches S1 and denser C3 (22F, 63V) and two LEDs as Thus any audio voltage appearing
S2 to on position. Now X, A and indicators for both the primary and sec- across telephone line No. 2 will not
Y can talk to one another simulta- ondary sides. It provides proper DC cause a corresponding current in the
neously over the two telephone lines. characteristic to hold second telephone transistor. z

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU AUGUST 2005 81

CMYK
circuit
ideas
BIPOLAR transistor TESTER
Raju R. Baddi
T
his tester is primarily meant to
test bipolar transistors. It can
indicate the type of the transistor
as well as identify its base, collector and
emitter pins. The circuit is very simple.
The direction of current flow from the
terminals of the transistor under test
(TUT) is indicated by a pair of LEDs
(green-red). An npn transistor produces
a red-green-red glow, while a pnp tran-
Fig. 1: Circuit of bipolar transistor tester
Fig. 2: Authors prototype of bipolar transistor tester
9 0 Au g u s t 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
sistor produces a green-red-green glow,
depending on the test point that con-
nects to the terminal of the transistor.
Emitter and collector are differentiated
by pressing pushbutton switch S1 that
actually increases the supply voltage of
the circuit by about 5.1V.
At the heart of the circuit is IC
CD4069 (IC3), which oscillates and
produces pulses required to test a pair
of transistor leads for conduction in
both the directions. Different combina-
tions are selected by an arrangement
of counter CD4040 (IC1) and bilateral
switch CD4016 (IC2).
Fig. 1 shows the circuit of the bipo-
lar transistor tester. A pair of LEDs is
connected to each test point through
which current flows in both the direc-
tions. Each LED corresponds to a par-
ticular direction. In this manner, both
junctions of the transistor can be tested.
The LEDs are arranged to indicate the
type of the semiconductor across the
p-n junction. The counter is clocked by
the AC generator built around gates
N5 and N6. This makes the LEDs glow
s.c. dwiv
edi
continuously for easy observation,
revealing the direction of current flow
between different test points. So if the
red LED connected to certain point
glows, it means that n-type of the junc-
tion is connected to that test point, and
vice versa. Thus a red-green-red glow
indicates npn type of the transistor,
while a green-red-green glow indicates
a pnp transistor. From this observation,
you can easily detect the base.
Collector and emitter are
differentiated based on the
principle that the base-emitter
junction breaks down under
reverse bias much more easily
than the base-collector junc-
tion. Thus under increased AC
voltage, you can easily see that
the emitter conducts more in
the reverse direction (associ-
ated LED glows significantly)
than the collector. Use of trans-
parent or semi-transparent
LEDs is recommended.
Adjust preset VR1 (2-mega-
ohm) to get equal glow when
any two test points are shorted.
Unregulated 15V-18V is regu-
lated by the zener-transistor
combination to power the
circuit.
The testing procedure is
simple. Normally, the transis-
tors can be plugged in any orientation
as they come in a variety of possible
arrangements of base, collector and
emitter pins, such as CEB, BEC and
CBE. Simply plug the TUT in the pos-
sible combinations of three points. A
red-green-red glow means that it is
npn transistor and the pin associated
with green LED is base. To identify
the emitter and collector, simply press
switch S1 and observe green LEDs
adjacent to already glowing red LEDs.
The green LED glowing with a high
intensity indicates the emitter side,
while the low-intensity LED indicates
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

the collector side.
Similarly, a green-red-green glow
means that the transistor is pnp type
and the pin associated with the red LED
is the base. To identify the emitter and
collector, simply press switch S1 and
observe red LEDs associated with the al-
ready glowing green LEDs on the sides.
The LED glowing with a high intensity
indicates the emitter side, while the low-
intensity LED indicates the collector side.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
circuit
ideas
purpose PCB and enclose in a small
box. Keep the preset knob in the mid-
dle. In order to make it easy to plug
the TUT, you can increase the number
of test points as shown in the authors
prototype in Fig. 2.

w w w. e f y m ag . co m e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u Au g u s t 2 0 1 0 9 1
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
AUTOMATIC-OFF TIMER
FOR CD PLAYERS
SURESH KUMAR K.B.
A
re you in the habit of falling
asleep while listening to
music? If yes, youll love this
circuit. It will automatically start func-
tioning when you switch off your bed-
room light and shall turn your CD
player off after a predetermined time.
In the presence of ambient light, or
when you switch on light of the room
in the morning, the CD player will
again start playing. Unlike the usual
timers, you dont have to set this timer
before sleeping.
The circuit derives its power di-
rectly from the bridge rectifiers. When
on/off switch S1 is closed, LED1 Dark On
glows to indicate that the circuit is
powered on.
In the presence of light, the resis-
tance of the light-dependent resistor
(LDR1) is low, so transistor T1 con-
ducts to drive transistor T2 into cut-
off state and the timer circuit remains
inactive.
The collector of transistor T2 is con-
nected to reset pin 12 of IC CD4060
(IC1) via signal diode D5. IC CD4060
is a 14-stage ripple counter with a
built-in oscillator. The time period of
oscillations (t) is determined by capaci-
tor C3 and resistor R8 connected to
90 DECEMBER 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
pins 9 and 10 of IC1, respectively, as
follows:
t=2.3RC
where R is the value of resistor R8
and C is the value of capacitor C3.
When transistor T2 is cut-off, its
collector voltage is high. So pin 12 of
IC1 is high and IC1 is in reset condi-
tion.
When light is switched off, the re-
sistance of LDR1 increases, driving
transistor T1 into cut-off state.
The collector voltage of transistor T1
goes high to light up LED2 (indicat-
ing that the timer circuit is
LDR1 Timer LED2 Reset pin 12 Count LED3
Light Off High Off
Low Blink
enabled) and transistor T2 starts
conducting. As the collector voltage
of transistor T2 goes low to around
0.2V, ground potential becomes avail-
able at reset pin 12 of IC1. The low
state at pin 12 enables the oscillator
and it starts counting. LED3 at pin 7
of IC1 starts blinking. Its blinking fre-
quency depends on the R-C compo-
nents connected between its pins 9
and 10.
The status of LED2 and LED3 in
the circuit with light falling and not
falling on LDR1 is given below:
CMYK
SANI TH
EO
During counting, in case the power
fails momentarily, capacitor C2
(1000F) will provide the necessary
power backup for IC1. That is,
during the period, pin 3 of IC1 is low.
When output pin 3 of IC1 goes high,
the relay is energised through
transistors T3 and T4 and, at the same
time, counting is disabled by the feed-
back from pins 3 through 11 (clock
input) of IC1 via signal diode D7.
That is, due to the feedback, output
pin 3 remains high unless another
high-to-low pulse is received at its
reset pin 12.
After the relay is energised, there
will be no AC power in the socket.
The glowing of LED5 indicates that
your CD player has been switched off.
The desired off time period for
the timer circuit can be set by choos-
ing proper values of resistor R8 and
capacitor C3. If R8 is 680 kilo-ohms
and C3 is 0.22 F, the off time period
is around 45 minutes.
The glowing of LED4 gives the
warning that your CD player is going
to be switched off shortly. In case you
want to extend the timer setting for
another round, just press reset switch
S2 momentarily. LED4 stops glowing
and counting starts again from the ini-
tial stage. z
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
circuit
ideas
Telephone call recorder
Alizishaan Khatri
T
oday telephone has become
an integral part of our lives.
It is the most widely used
communication device in the world.
Owing to its immense popularity and
Fig. 1: Call recorder circuit
Fig. 2: Pin configuration of stereo jack
Fig. 3: RJ connector
widespread use, there arises a need for
call recording devices, which find ap-
plication in call centres, stock broking
firms, police, offices, homes, etc.
Here we are describing a call re-
corder that uses very few components.
But in order to understand its working,
one must first have the basic knowl-
9 4 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
edge of standard telephone wiring and
a stereo plug.
In India, landline telephones pri-
marily use RJ11 wiring, which has
two wirestip and ring. While tip is
the positive wire, ring is the negative
one. And together they complete the
telephone circuit. In a telephone line,
voltage between tip and ring is around
48V DC when handset is on the cradle
(idle line). In order to ring the phone
for an incoming call, a 20Hz AC cur-
rent of around 90V is superimposed
over the DC voltage already present in
the idle line.
The negative wire from the phone
line goes to IN1, while the posi-
tive wire goes to
IN2. Further, the
negative wire from
OUT1 and the posi-
tive wire from OUT2
are connected to the
phone. All the resis-
tors used are 0.25W
carbon film resistors
and all the capaci-
tors used are rated for 250V or more.
The negative terminal of To AUX IN
is connected to pin 1 of the stereo jack
while the positive terminal is con-
nected to pins 2 and 3 of the stereo
jack. This stereo jack, in turn, is con-
nected to the AUX IN of any recording
device, such as computer, audio cas-
edi
s.c. dwiv
sette player, CD player, DVD player,
etc. Here we shall be connecting it to
a computer.
When a call comes in, around 90V
AC current at 20Hz is superimposed
over the DC voltage already present in
the idle line. This current is converted
into DC by the diodes and fed to resis-
tor R1, which reduces its magnitude
and feeds it to LED1. The current is
further reduced in magnitude by the
resistor R2 and fed to the right and
left channels of the stereo jack, which
are connected to the AUX IN port of a
computer.
Any audio recording software,
such as AVS audio recorder (available
at: http://www.avs4you.com/AVS-
Audio-Recorder.aspx), Audacity audio
recorder (http://audacity.sourceforge.
net/), or audio recorder (http://www.
audio-tool.net/audio_recorder_for
_free.html), can be used to record the
call. When a call comes in, one needs
to launch the audio recording software
and start recording.
For phone recording, simply con-
nect the stereo jack to the AUX IN
port of the PC. Install the audacity
audio recorder (different versions are
available for free for different op-
erating systems at http://audacity.
sourceforge.net/) on your PC. Run
the executable audacity file. In the
main window, you will find a drop-
down box in the top right corner.
From this box, select the AUX option.
Now you are ready to record any call.
As soon as a call comes in, press the
record button found in the audacity
main window and then pick up the
telephone receiver and answer the
call. Press the stop button once the
call ends. Now go to the file menu and
select the Export as WAV option and
save the file in a desired location.
You may change the value of resis-
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

tor R2 if you want to change the output
volume. you can use a variable resistor
in series with R2 to vary the volume of
the output. The recorded audio clip can
be edited using different options in the
audacity software.
You can assemble the circuit on a
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
general-purpose PCB and enclose it in
a small cabinet. Use an RJ11 connec-
tor and stereo jack for connecting the
telephone set and computer (for call
recording). Telephone cords can be
used to connect to the phone line and
the circuit. Use of a shielded cable is
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 9 5
circuit
ideas
recommended to reduce disturbances
in the recording. These can also be
reduced by increasing the value of R2
to about 15 kilo-ohms.
EFY note. Audacity recording
software is included in this months
EFY-CD under utilities section.

ELECTRONIC HORN
 ASHOK K. DOCTOR
H
eres a simple circuit of an
electronic horn that is built
around quadruple op-amp
comparator. A2 and A3 together
work as a wandering voltage gen-
erator op-amp. Op-amp A4 is wired
as a buffer and its output provides
base current to npn transistor T2. npn
transistor T2 and audio output trans-
former X1 form a voltage-controlled
oscillator.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
IC LM3900 (IC1). IC LM3900 has four
independent op-amps (A1 through A4)
with a large output voltage swing. It
can work at up to 32V DC.
The first op-amp (A1) is wired as
When power is switched on, a ba-
sic tone is generated by transistor T2
and transformer X1, which is fre-
quency-modulated by the wandering
voltage generator, which, in turn, is
influenced by the low-frequency
squarewave generator.
The circuit works off regulated
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JANUARY 2007 109
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S.C. DW
IVEDI
a low-frequency squarewave genera-
tor. Op-amp A2 works as an integra-
tor, while op-amp A3 works as a
9V. To generate several different
tones, connect its point A1 to pins
1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of IC1
and point A2 to pins 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 11
and 13.
The circuit can be used as an auto-
mobile horn by using about 10W au-
dio amplifier. 

liquid level Alarm
Lovely T.P.
H
ere is a simple circuit for
liquid level alarm. It is built
around two BC547 transistors
(T1 and T2) and two timer 555 ICs (IC1
and IC2). Both IC1 and IC2 are wired
in astable multivibrator mode. Timer
IC1 produces low frequency, while
timer IC2 produces high frequency.
As a result, a beeping tone is generated
when the liquid tank is full.
Initially, when the tank is empty,
transistor T1 does not conduct. Con-
sequently, transistor T2 conducts and
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
pin 4 of IC1 is low. This low voltage
disables IC1 and it does not oscillate.
The low output of IC1 disables IC2
and it does not oscillate. As a result, no
sound is heard from the speaker.
But when the tank gets filled up,
transistor T1 conducts. Consequently,
transistor T2 is cut off and pin 4 of
IC1 becomes high. This high voltage
enables IC1 and it oscillates to produce
low frequencies at pin 3. This low-fre-
quency output enables IC2 and it also
oscillates to produce high frequencies.
As a result, sound is produced from
the speaker. Using preset VR1 you can
circuit
ideas
s.c. dwiv
edi
control the volume of the sound from
the speaker.
The circuit can be powered from a
9V battery or from mains by using a 9V
power adaptor.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose in a suit-
able cabinet. Install two water-level
probes using metal strips such that one
touches the bottom of the tank and the
other touches the maximum level of
the water in the tank. Interconnect the
sensor and the circuit using a flexible
wire.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u J u ly 2 0 0 9 8 5
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
MULTI-MELODY GENERATOR
WITH INSTRUMENTAL EFFECT

EFY LAB
T
his melody generator can gen-
erate various English and Hindi
tunes as also instrumental ef-
fects. Various modes of melodies can
Positions of DIP Switches for
Various Modes
S3 S4 S5 Mode of tone output
Opened Opened Closed The same tone keeps repeating. Press
S2 for the next tone.
Opened Closed Closed Play a new tone for every pressing
of S2.
Closed Opened Closed Play all the tones one by one and
then repeat the cycle without S2 input.
Closed Closed Closed Play all the tones and stop (no repetition). ramaiya vasta vaiya.
be selected through DIP switches.
Other advantages are high volume and
volume control.
IC UM3481A is a 16-pin multi-in-
strument melody generator. It is a
mask-ROM-programmed IC designed
to play the melody according to the
88 JUNE 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
programmed data. Its inbuilt pream-
plifier provides a simple interface to
the driver circuit. The IC can be re-
placed with other UM348XXX series,
WR630173 or WE4822 melody genera-
tor ICs. A WR630173 preprogrammed
as Hindi melody gen-
erator can be used
here. There are 16
tunes stored
WR630173 including
mera joota hai japani,
mera naam chin chin
chu, hare rama hare
krishna, raghu pati
raghav raja ram and
The circuit is pow-
ered by a 3V battery. Switch S2 is the
main input-select switch for produc-
ing different tones in the loudspeaker.
Various modes of operation are se-
lected through DIP switches S3, S4 and
S5 connected to pins 3, 5 and 7 of IC1,
respectively. Pin 7 is the envelope cir-
CMYK
SANI TH
EO
cuit terminal through which instru-
mental effects are produced. The
preamplifier outputs are available at
pins 10 and 11, which are fed to loud-
speaker-driver transistors T1 (SK100)
and T2 (SL100), respectively.
When you switch on the circuit by
closing switch S1, LED1 glows. If DIP
switches S3 and S5 are closed and S4
open, pressing input switch S2 will
generate a melody tone from the loud-
speaker. Vary VR1 to adjust its vol-
ume. Pressing S2 again will generate a
new melody tone. If switches S3 and
S4 are opened while S5 is closed, the
same tone keeps repeating for every
pressing of S2. The positions of DIP
switches and the various modes of
melodies are summarised in the table.
When switch S5 is open, it will
generate an instrumental effect from
the loudspeaker. This effect is pro-
duced by the enveloping circuit con-
sisting of capacitor C1 and resistor R2
connected to pin 7 of IC1. In fact, by
hit and trial you can choose the val-
ues of these components as per your
taste by listening to the output sound.
Only C1 or R2 or its parallel combina-
tion can be used to generate a distinct
instrument effect. To select any of
these options, two jumper terminals
J1 and J2 are provided in the circuit at
C1 and R2, respectively. For example,
in if you want to use only C1, you can
join J1 terminals using hookup wire
or jumper cap and keep J2 open. The
repetition of the musical effect de-
pends on the status of switches S3
and S4.
The oscillation frequency is pro-
duced by the resistor and capacitor
connected at pins 14 and 13 of IC1.
This frequency is used as a time base
for the tone, rhythm and tempo gen-
erators. The quality of the melody
tones depends on this frequency. Re-
sistor R6 (100-kilo-ohm) connected to
pin 15 makes the circuit insensitive to
variations in the power supply.

WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

PICNIC LAMP S.C. DW

IVEDI

D. MOHAN KUMAR is a monostable multivibrator built white LED (LED1) through ballast re-
around low-power CMOS timer IC sistor R7.

Y
ou can take this white LED- 7555. Resistor R4 keeps trigger input The circuit can be easily assembled
based night lamp on your pic- pin 2 of the monostable normally high on a perforated board. Make the cir-
nic outings. The lamp has in the absence of the trigger input. cuit assembly as compact as possible
sound trigger and push-to-on facili- Timing elements R6 and C4 give a time to enclose in a small case. Use three
ties and gives ample light dur-
ing a walk at night. It will also
prove useful in locating the
door of your tent in the dark-
ness. A click of the fingers will
switch on the lamp for three
minutes to help you in a
strange place.
The circuit uses low-power
ICs to save the battery power.
JFET op-amp TL071 (IC1) am-
plifies the sound picked up by
the condenser microphone. Re-
sistor R1 and low-value capaci-
tor C1 (0.22F) make the am-
plifier insensitive to very low-
frequency sounds, eliminating
the chance of false triggering.
VR1 is used to adjust the sensitivity of delay of three minutes. Reset pin 4 of 1.5V pen-light cells to power the cir-
the microphone and VR2 adjusts the IC2 is connected to the positive rail cuit. Adjust VR1 and VR2 suitably to
gain of IC1. through R5 and to the negative rail get sufficient sensitivity of IC1. Toggle
The amplified output from IC1 is through C2 to provide power-on-reset switch S1 can be used to switch on the
coupled to trigger pin 2 of IC2, which function. The output of IC2 powers the lamp like a torch. z

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MARCH 2006 101

CMYK

VISUAL AC MAINS
VOLTAGE INDICATOR

RAJ K. GORKHALI
Y
ou should not be surprised if
someone tells you that the
mains voltage fluctuation could
be anywhere from 160 volts to 270
volts. Although majority of our elec-
trical and electronics appliances have
some kind of voltage stabilisation in-
ternally built-in, more than 90 per cent
of the faults in these appliances occur
due to these power fluctuations.
This simple test gadget gives vi-
sual indication of AC mains voltage
from 160 volts to 270 volts in steps of
10 volts.
There are twelve LEDs numbered
LED1 to LED12 to indicate the voltage
level. For input AC mains voltage of
less than 160 volts, all the LEDs remain
off. LED1 glows when the voltage
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
reaches 160 volts, LED2 glows when
the voltage reaches 170 volts and so on.
The number of LEDs that glow keeps
increasing with every additional 10
volts. When the input voltage reaches
270 volts, all the LEDs glow.
The circuit basically comprises
three LM339 comparators (IC1, IC2
and IC3) and a 12V regulator (IC4). It
is powered by regulated 12V DC. For
power supply, mains 230V AC is
stepped down to 15V AC by step-
down transformer X1, rectified by a
bridge rectifier comprising diodes D1
through D4, filtered by capacitor C4
and regulated by IC4. The input
voltage of the regulator is also fed to
the inverting inputs of gates N1
through N12 for controlling the level
of the AC.
The LED-based display circuit is
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S.C. DW
IVEDI
built around quad op-amp compara-
tors IC1 through IC3. The inverting in-
put of all the comparators is fed with
the unregulated DC voltage, which is
proportional to mains input, whereas
the non-inverting inputs are derived
from regulated output of IC4 through
a series network of precision resistors
to serve as reference DC voltages.
Resistors R13 to R25 are chosen
such that the reference voltage at
points 1 to 12 is 0.93V, 1.87V, 2.80V,
3.73V, 4.67V, 5.60V, 6.53V, 7.46V,
8.40V, 9.33V, 10.27V and 11.20V, re-
spectively. When the input voltage var-
ies from 160V AC to 270V AC, the DC
voltage at the anode of ZD1 also var-
ies accordingly. With input voltage
varying from 160V to 270V, the out-
put across filter capacitors C1 and C2
varies from 14.3V to 24.1V approxi-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MAY 2006 89
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
mately. Zener ZD1 is used to drop
fixed 12V and apply proportional volt-
ages to all comparator stages (invert-
ing pins). Whenever the voltage at the
non-inverting input of the compara-
tors goes high, the LED connected at
the output glows.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
90 MAY 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
purpose PCB such that all the LEDs
make a bargraph. In the bargraph,
mark LED1 for minimum level of
160V, then LED2 for 170V and so on.
Finally, mark LED12 for maximum
level of 270V.
Now your test gadget is ready to
use. For measuring the AC voltage,
CMYK
simply plug the gadget into the mains
AC measuring point, press switch S1
and observe the bargraph built around
LEDs. Lets assume that LED1 through
LED6 glow. The measured voltage in
this case is 220V. Similarly, if all the
LEDs glow, it means that the voltage
is more than 270V.

WWW.EFYMAG.COM

HEAT-SENSITIVE SWITCH
M.K. CHANDRA
MOULEESWARAN AND
MISS KALAI PRIYA
A
t the heart of this heat-sensi-
tive switch is IC LM35 (IC1),
which is a linear temperature
sensor and linear temperature-to-volt-
age converter circuit.
The converter provides accurately
linear and directly proportional out-
put signal in millivolts over the tem-
perature range of 0C to 155C. It de-
velops an output voltage of 10 mV
per degree centigrade change in the
ambient temperature. Therefore the
output voltage varies from 0 mV at
0C to 1V at 100C and any voltage
measurement circuit connected across
the output pins can read the tempera-
ture directly.
The input and ground pins of this
heat-to-voltage converter IC are con-
nected across the regulated power sup-
ply rails and decoupled by R1 and C1.
Its temperature-tracking output is ap-
plied to the non-inverting input (pin
3) of the comparator built around IC2.
The inverting input (pin 2) of IC2 is
connected across the positive supply
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rails via a voltage divider network
formed by potmeter VR1.
Since the wiper of potmeter VR1 is
connected to the inverting input of IC2,
the voltage presented to this pin is lin-
early variable. This voltage is used as
the reference level for the comparator
against the output supplied by IC1.
So if the non-inverting input of
IC2 receives a voltage lower than the
set level, its output goes low (approxi-
mately 650 mV). This low level is ap-
plied to the input of the load-relay
driver comprising npn transistors T1
and T2. The low level presented at
the base of transistor T1 keeps it non-
conductive. Since T2 receives the for-
ward bias voltage via the emitter of
T1, it is also kept non-conductive.
Hence, relay RL1 is in de-energised
state, keeping mains supply to the
load off as long as the temperature
at the sensor is low.
Conversely, if the non-inverting in-
put receives a voltage higher than the
set level, its output goes high (approxi-
mately 2200 mV) and the load is
turned on. This happens when IC1 is
at a higher temperature and its output
voltage is also higher than the set level
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU NOVEMBER 2005 99
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S.C. DW
IVEDI
at the inverting input of IC2. So the
load is turned on as soon as the ambi-
ent temperature rises above the set
level. Capacitor C3 at this pin helps
iron out any ripple that passes through
the positive supply rail to avoid er-
rors in the circuit operation.
By adjusting potmeter VR1 and
thereby varying the reference voltage
level at the inverting input pin of IC1,
the temperature threshold at which
energisation of the relay is required
can be set. As this setting is
linear, the knob of potmeter VR1 can
be provided with a linear dial
caliberated in degrees centigrade.
Therefore any temperature level can
be selected and constantly monitored
for external actions like turning on a
room heater in winter or a room cooler
in summer. The circuit can also be
used to activate emergency fire extin-
guishers, if positioned at the probable
fire accident site.
The circuit can be modified to op-
erate any electrical appliance. In that
case, relay RL1 must be a heavy-duty
type with appropriately rated contacts
to match the power demands of the
load to be operated. z
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
VARIABLE POWER SUPPLY USING
A FIXED-VOLTAGE REGULATOR IC
 DR MAHESH N. JIVANI AND DR
NIKESH A. SHAH
A
voltage regulator (also called
a regulator) with only three
terminals appears to be a
simple device, but it is in fact a very
complex integrated circuit. It converts
a varying input voltage into a constant
regulated output voltage. Voltage
regulators are available in a variety of
outputs like 5V, 6V, 9V, 12V and 15V.
The LM78XX series of voltage regu-
lators are designed for positive input.
For applications requiring negative in-
put, the LM79XX series is used. Fig. 1
shows the pin configuration of a 5V
7805 regulator.
The output voltage of a regulator
circuit can be increased
Fig. 1: Pin
configuration of
7805 regulator Fig. 2: Circuit for increasing
Fig. 3: Circuit of variable power supply using a 5V regulator
96 NOVEMBER 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
by using a pair of voltage-divider re-
sistors. It is not possible to obtain a
voltage lower than the stated rating.
You cannot use a 12V regulator to
make a 5V power supply, but you can
use a 5V regulator to make a 12V sup-
ply.
Voltage regulators are very robust.
These can withstand over-current
draw due to short circuits and also
over-heating. In both cases, the regu-
lator will cut off before any damage
occurs. The only way to destroy a
regulator is to apply reverse voltage
to its input. Reverse polarity destroys
the regulator almost instantly.
Fig. 2 shows the circuit for increas-
ing the output voltage of a regulator
circuit using a pair of voltage-divider
resistors. Lets assume the value of R1
as 470 ohms, which
means that a constant
current of 10.6 mA will
be available between
terminals 2 and 3 of
7805. This constant cur-
rent plus the regulator
standby current of
about 2.5 mA will flow
through R2 to ground
the output voltage regardless of its value.
IVEDI
S.C. DW
Common Resistor
Combinations for the
7805 Regulator
Vout (approx.) R1 (ohms) R2 (ohms)
5V 470 0
6V 470 100
8V 470 220
9V 470 330
12V 470 510
Because of this constant 13.1mA cur-
rent, R2 can now be set to a value that
will give constant 7 volts across resis-
tor R2. A resistor value of 533 or 510
ohms (standard value) will give the
necessary 7 volts.
With 5 volts across R1 and 7 volts
across R2, a total of about 12 volts
(regulated) will appear across termi-
nal 2 and ground. If a variable resis-
tor is used as R2, the output voltage
can be easily fine-tuned to any value
greater than 5 volts. The standby
current will vary slightly in the
regulator 7805, but 2.5 mA will yield
good results in the calculations. If an
exact voltage (within 0.3 volt) is
needed, R2 must be a variable resis-
tor. To make any fixed regulator ad-
justable, use the following formula:
Vfixed
Vout= Vfixed+R2 +Istandby
R1
where Vout is the desired output
voltage, Vfixed is the fixed voltage
of the IC regulator (5 volts) and
Istandby is the standby current of the
regulator (2.5 mA). For resistor R1,
use any value from 470 ohms to 1
kilo-ohm for best results. For vari-
able resistor R2, put any value
from the table given here for de-
sired voltage operation.
Fig. 3 shows the circuit of a 6V-
12V variable power supply using
a 5V regulator. The 220V AC mains
voltage is stepped down by trans-
former X1 to 9 volts, rectified by
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

the bridge rectifier comprising 1N4007
diodes D1 through D4, filtered by
smoothing capacitors C1 and C2, and
regulated by IC 7805 (IC1). Capacitors
C1 and C2 help to maintain a constant
input to the regulator.
Capacitor C1 should be rated at a
minimum of 1000 F for each ampere
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
of current drawn and at least twice
the input voltage. Wire the 270nF or
greater disk (ceramic) capacitor close
to the input terminal of the IC, and a
10F or greater electrolytic capacitor
across the output. The regulator ICs
typically give 60 dB of ripple rejec-
tion, so 1V of input ripple appears as
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU NOVEMBER 2006 97
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
a mere 1 mV of ripple in the regu-
lated output.
Attach the 5-way rotary switch to
resistors of different values to get the
regulated output as shown in the table.
Or, you can use a 1-kilo-ohm potmeter
as a variable resistor to get the regu-
lated 5V-12V output. 
circuit
ideas
Mini UPS System
D. Mohan Kumar
T
his circuit provides an uninter-
rupted power supply (UPS)
to operate 12V, 9V and 5V
DC-powered instruments at up to 1A
current. The backup battery takes up
the load without spikes or delay when
the mains power gets interrupted. It
can also be used as a workbench power
supply that provides 12V, 9V and 5V
operating voltages. The circuit im-
mediately disconnects the load when
the battery voltage reduces to 10.5V to
prevent deep discharge of the battery.
LED1 indication is provided to show
the full charge voltage level of the bat-
tery. miniature white LEDs (LED2 and
LED3) are used as emergency lamps
during power failure at night.
A standard step-down trans-
former provides 12V of AC, which
is rectified by diodes D1 and D2. Ca-
pacitor C1 provides ripple-free DC to
charge the battery and to the remain-
ing circuit. When the mains power is
on, diode D3 gets forward biased to
charge the battery. Resistor R1 limits
the charging current. Potentiometer
VR1 (10k) with transistor T1 acts as
the voltage comparator to indicate
the voltage level. VR1 is so adjusted
that LED1 is in the off mode. when
the battery is fully charged, LED1
glows indicating a full voltage level
of 12V.
9 4 N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
When the mains power fails,
diode D3 gets reverse biased and
D4 gets forward biased so that the
battery can automatically take up
the load without any delay. When
the battery voltage or input voltage
falls below 10.5V, a cut-off circuit is
used to prevent deep discharging of
the battery. Resistor R3, zener diode
ZD1 (10.5V) and transistor T2 form
the cut-off circuit. When the volt-
age level is above 10.5V, transistor
T2 conducts and its base becomes
negative (as set by R3, VR2 and ZD1).
But when the voltage reduces below
10.5V, the zener diode stops conduc-
tion and the base voltage of transis-
tor T2 becomes positive. It goes into
the cut-off mode and prevents the
current in the output stage. Preset
VR2 (22k) adjusts the voltage below
0.6V to make T2 work if the voltage
is above 10.5V.
When power from the mains is
available, all output voltages12V,
9V and 5Vare ready to run the
load. On the other hand, when the
mains power is down, output volt-
ages can run the load only when the
battery is fully charged (as indicated
by LED1). For the partially charged
battery, only 9V and 5V are available.
Also, no output is available when the
voltage goes below 10.5V. If battery
voltage varies between 10.5V and
13V, output at terminal A may also
s.c. dwiv
edi
vary between 10.5V and 12V, when
the UPS system is in battery mode.
Outputs at points B and C provide
9V and 5V, respectively, through regu-
lator ICs (IC1 and IC2), while output
A provides 12V through the zener
diode. The emergency lamp uses two
ultra-bright white LEDs (LED2 and
LED3) with current limiting resistors
R5 and R6. The lamp can be manually
switched on and off by S1.
the circuit is assembled on a gen-
eral-purpose PCB. There is adequate
space between the components to
avoid overlapping. heat sinks for tran-
sistor T2 and regulator ICs (7809 and
7805) to dissipate heat are used.
The positive and negative rails
should be strong enough to handle
high current. Before connecting the
circuit to the battery and transformer,
connect it to a variable power supply.
Provide 12V DC and adjust VR1 till
LED1 glows. After setting the high
voltage level, reduce the voltage to
10.5V and adjust VR2 till the output
trips off. After the settings are com-
plete, remove the variable power sup-
ply and connect a fully-charged battery
to the terminals and see that LED1 is
on. After making all the adjustments
connect the circuit to the battery and
transformer. The battery used in the
circuit is a 12V, 4.5Ah UPS battery.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
DIGITAL DICE
SAGAR G. YADAV
T
he digital dice presented here
acts just like a normal dice. It
has six faces (refer Fig. 2) like
the normal dice and uses four differ-
ent logic gate combinations to bring
out the six faces of the dice.
At the heart of the circuit is a 14-
stage ripple-carry binary counter IC
CD4060BC (IC1) with built-in oscilla-
Fig. 1: Digital dice
Fig. 2: Different faces of dice
tor. The logic section is designed
around CMOS quad 2-input NOR gate
IC CD4001BC (IC2) and quad 2-input
NAND gate IC CD4011BC (IC3). The
display section is formed by a group
of seven LEDs.
100 OCTOBER 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
The circuit is divided into three sec-
tions: counter, logic and display.
The counter section is built around
binary counter IC CD4060BC (IC1).
The counter frequency (f) is decided
by the in-built oscillator formed by re-
sistor R1 and capacitor C1 as follows:
f=1/2.2R1C1.
Here, the frequency is fixed at around
2056 Hz.
Only the first three outputs of the
counter (designated as A, B
and C, respectively) have
been used in the circuit. The
counter is designed to reset
at the sixth count (110) as
only six counts are required
for operation. This is done
with the help of diodes D1
and D2 and resistor R3,
which are connected such
that they generate an AND
logic.
From the table it can be
noticed that at the sixth
count, the counter outputs A and B
hold logic 1 simultaneously for the first
time, so by ANDing A and B outputs
you can give logic 1 to the reset termi-
nal of the counter at the sixth count,
thereby resetting the counter.
CMYK
S.C. DW
IVEDI
LED2 and LED5 always glow at the
same count, as do LED1 and LED6,
and LED3 and LED4. Using these three
pairs of LEDs and LED7, four logical
combinations have been made in the
circuit. LED1 and LED6 glow at all
counts, except 0 and 1. Further, it
can be noticed that they glow when
A or B is high, hence a NOR gate
whose output is A+B according to
Boolean algebra will perform the job
of operating these LEDs.
LED3 and LED4 glow at all counts,
except for the first three counts, i.e.,
they glow when either A, or B and C
are high. This logic function can be ob-
tained by using an OR gate and an
AND gate, but since we are using only
NAND and NOR gates in the circuit
we make use of two NAND gates and
a NOR gate (with A+BC output) to
perform this function.
LED2 and LED5 glow only at the
first and fifth counts. In other words,
they glow only when the complement
of B and C outputs goes high. This
function can be obtained by using two
NAND gates such that their output
corresponds to the Boolean expression
BC or B+C according to De Morgans
theorem.
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
LEDs of the display section
Dice Score and LEDs Lit at Different Counts will appear to glow simultaneously
Count Dice A B C LEDs lit due to the high counter frequency.
score
This high-frequency counting will
0 1 0 0 0 LE D7 make the dice foolproof. When you
1 2 0 0 1 LED2 LED5
2 3 0 1 0 LED1 LED7 LED6 remove your finger from the touch
3 4 0 1 1 LED1 LED3 LED4 LED6 pad, the counter will stop counting
4 5 1 0 0 LED1 LED3 LED7 LED4 LED6 and the display section will show any
5 6 1 0 1 LED1 LED3 LED2 LED5 LED4 LED6 one of the six possible faces with a
6 1 1 0
probability of 1/6.
The entire circuit can be powered
LED7 glows at even counts like 0, common cathodes, as do LED2 and by a 9V battery as the inbuilt oscilla-
2 and 4. In other words, it glows LED5, and LED3 and LED4. The an- tor of the counter IC will not work
when the C output is low. This func- odes of all the LEDs are tied together properly below 7V. Use of CMOS ICs
tion can be achieved easily by invert- to the positive terminal of the battery means less power consumption.
ing the C output twice using the re- via resistors R4 through R10, respec- The circuit can be constructed on a
maining two NAND gates. The out- tively. general-purpose PCB and housed in-
put will also be buffered by these two When you place your finger on side a plastic case with the LEDs array
inverter gates. the touch pad, the oscillator starts os- mounted on the top as shown in Fig.
The display section comprises cillating. The counter will start count- 2. The touch pad can be mounted be-
seven LEDs. LED1 and LED6 have ing at the rate of 2056 Hz and all the side the array. z

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU OCTOBER 2005 101

CMYK
circuit
ideas
Mobile Car Stereo Player
T.K. Hareendran powerful music player with the help
of a stereo power amplifier. This does
U
sing a mobile phone while away with the need of a sophisticated
driving is dangerous. It is also in-dash car music system.
against the law. However, Most mobile phones have a music
you can use your mobile phone as a player that offers a number of features
including pre-
set/manual
sound equal-
isers. They
have standard
3.5mm stereo
sockets that
allow music
to be played
through stand-
ard stereo
headphones/
sound ampli-
fiers. Nokia
2700 classic is
Fig. 1: Circuit of mobile car stereo player an example.
A car au-
dio amplifier with 3.5mm socket can
be designed and simply connected to
the mobile phone output via a shield-
ed cable with suitable connectors/
jacks (readymade 3.5mm male-to-
male connector cable is a good alter-
Fig. 2: (a) 3.5mm stereo socket and (b) 3.5mm native).
stereo jack Fig. 1 shows the circuit of car ste-
reo player. It is built around popular
single-chip audio power amplifier
TDA1554Q (IC1). The TDA1554Q is
an integrated class-B power amplifier
in a 17-lead single-in-line (SIL) plastic
power package.
IC TDA1554Q contains four 11W
identical amplifiers with differential
Fig. 3: Proposed enclosure input stages (two inverting and two
1 1 8 O c to b e r 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
s.c. dwiv
edi
non-inverting) and can be used for
single-ended or bridge applications.
The gain of each amplifier is fixed at
20 dB. Here it is configured as two 22W
stereo bridge amplifiers.
The amplifier is powered from the
12V car battery through RCA socket
J2. Diode D1 protects against wrong-
polarity connection. LED1 indicates
the power status.
Connect stereo sound signal from
the 3.5mm headset socket of the mo-
bile phone to audio input socket J1.
When you play the music from your
mobile, IC1 amplifies the input. The
output of IC1 is fed to speakers LS1
and LS2 fitted at a suitable place in
your car. Electrolytic capacitor C5
connected between pin 4 of IC1 and
GND improves the supply-voltage
ripple rejection. Components R2 and
C4 connected at mute/standby pin
(pin 14) of IC1 eliminate the switch
on/off plop.
The circuit is quite compact. A
good-quality heat-sink assembly is
crucial for IC1. Fig. 2 shows the stereo
socket and stereo jack.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose in a suitable
cabinet. Small dimensions of the power
amplifier make it suitable for being en-
closed in a plastic (ABS) case with vent
holes. Signal input socket, speaker out-
put terminals, on/off switch, indicator,
fuse holder and power supply socket
are best located on the front panel of
the enclosure as shown in Fig. 3.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

FRIENDLY CHARGER FOR
MOBILE PHONES
 D. MOHAN KUMAR
M
ost mobile chargers do not
have current/voltage regu-
lation or short-circuit pro-
tection. These chargers provide raw
6-12V DC for charging the battery
pack. Most of the mobile phone bat-
tery packs have a rating of 3.6V, 650
mAh. For increasing the life of the bat-
tery, slow charging at low current is
advisable. Six to ten hours of charging
at 150-200mA current is a suitable op-
tion. This will prevent heating up of
the battery and extend its life.
The circuit described here provides
around 180mA current at 5.6V and
protects the mobile phone from unex-
pected voltage fluctuations that de-
velop on the mains line. So the charger
can be left on over night to replenish
the battery charge.
The circuit protects the mobile
phone as well as the charger by im-
mediately disconnecting the output
when it senses a voltage surge or a
short circuit in the battery pack or
connector. It can be called a middle
man between the existing charger
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
and the mobile phone. It has features
like voltage and current regulation,
over-current protection, and high- and
low-voltage cut-off. An added speci-
ality of the circuit is that it incorpo-
rates a short delay of ten seconds to
switch on when mains resumes fol-
lowing a power failure. This protects
the mobile phone from instant volt-
age spikes.
The circuit is designed for use in
conjunction with a 12V, 500mA adap-
tor (battery eliminator). Op-amp IC
CA3130 is used as a voltage compara-
tor. It is a BiMOS operational amplifier
with MOSFET input and CMOS out-
put. Inbuilt gate-protected p-channel
MOSFETs are used in the input to pro-
vide very high input impedance. The
output voltage can swing to either posi-
tive or negative (here, ground) side.
The inverting input (pin 2) of IC1
is provided with a variable voltage ob-
tained through the wiper of potmeter
VR1. The non-inverting input (pin 3)
of IC1 is connected to 12V stabilised
DC voltage developed across zener
ZD1. This makes the output of IC1
high.
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU SEPTEMBER 2006 97
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S.C. DW
IVEDI
After a power resumption, capaci-
tor C1 provides delay of a few sec-
onds to charge to a potential higher
than of inverting pin 2 of CA3130,
thus the output of IC1 goes high only
after the delay. In the case of a heavy
power line surge, zener diode ZD1
(12V, 1W) will breakdown and short
pin 3 of IC1 to ground and the output
of IC1 drops to ground
level. The output of IC1 is
fed to the base of npn
Darlington transistor
BD677 (T2) for charging
the battery. Transistor T2
conducts only when the
output of IC1 is high. Dur-
ing conduction the emit-
ter voltage of T2 is around
10V, which passes
through R6 to restrict the
charging current to
around 180 mA. Zener di-
ode ZD2 regulates the
charging voltage to
around 5.6V.
When a short-circuit
occurs at the battery ter-
minal, resistor R8 senses
the over-current, allowing transistor
T1 to conduct and light up LED1.
Glowing of LED2 indicates the charg-
ing mode, while LED1 indicates short-
circuit or over-current status.
The value of resistor R8 is impor-
tant to get the desired current level
to operate the cut-off. With the
given value of R8 (3.3 ohms), it is
350 mA.
Charging current can also be
changed by increasing or decreasing
the value of R7 using the I=V/R
rule.
Construct the circuit on a common
PCB and house in a small plastic case.
Connect the circuit between the out-
put lines of the charger and the input
pins of the mobile phone with correct
polarity. 
circuit
ideas

Motion Sensor for Security Light

George Varkey The working of the circuit is sim-
ple. When you power-on the circuit

H
ere is a system based on
PIR motion detector mod-
ule BS1600 (or BS1700) that
edi
after assembling all the components s.c. dwiv
including the CFL, the CFL will glow
for 10 seconds, turn off for 30 seconds,

will remain on for about ten

seconds (as programmed in
the motion sensor). In short,
when there is a movement
near the sensor, the CFL glows
for about ten seconds. It will
remain on if switch S1 is in
hold position.
Assemble the circuit on
a general-purpose PCB and
enclose in a suitable cabinet.
Fig. 1: Circuit of motion sensor for security light
Use a three-pin connector for
connecting the PIR sensor in
can be used glow for 10 seconds and then turn off. the circuit with correct polarity. The
for security or Now the circuit is ready to work. motion detector is embedded onto the
corridor light- When any movement is detected, transparent cover of the light assembly
ing in power- around 3.3V appears on the base as shown in Fig. 2
saving mode. of relay-driver transistor T1 and it An arrangment of CFL assembly
Fig. 2: PIR motion detector The 12V DC conducts to energise relay RL1. As a in the authors prototype (Fig. 3) is
module (BS1600 or BS1700)
power supply result, Triac1 (BT136) fires to pro- shown in Fig. 4. In this arrangement, a
required for vide full 230V and light up the CFL. PIR sensor and 23W, 230V AC CFL are
the motion detector and the relay Another normally-opened contact of used. Seal all four sides with Blue Tac
driver is derived from 230V, 50Hz the relay (N/O2) is used here to hold for water-tightness. Insulate the track
mains using a transformerless circuit the output until reset. If the switch side of the PCB using an insulating
as shown in Fig. 1. is not in hold position, the light foam and glue to the base.
Waterjet cutting
2323 mm

TERMINAL water-
BLOCK tight
fitting
using
blue
tac

PCB INSULATED FROM LAMP FITTING

Fig. 3: Authors prototype Fig. 4: CFL assembly

1 1 4 s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m

ANTI-BAG-SNATCHING ALARM
D. MOHAN KUMAR
H
ere is a simple alarm circuit to
thwart snatching of your valuables
while travelling. The circuit kept
in your bag or suitcase sounds a loud
alarm, simulating a police horn, if some-
one attempts to snatch your bag or suit-
case. This will draw the attention of other
passengers and the burglar can be caught
red handed.
In the standby mode, the circuit is
locked by a plug and socket arrangement
(a mono plug with shorted leads plugged
into the mono-jack socket of the unit).
When the burglar tries to snatch the bag,
the plug detaches from the units socket
to activate the alarm.
The circuit is designed around op-amp
IC CA3140 (IC1), which is configured as
a comparator. The non-inverting input
(pin 3) of IC1 is kept at half the supply
voltage (around 4.5V) by the potential
divider comprising resistors R2 and R3 of
100 kilo-ohms each. The inverting input
(pin 2) of IC1 is kept low through the
shorted plug at the socket. As a result,
the voltage at the non-inverting input is
higher than at the inverting input and the
output of IC1 is high.
The output from pin 6 of IC1 is fed to
trigger pin 2 of IC NE555 (IC2) via coupling
capacitor C1 (0.0047 F). IC2 is configured
as a monostable. Its trigger pin 2 is held
high by resistor R4 (10 kilo-ohms). Nor-
mally, the output of IC2 remains low and
the alarm is off. Resistor R6, along with
capacitor C3 connected to reset pin 4 of
IC2, prevents any false triggering. Resistor
R5 (10 mega-ohms), preset VR (10 mega-
ohms) and capacitor C2 (4.7 F, 16V) are
timing components. With these values, the
output at pin 3 of IC2 is about one minute,
which can be increased by increasing ei-
ther the value of capacitor C2 or preset VR.
When there is an attempt at snatch-
ing, the plug connected to the circuit de-
taches. At that moment, the voltage at
the inverting input of IC1 exceeds the
voltage at the non-inverting input and sub-
sequently its output goes low. This sends
a low pulse to trigger pin 2 of IC2 to
make its output pin 3 high. Consequently,
the alarm circuit built around IC UM3561
CIRCUIT IDEAS
SAN
I THE
O
(IC3) gets the supply voltage at its pin 5.
IC UM3561 is a complex ROM with
an inbuilt oscillator. Resistor R8 forms
the oscillator component. Its output is fed
to the base of single-stage transistor am-
plifier BD139 (T1) through resistor R9 (1
kilo-ohm).
The alarm tone generated from IC3 is
amplified by transistor T1. A loudspeaker
is connected to the collector of T1 to pro-
duce the alarm. The alarm can be put off
if the plug is inserted into the socket
again. Transistor T1 requires a heat-sink.
Resistor R7 (330 ohms) limits the cur-
rent to IC3 and zener diode ZD1 limits
the supply voltage to IC3 to a safe level
of 3.3 volts. Resistor R9 limits the cur-
rent to the base of T1.
The circuit can be easily constructed
on a vero board or general-purpose PCB.
Use a small case for housing the circuit
and 9V battery. The speaker should be
small so as to make the gadget handy.
Connect a thin plastic wire to the plug
and secure it in your hand or tie up some-
where else so that when the bag is pulled,
the plug detaches from the socket easily.
FEBRUARY 2004 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
CIRCUIT IDEAS
DC MOTOR CONTROL USING A SINGLE SWITCH
V. DAVID
T
his simple circuit lets you run a DC
motor in clockwise or anti-clockwise
direction and stop it using a single
switch. It provides a constant voltage for
proper operation of the motor. The glow-
ing of LED1 through LED3 indicates that
the motor is in stop, forward rotation and
reverse conditions, respectively.
Here, timer IC1 is wired as a
monostable multivibrator to avoid false
triggering of the motor while pressing
switch S1. Its time period is approximately
500 milliseconds (ms).
Suppose, initially, the circuit is in
reset condition with Q0 output of IC2
being high. Since Q1 and Q3 outputs of
IC2 are low, the outputs of IC3 and IC4
are high and the motor doesnt rotate.
LED1 glows to indicate that the motor is
in stop condition.
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU SEPTEMBER 2004
When you momentarily press switch
S1, timer 555 (IC1) provides a pulse to
decade counter CD4017 (IC2), which ad-
vances its output by one and its high state
shifts from Q0 to Q1. When Q1 goes high,
the output of IC3 at pin 3 goes low, so the
motor starts running in clockwise (forward)
direction. LED2 glows to indicate that the
motor is running in forward direction.
Now if you press S1 again, the high
output of IC2 shifts from Q1 to Q2. The
low Q1 output of IC2 makes pin 3 of IC3
high and the motor doesnt rotate. LED1
glows (via diode D2) to indicate that the
motor is in stop condition.
Pressing switch S1 once again shifts
the high output of IC2 from Q2 to Q3.
The high Q3 output of IC2 makes pin 3 of
IC4 low and the motor starts running in
anti-clockwise (reverse) direction. LED3
glows to indicate that the motor is run-
ning in reverse direction.
EDI
S.C.
DWIV
If you press S1 again, the high output
of IC2 shifts from Q3 to Q4. Since Q4 is
connected to reset pin 15, it resets decade
counter CD4017 and its Q0 output goes
high, so the motor does not rotate. LED1
glows via diode D1 to indicate that the
motor is in stop condition. Thereafter, the
cycle repeats.
If you dont want to operate the motor
in reverse direction, remove timer IC4
along with resistors R5 and R7 and LED3.
And connect b terminal of the motor to
+Vcc.
Similarly, if you dont want to run the
motor in forward direction, remove timer
IC3 along with resistors R4 and R6 and
LED2. And connect a terminal of the mo-
tor to +Vcc.
The circuit works off a 9V regulated
power supply for a 9V DC motor. Use a
6V regulated power supply for a 6V DC
motor.
CIRCUIT IDEAS
AUTOMATIC SCHOOL BELL
RAJ KUMAR MONDAL
C
onsider that a school has a total of
eight periods with a lunch break
after the fourth period. Each period
is 45 minutes long, while the duration of
the lunch break is 30 minutes.
To ring this automatic school bell to
start the first period, the peon needs to
momentarily press switch S1. Thereafter,
the bell sounds every 45 minutes to indi-
cate the end of consecutive periods, ex-
cept immediately after the fourth period,
when it sounds after 30 minutes to indi-
cate that the lunch break is over. When
the last period is over, LED2 glows to in-
dicate that the bell circuit should now be
switched off manually.
In case the peon has been late to start
the school bell, the delay in minutes can
be adjusted by advancing the time using
switch S3. Each pushing of switch S3 ad-
vances the time by 4.5 minutes. If the
school is closed early, the peon can turn
the bell circuit off by momentarily press-
ing switch S2.
The bell circuit contains timer IC
NE555 (IC1), two CD4017 decade counters
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU OCTOBER 2004
S.C. DWI
(IC2 and IC3) and AND gate CD4081 (IC4).
Timer IC1 is wired as an astable
multivibrator, whose clock output pulses
are fed to IC2. IC2 increases the time
periods of IC1 (4.5 and 3 minutes) by ten
times to provide a clock pulse to IC3 ev-
ery 45 minutes or after 30 minutes, re-
spectively. When the class periods are go-
ing on, the outputs of IC3 switch on tran-
sistors T1 and T2 via diodes D4 through
D12.
Resistors R4 and R5 connected in se-
ries to the emitter of npn transistor T2
decide the 4.5-minute time period of IC1.
The output of IC1 is further connected to
pin 14 of IC2 to provide a period with a
duration of 45 minutes. Similarly, resis-
tors R2 and R3 connected in series to the
emitter of npn transistor T1 decide the 3-
minute time period of IC1, which is fur-
ther given to IC2 to provide the lunch-
break duration of 30 minutes.
Initially, the circuit does not ground
to perform its operation when 12V power
supply is given to the circuit.
When switch S1 is pressed momen-
tarily, a high enough voltage to fire sili-
con-controlled resistor SCR1 appears at its
VED
I
gate. When SCR1 is fired, it provides
ground path to operate the circuit after
resetting both decade counters IC2 and
IC3. At the same time, LED1 glows to in-
dicate that school bell is now active.
When switch S2 is pressed momen-
tarily, the anode of SCR1 is again
grounded and the circuit stops operating.
In this condition, both LED1 and LED2
dont glow.
When the eighth period is over, Q9
output of IC3 goes high. At this time, tran-
sistors T1 and T2 dont get any voltage
through the outputs of IC2. As a result, the
astable multivibrator (IC1) stops working.
The school bell sounds for around 8
seconds at the end of each period. One
can increase/decrease the ringing time of
the bell by adding/removing diodes con-
nected in series across pins 6 and 7 of
IC1.
The terminals of the 230V AC
electric bell are connected to the nor-
mally-open (N/O) contact of relay RL1.
The circuit works off a 12V regulated
power supply. However, a battery source
for back-up in case the power fails is also
recommended.
 circuit
ideas

USB Power Socket s.c. dwiv

edi

T.K. Hareendran

T
oday, almost all computers con-
tain logic blocks for implement-
ing a USB port. A USB port, in
practice, is capable of delivering more
than 100 mA of continuous current at
5V to the peripherals that are connected
to the bus. So a USB port can be used,
without any trouble, for powering 5V
DC operated tiny electronic gadgets.
Nowadays, many handheld de-
vices (for instance, portable reading Fig. 1: Circuit of USB power socket

lamps) utilise this facility of the USB

port to recharge their built-in bat- Assemble the
tery pack with the help of an internal CIGAR
COIL CORD
USB POWER SOCKET circuit on a gen-
PLUG WITH INDICATOR
circuitry. Usually 5V DC, 100mA cur- eral-purpose PCB
rent is required to satisfy the input and enclose in a
power demand. slim plastic cabi-
Fig. 1 shows the circuit of a versatile Fig. 2: Interconnection of cigar plug and USB power net along with the
socket using a coil cord Fig. 3: Pin
USB power socket that safely converts indicator and USB
configuration
the 12V battery voltage into stable 5V. of LM317L (To- socket. While wir-
This circuit makes it possible to power/ Capacitor C1 buffers any disorder in 92 package) ing the USB out-
recharge any USB power-operated de- the input supply. Resistors R1 and R2 let, ensure correct
vice, using in-dash board cigar lighter regulate the output of IC1 to steady 5V, polarity of the supply. For intercon-
socket of your car. which is available at the A type female nection between the cigar plug pin
The DC supply available from the USB socket. Red LED1 indicates the out- and the device, use a long coil cord as
cigar lighter socket is fed to an adjust- put status and zener diode ZD1 acts as a shown in Fig. 2. Pin configuration of
able, three-pin regulator LM317L (IC1). protector against high voltage. LM317L is shown in Fig. 3.

w w w. e f y m ag . co m e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u a p r i l 2 0 0 9 8 9

SPY EAR
T.K. HAREENDRAN
W
hat binoculars do to im-
prove your vision, this
personal sound enhancer
circuit does for listening. This light-
weight gadget produces an adjustable
gain on sounds picked up from the
built-in high-sensitivity condenser
microphone. So you can hear what you
have been missing. With a 6V (41.5V)
battery, it produces good results.
As shown in Fig. 1, a small signal
amplifier is built around transistor
BC547 (T1). Transistor T1 and the relat-
Fig. 1: Circuit for spy ear
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
s.c. dwiv
edi
ed components amplify the
sound signals picked up by
the condenser microphone
(MIC). The amplified signal
from the preamplifier stage
is fed to input pin 3 of IC
LM386N (IC1) through Fig. 2: Compact unit of spy ear
capacitor C2 (100nF) and
volume control VR1 (10-kilo-ohm log).
A decoupling network comprising re-
sistor R5 and capacitor C3 provides the R6-C4 network is used to RF-decouple
preamplifier block with a clean supply positive-supply pin 6 and R8-C7 is an
voltage.
Audio amplifier IC LM386N (IC1)
circuit
ideas
is designed for operation
with power supplies in
the 4-15V DC range. It
is housed in a standard
8-pin DIL package, con-
sumes very small quies-
cent current and is ideal
for battery-powered
portable applications.
The processed out-
put signal from capaci-
tor C2 goes to one end
of volume control VR1.
The wiper is taken to pin 3 of LM386N
audio output amplifier. Note that the
optional Zobel network that ensures
high frequency stability when feeding
an inductive headphone load.
Capacitor C6 (22F, 16V) wired
between pin 7 and ground gives ad-
ditional ripple rejection. The output of
LM386N power amplifier can safely
drive a standard 32-ohm monophonic
headphone/earphone.
Assemble the circuit on a small
general-purpose PCB and house in
a suitable metallic enclosure with an
integrated battery holder and head-
phone/earphone socket as shown in
Fig. 2. Fit the on/off switch (S1), vol-
ume control (VR1) and power indicator
(LED1) on the enclosure. Finally, fit the
condenser microphone (MIC) on the
front side of the enclosure and link it to
the input of the preamplifier via a short
length of the shielded wire.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u A p r i l 2 0 1 0 9 3
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
CURRENT SENSOR
 D. MOHAN KUMAR
H
igh-wattage appliances like
electric irons, ovens and heat-
ers result in unnecessary
power loss if left on for hours unno-
ticed. Here is a circuit that senses the
flow of current through the appliances
and gives audible beeps every fifteen
minutes to remind you of power-on
status.
This is a non-contact version of cur-
rent monitor and can sense the flow
of current in high-current appliances
from a distance of up to 30 cm . It uses
a standard step-down transformer (0-
9V, 500mA) as the current sensor. Its
secondary winding is left open, while
the primary winding ends are used to
detect the current. The primary ends
of the transformer are connected to a
full-wave bridge rectifier comprising
diodes D1 through D4. The rectified
output is connected to the non-invert-
ing input of IC CA3140 (IC1).
IC CA3140 is a 4.5MHz BIMOS op-
erational amplifier with MOSFET in-
put and bipolar transistor output. It
has gate-protected MOSFET (PMOS)
94 DECEMBER 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
transistors in the input to provide very
high input impedance (1.5 T-ohms),
very low input current (10 pA) and
high-speed switching performance.
The inverting input of IC1 is pre-
set with VR1. In the standby mode,
the primary of the transformer accepts
e.m.f. from the instrument or sur-
rounding atmosphere, which results in
low-voltage input to IC1. This low
voltage at the non-inverting input
keeps the output of IC1 low. Thus tran-
sistor T1 doesnt conduct and pin 12
of IC2 goes high to disable IC2. As a
result, the remaining part of the cir-
cuit gets inactivated.
When a high-current appliance is
switched on, there will be a current
drain in the primary of the transformer
to the negative rail due to an increase
in the e.m.f. caused by the flow of cur-
rent through the appliance. This results
in voltage rise at the non-inverting in-
put and the output of IC1 becomes high.
This high output drives transistor T1
into conduction and the reset pin of
IC2 becomes low, which enables IC2.
IC CD4060 (IC2) is a 14-stage ripple
counter. It is used as a 15-minute timer
S.C. DW
IVEDI
by feeding Q9 output to the
piezobuzzer for aural alarm through
the intermediate circuitry. Resistors R5
and R6 along with capacitor C1 main-
tain the oscillations in IC2 as indicated
by blinking LED1. The high output
from IC2 is used to activate a simple
oscillator comprising transistors T2
and T3, resistors R8 and R10, and ca-
pacitor C2.
When the Q9 output of IC2 be-
comes high, zener diode ZD1 provides
3.1 volts to the base of transitor T2.
Since transistor T2 is biased by a high-
value resistor (R8), it will not conduct
immediately. Capacitor C2 slowly
charges and when the voltage at the
base of T2 increases above 0.6 volt, it
conducts. When T2 conducts, the base
of T3 turns low and it also conducts.
The piezobuzzer connected to the col-
lector of T3 gives a short beep as ca-
pacitor C2 discharges. This sequence
of IC2 output at Q9 becoming high and
conduction of transistors T2 and T3 re-
sulting in beep sound repeats at short
intervals. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
circuit
ideas
Infrared Illuminator
T.K. Hareendran
I
nfrared (IR) illuminators are
widely used to improve the image-
capturing quality of security cam-
eras fitted in dark zones. Just like our
eyes, cameras also cant record move-
Fig. 1: Circuit for infrared illuminator
ments in dark.
However, un-
like our eyes,
most of the lat-
est cameras can
capture infra-
red light.
In an IR
Fig. 2: Infrared illuminator Illuminator,
many infrared
IR LEDs are grouped together to throw
good amount of IR light. Typically,
LEDs output at 470 nm (blue region),
525 nm (green region) and 625 nm
(red region). IR LEDs produce longer
wavelengths, 880 nm and 940 nm being
the common ones. Most CCD cameras
are a little more sensitive to 880 nm,
although when these LEDs are used
for security applications, some indi-
viduals can detect a very dim red glow
from them. The 940nm LED radiations
are completely invisible to the eye.
Some of these LEDs are clear, while
others are tinted with pale shades of
1 1 2 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
dark gray, blue or even black. They
come in various configurations and
radiation patterns, but 5mm types with
15- to 40-degree patterns are the most
popular.
Typically, IR LEDs run at around
1.3 to 1.7 volts, depending on the
LED current (typically 10 to 30 mA).
However, this may vary with the type
and manufacturer. Practically, IR il-
luminators may have 6 or 60 to 100 or
more LEDs, depending on the output
needed.
The circuit (refer Fig. 1) can be
divided into three parts: ambient light
sensor, relay driver and IR LEDs. The
ambient light sensor is built around
multiturn linear potmeter VR1 and
light-dependent resistor LDR1. The
relay driver section is built around
transistors T1 through T3. The IR LEDs
section is built around LED1 through
LED40.
The light sensor circuit is a simple
transistor switch with the base of the
Darlington pair (formed by T1 and
T2) connected to a voltage divider.
Variable resistor VR1 and the 10mm
encapsulated LDR are used to sense
the ambient light. As light falls on the
surface of LDR1, its resistance changes.
The amount of minimum light needed
edi
s.c. dwiv
to actuate the relay through driver
transistor T3 can be varied by adjust-
ing VR1. Diode 1N4001 eliminates
any back voltage when the relay
de-energises. Switch S1 is the mains
power on/off switch and switch S2 is
added to bypass the ambient light de-
tection function.
Relay RL1 energises only when
the ambient light level falls below a
threshold value set by VR1, i.e., when
its dark. Normally-opened (N/O) con-
tacts of the relay ground path to the IR
LEDs (LED1 through LED40) to make
them glow. The blue LED (LED41) in-
dicates the circuit activity. When there
is ambient light and you want to use the
illuminator, switch S2 on. All the LEDs
(LED1 through LED40) glow to fulfil
your requirement.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose in a suitable
cabinet. The IR LEDs assembly is very
important. A set of 40 (58) 5mm infra-
red LEDs (IR LED1 through IR LED40)
with independent current-limiting
resistors (R3 through R10) per string
is used. This section is powered by
the input DC supply through the relay
contacts.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

Mount IR LEDs on the general-pur-
pose PCB board such that these make
three circles. After soldering, carefully
cut the outside of the circuit board in
a round shape and fit it in a suitable
metal/plastic cabinet. If available, add
a suitable reflector sheet for the IR
LED bank. Finally, fit the LDR bank
on top of the enclosure with switches,
indicator-sensitivity-control pot and
power input socket. Fig. 2 shows the
infrared illuminator unit.
circuit
ideas
To make the circuit actuate the re-
lay when the intensity of ambient light
is less than the preset light level, throw
light on LDR1 and then slowly adjust
the potentiometer until LED1 lights up
and the relay energises.

w w w. e f y m ag . co m e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 1 1 3
circuit
ideas
Infrared Illuminator
T.K. Hareendran
I
nfrared (IR) illuminators are
widely used to improve the image-
capturing quality of security cam-
eras fitted in dark zones. Just like our
eyes, cameras also cant record move-
Fig. 1: Circuit for infrared illuminator
ments in dark.
However, un-
like our eyes,
most of the lat-
est cameras can
capture infra-
red light.
In an IR
Fig. 2: Infrared illuminator Illuminator,
many infrared
IR LEDs are grouped together to throw
good amount of IR light. Typically,
LEDs output at 470 nm (blue region),
525 nm (green region) and 625 nm
(red region). IR LEDs produce longer
wavelengths, 880 nm and 940 nm being
the common ones. Most CCD cameras
are a little more sensitive to 880 nm,
although when these LEDs are used
for security applications, some indi-
viduals can detect a very dim red glow
from them. The 940nm LED radiations
are completely invisible to the eye.
Some of these LEDs are clear, while
others are tinted with pale shades of
1 1 2 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
dark gray, blue or even black. They
come in various configurations and
radiation patterns, but 5mm types with
15- to 40-degree patterns are the most
popular.
Typically, IR LEDs run at around
1.3 to 1.7 volts, depending on the
LED current (typically 10 to 30 mA).
However, this may vary with the type
and manufacturer. Practically, IR il-
luminators may have 6 or 60 to 100 or
more LEDs, depending on the output
needed.
The circuit (refer Fig. 1) can be
divided into three parts: ambient light
sensor, relay driver and IR LEDs. The
ambient light sensor is built around
multiturn linear potmeter VR1 and
light-dependent resistor LDR1. The
relay driver section is built around
transistors T1 through T3. The IR LEDs
section is built around LED1 through
LED40.
The light sensor circuit is a simple
transistor switch with the base of the
Darlington pair (formed by T1 and
T2) connected to a voltage divider.
Variable resistor VR1 and the 10mm
encapsulated LDR are used to sense
the ambient light. As light falls on the
surface of LDR1, its resistance changes.
The amount of minimum light needed
edi
s.c. dwiv
to actuate the relay through driver
transistor T3 can be varied by adjust-
ing VR1. Diode 1N4001 eliminates
any back voltage when the relay
de-energises. Switch S1 is the mains
power on/off switch and switch S2 is
added to bypass the ambient light de-
tection function.
Relay RL1 energises only when
the ambient light level falls below a
threshold value set by VR1, i.e., when
its dark. Normally-opened (N/O) con-
tacts of the relay ground path to the IR
LEDs (LED1 through LED40) to make
them glow. The blue LED (LED41) in-
dicates the circuit activity. When there
is ambient light and you want to use the
illuminator, switch S2 on. All the LEDs
(LED1 through LED40) glow to fulfil
your requirement.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose in a suitable
cabinet. The IR LEDs assembly is very
important. A set of 40 (58) 5mm infra-
red LEDs (IR LED1 through IR LED40)
with independent current-limiting
resistors (R3 through R10) per string
is used. This section is powered by
the input DC supply through the relay
contacts.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

Mount IR LEDs on the general-pur-
pose PCB board such that these make
three circles. After soldering, carefully
cut the outside of the circuit board in
a round shape and fit it in a suitable
metal/plastic cabinet. If available, add
a suitable reflector sheet for the IR
LED bank. Finally, fit the LDR bank
on top of the enclosure with switches,
indicator-sensitivity-control pot and
power input socket. Fig. 2 shows the
infrared illuminator unit.
circuit
ideas
To make the circuit actuate the re-
lay when the intensity of ambient light
is less than the preset light level, throw
light on LDR1 and then slowly adjust
the potentiometer until LED1 lights up
and the relay energises.

w w w. e f y m ag . co m e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 1 1 3
 circuit
ideas
Tester For Remote Control
T.A. Babu mately five metres. The integrated IR
receiver detects, amplifies and de-
H
ere is a simple tester for check- modulates IR signals from the remote
ing the basic operations of an control unit. The piezobuzzer con-
infrared remote control unit. nected at its output sounds to indicate
It is low-cost and easy to construct. the presence of signal from the remote
The tester is built around infrared control unit.
receiver module TSOP1738. Operation As shown in Fig. 1, output pin 3 of
of the remote control is acknowledged IR receiver module TSOP1738 (IRX1)
by a tone from the buzzer. The circuit normally remains high and the pi-
is sensitive and has a range of approxi- ezobuzzer is in silent mode. When the
IR module
IRX1 re-
ceives an
infrared
signal, its
output goes
low and, as
a result, the
piezobuzz-
er sounds
to indicate
the recep-
Fig. 1: Circuit diagram of remote tester tion of sig-
9 6 F e b r ua ry 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
s.c. dwiv
edi
nal from the
remote (such
as TV remote
control unit).
P o w e r
supply for
the circuit is
Fig. 2: Pin configuration of
derived from
TL431 and TSOP 1738 the mains us-
ing a capaci-
tive potential dropper, a half-wave rec-
tifier, a shunt regulator and associated
components. Make sure that capacitor
C1 is of X2 type. Use a suitably small
enclosure to make the unit handy.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose in a cabinet.
Make sure that the IR receiver module
is placed on the front panel of the cabi-
net so that it can receive the IR signals
easily. Before soldering/connecting the
shunt regulator and IR module, refer
Fig. 2 for the pin configuration.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
NUMERIC WATER-LEVEL INDICATOR
Daniyal Syed
M
ost water-level indicators
for water tanks are based
upon the number of LEDs
that glow to indicate the correspond-
ing level of water in the container.
Here we present a digital version of the
water-level indicator. It uses a 7-seg-
ment display to show the water level
in numeric form from 0 to 9.
The circuit works off 5V regulated
power supply. It is built around prior-
ity encoder IC 74HC147 (IC1), BCD-to-
7-segment decoder IC CD4511 (IC2),
7-segment display LTS543 (DIS1) and a
few discrete components. Due to high
input impedance, IC1 senses water in
the container from its nine input termi-
nals. The inputs are connected to +5V
via 560-kilo-ohm resistors. The ground
1 0 4 F e b r ua ry 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
terminal of the sensor must be kept at
the bottom of the container (tank). IC
74HC147 has nine active-low inputs
and converts the active input into ac-
tive-low BCD output. The input L-9
has the highest priority.
The outputs of IC1 (A, B, C and
D) are fed to IC2 via transistors T1
through T4. This logic inverter is used
to convert the active-low output of IC1
into active-high for IC2. The BCD code become low and its output goes low
received by IC2 is shown on 7-seg-
ment display LTS543. Resistors R18
through R24 limit the current through
the display.
When the tank is empty, all the
inputs of IC1 remain high. As a result,
its output also remains high, making
all the inputs of IC2 low. Display
LTS543 at this stage shows 0, which
means the tank is empty. Similarly,
edi
s.c. dwiv
when the water level reaches L-1 posi-
tion, the display shows 1, and when
the water level reaches L-8 position,
the display shows 8. Finally, when
the tank is full, all the inputs of IC1
to make all the inputs of IC2 high.
Display LTS543 now shows 9, which
means the tank is full.
Assemble the circuit on a gen-
eral-purpose PCB and enclose in a
box. Mount 7-segment LTS543 on the
front panel of the box. For sensors L-1
though L-9 and ground, use corrosion-
free conductive-metal (stainless-steel)
strips.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

Bicycle Indicator
T.K. Hareendran
T
he electronic bicycle signaling
unit described here uses low-
cost components and is a good
Fig. 1: Circuit of bi-cycle indicator
Fig. 2: Suggested enclosure (master unit)
substitute to many commercially avail-
able versions. It works in an extremely
different manner and is convenient to
operate.
The circuit works off a 9V PP3
(alkaline-type) battery and is basically
a set of two independent free-running
oscillators (astable multivibrators) built
around four low-power transistors
and a few passive components. Both
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
the square-wave oscillators (one built
around T1 and T2 and the other built
around T3 and T4) drive four red LEDs
(LED1 and LED2, and LED5 and LED6,
respectively), which blink to indicate
Fig. 3: Suggested enclosure (indicators)
the direction of turn. Ad-
ditional steady-glow LEDs
(LED3 and LED4) are in-
corporated to indicate the
working status.
The working of the cir-
cuit is straightforward. When
switch S1 is flipped to on po-
sition, DC supply from
the battery is extended to the oscil-
lator circuit formed by transistors
T1 and T2. Now the left-side oscil-
lator starts oscillating and the visual
indicators at the front left (FL) and
rear left (RL) start blinking at a rate
circuit
ideas
edi
s.c. dwiv
determined by timing capacitors C1
and C2. Resistors R2 and R3 limit the
operating current of LEDs (LED1
and LED2). At the same time, the
green LED (LED3) starts glowing
to indicate the present direction
status.
Similar action happens in the
next oscillator circuit built around
transistors T3 and T4 when switch
S2 is flipped to on position. Indi-
cators at the front right (FR) and
rear right (RR) start blinking, and
at the same time the green LED
(LED4) glows to indicate the direc-
tion status.
Switch S3 is used for emergency
indication. When it is flipped to on
position, both the oscillators get
power supply through diodes D1
and D2. As a result, LED1 through
LED6 start working simultaneous-
ly. In this condition, all
the LEDs blink, except
LED3 and LED4, which
glow steadily.
After assembling
the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB, enclose
it in a suitable cabinet
as shown in Fig. 2 and
mount on the handle
bar of the bicycle, pref-
erably at the mechani-
cal centre point. Con-
nect switch S1 at the left-hand side, S2
at the right-hand side and emergency
switch S3 in the middle of the master
unit. Now place this master unit at
the top of the handle bar and do the
essential interconnections using flex-
ible wires. Connect the front indica-
tors (LED1 and LED5) to the left and
right side of the handle and similarly
rear indicators (LED2 and LED6) can
be mounted in the carrier frame of
the bicycle. For the direction indica-
tor, you can use the symbol shown in
Fig. 3 and place it at the centre of the
handle.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u j u ly 2 0 0 8 9 5

Digital Thermometer
Raj K. Gorkhali
T
his digital thermometer can
measure temperatures up to
150C with an accuracy of 1C.
The temperature is read on a 1V full
scale-deflection (FSD) moving-coil
voltmeter or digital voltmeter.
Operational amplifier IC 741 (IC3)
provides a constant flow of current
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
through the base-emitter junction of
npn transistor BC108 (T1). The volt-
age across the base-emitter junction
of the transistor is proportional to its
temperature. The transistor used this
way makes a low-cost sensor. You can
use silicon diode instead of transistor.
The small variation in voltage across
the base-emitter junction is amplified
by second operational amplifier (IC4),
circuit
ideas
s.c. dwiv
edi
before the temperature is displayed
on the meter. Preset VR1 is used to
set the zero-reading on the meter and
preset VR2 is used to set the range of
temperature measurement.
Operational amplifiers IC3 and IC4
operate off regulated 5V power sup-
ply, which is derived from 3-terminal
positive voltage regula-
tor IC 7805 (IC1) and
negative low-dropout
regulator IC 7660 (IC2).
The entire circuit works
off a 9V battery.
Assemble the cir-
cuit on a general-pur-
pose PCB and enclose
in a small plastic box.
Calibrate the thermom-
eter using presets VR1
and VR2. After calibra-
tion, keep the box in
the vicinity of the object
whose temperature is
to be measured.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u J u ly 2 0 1 0 9 9
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
BRAKE FAILURE INDICATOR
D. MOHAN KUMAR
D
o you want to get an early
warning of brake failure
while driving? Here is a
brake failure indicator circuit that con-
stantly monitors the condition of the
brake and gives an audio-visual indi-
cation. When the brake is applied, the
green LED blinks and the piezobuzzer
beeps for around one second if the
brake system is intact. If the brake fails,
the red LED glows and the buzzer
stops beeping.
The circuit will work only in ve-
hicles with negative grounding. It also
gives an indication of brake switch fail-
ure.
In hydraulic brake systems of ve-
hicles, a brake switch is mounted on
the brake cylinder to operate the rear
brake lamps. The brake switch is fluid-
operated and doesnt function if the
fluid pressure drops due to leakage.
The fluid leakage cannot be detected
easily unless there is a severe pressure
drop in the brake pedal. This circuit
senses the chance of a brake failure by
88 JUNE 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
monitoring the brake switch and re-
minds you of the condition of the
brake every time the brake is applied.
The circuit uses an op-amp IC
CA3140 (IC2) as voltage comparator
and timer NE555 (IC3) in monostable
configuration for alarm. Voltage com-
parator IC2 senses the voltage level
across the brake switch. Its non-invert-
ing input (pin 3) gets half the supply
voltage through potential divider re-
sistors R3 and R4 of 10 kilo-ohms each.
The inverting input (pin 2) of IC2 is
connected to the brake switch through
diode D1, IC 7812 (IC1) and resistor
R2. It receives a higher voltage when
the brake is applied.
Normally, when the brake is not
applied, the output of IC2 remains
high and the red LED (LED1) glows.
The output of IC2 is fed to trigger pin
2 of the monostable through coupling
capacitor C2. Resistor R1 is used for
the input stability of IC2. IC1 and C1
provide a ripple-free regulated supply
to the inverting input of IC2.
IC3 is wired as a monostable to
give pulse output of one second. Tim-
CMYK
S.C. DW
IVEDI
ing elements R7 and C4 make the out-
put high for one second to activate the
buzzer and LED2. Usually, the trigger
pin of IC3 is high due to R6 and the
buzzer and LED2 remain off.
When the brake pedal is pressed,
pin 2 of IC2 gets a higher voltage from
the brake switch and its output goes
low to switch off
the red LED. The
low output of IC2
gives a short nega-
tive pulse to the
monostable
through C2 to trig-
ger it. This acti-
vates the buzzer
and LED2 to indi-
cate that the brake
system is working.
When there is pres-
sure drop in the
brake system due
to leakage, LED1
remains on and the buzzer does not
sound when the brake is applied.
The circuit can be assembled on
any general-purpose PCB or perfo-
rated board. Connect point A to that
terminal of the brake switch which
goes to the brake lamps. The circuit
can be powered from the vehicles
battery.
The circuit requires well-regulated
power supply to avoid unwanted trig-
gering while the battery is charging
from the dynamo. IC4, C6 and C7 pro-
vide regulated 12V to the circuit. The
power supply should be taken from
the ignition switch and the circuit
ground should be clamped to the
vehicles body. A bicolour LED can
be used in place of LED1 and LED2
if desired. z
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

SEISMIC SENSOR
 D. MOHAN KUMAR
T
his circuit simulates a seismic
sensor to detect vibrations/
sounds. It is very sensitive and
can detect vibrations caused by the
movement of animals or human be-
ings. So it can be used to monitor pro-
tected areas to restrict entry of un-
wanted persons or animals.
The circuit uses readily available
components and the design is straight-
forward. A standard piezo sensor is
used to detect vibrations/sounds due
to pressure changes. The piezo element
acts as a small capacitor having a ca-
pacitance of a few nanofarads. Like a
capacitor, it can store charge when a
potential is applied to its terminals. It
discharges through VR1, when it is dis-
turbed.
In the circuit, IC TLO71 (IC1) is
wired as a differential amplifier with
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
both its inverting and non-inverting
inputs tied to the negative rail through
a resistive network comprising R1, R2
and R3. Under idle conditions (as ad-
justed by VR1), both the inputs receive
almost equal voltages, which keeps the
output low.
TLO71 is a low-noise JFET input
op-amp with low input bias and off-
set current. The BIFET technology pro-
vides fast slew rates. Capacitor C1 is
provided in the circuit to keep the
differential input of IC1 for better per-
formance.
When the piezo element is dis-
turbed (by even a slight movement), it
discharges the stored charge. This al-
ters the voltage level at the inputs of
IC1 and the output momentarily
swings high as indicated by green
LED1. This high output is used to trig-
ger switching transistor T1, which trig-
gers monostable IC2. The timing pe-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU NOVEMBER 2007 95
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S.C. DW
IVEDI
riod of IC2 is determined by R7 and
C5. With the shown values, it will be
around two minutes. The high output
from IC2 activates T2 and the buzzer
starts beeping along with red light in-
dication from LED2.
Assemble the circuit on a common
PCB and enclose in a suitable cabinet.
Connect the piezo element to the PCB
using single-core shielded wire. En-
close the piezo element inside a rust-
proof, small aluminium box. The piezo
element should be firmly glued to the
enclosure facing the fine side towards
the case. Fix the sensor assembly on
the back side of a ceramic tile or gran-
ite tile with good adhesive. Fix the tile
(or bury it in the earth) near the en-
trance with the sensor assembly fac-
ing downwards. Whenever a pressure
change develops near the sensor, the
circuit will be activated. 

Flasher For Deepawali
Sunil Kumar
H
ere is the circuit for a port-
able electric lamp-cum-LED
flasher. It uses a 25W, 230V
AC bulb and nine LEDs. When the
bulb glows all the LEDs remain off,
and when the LEDs glow the bulb
remains off.
The circuit is built around timer IC
555 (IC1), which is wired as an astable
multivibrator generating square wave.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
The output of IC1 drives transistor T1.
Working of the circuit is simple.
When output pin 3 of IC1 goes high,
transistor T1 conducts to fire triac1
and the bulb glows. Bulb L1 turns off
when output pin 3 of IC1 goes low.
The collector of transistor T1 is con-
nected to anodes of all the LEDs (LED1
through LED9). So when T1 is cut-off
the LEDs glow, and when T1 conducts
the LEDs go off. Current-limiting resis-
tor R4 protects the LEDs from higher
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 0 1 1 5
circuit
ideas
s.c. dwiv
edi
currents.
In brief, the bulb and the LEDs
flash alternately depending on the
frequency of IC1. Flashing rates of the
bulb as well as LEDs can be varied by
adjusting potmeter VR1. Connect the
power supply line (L) of mains to bulb
L1 via switch S1 and neutral (N) to
MT1 terminal of triac1.
A 12V, 200mA AC adaptor is
used to power the circuit. Using
switch S1, you can switch off the
bulb permanently if you do not
want it to flash.
Assemble the circuit on a
general-purpose PCB and en-
close in a circular plastic cabinet
keeping the bulb at the centre
and LEDs at the circumference.
Drill holes for mounting the
on/off switch. Use a bulb
holder for bulb L1 and LED
holders for the LEDs. Also use
an IC socket for timer IC 555.
Warning. While assembling,
testing or repairing, take care to
avoid the lethal electric shock.
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

FRONT DOOR GUARD S.C. DW

IVEDI

 D. MOHAN KUMAR monostable mode to set and reset IC Normally, with reed switch S1
CD4027 (IC2). The output pulse width closed, transistor T1 is non-conduct-

H
ere is a circuit to thwart the
attempt of burglary in your
home. When an intruder tries
to open the door of your house, it
sounds a loud alarm and switches on
the porch light. The alarm disables
only when the door is closed again or
S2 is switched off. The circuit is
failproof and reliable and, unlike IR-
or 555 timer-based burglar alarms,
overcomes the problem of false trig-
gering.
The circuit is based on the trigger-
ing action of the low-power
monostable/astable multivibrator IC
CD4047 (IC1). It is wired in the
of IC1 depends on the external
R3-C2 network connected to its pins
1, 2 and 3.
Monostable operation is achieved
when IC1 is triggered by low-to-high
transition of the positive trigger input
(pin 8). It can be retriggered by an-
other low-to-high transition of pin 8.
When the master reset input (pin 9) is
high, Q output (pin 10) goes low and
Q output (pin 11) goes high. Here the
monostable configuration of IC1 has
R3-C2 network with values of C2 and
R3 as 0.0047 F and 470 kilo-ohms, re-
spectively. Trigger pin 8 is connected
to the emitter of T1.
ing and its emitter current is zero. So
the monostable remains in the standby
mode with low output at pin 10. When
T1 conducts upon opening reed switch
S1, a positive pulse from the emitter
of T1 triggers the monostable and a
short positive pulse is available to Q
output of the monostable. It resets
when T1 is made non-conducting by
closing reed switch S1. The negative
trigger pin 6 and astable input pin 5
of IC1 are tied to the ground along
with ground pin 7.
The short-duration (one-second)
low-to-high output from IC1 is used
to set and reset IC2. It is a low-power

Fig. 1: Circuit of front door guard

dual J-K master/slave flip-flop having Q output goes triac1 (BT136) and alarm tone genera-
independent J, K, set, reset and clock low and Q out- tor IC3. The triac is used to switch on
inputs. The flip-flops are edge-sensi- put goes high. porch lamp.
tive to the clock input and Q and Q This lights up IC3 (IC UM3561) is a tone genera-
outputs change states on the positive- LED3 and tor that produces different tones based
going transition of the clock pulses. drives transistor on its pin connections. Here it is used
IC2 is wired such that its Q output T2 (BC548). The to generate a fire brigade alarm by con-
turns high when reset pin 4 receives a output from necting its pin 6 to Vcc. Resistor R10
Fig. 2: Pin configuration
high pulse (as indicated by LED2). of BC548/549 and transistor T2 is keeps the oscillation of IC3 to the re-
When set pin 7 receives a high pulse, BT136 used to activate quired level. Zener diode ZD1 and re-

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU OCTOBER 2006 103

CMYK
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
sistor R8 provide 3V DC to IC3.
The circuit can be easily assembled
on a general-purpose PCB. All
the ICs are commonly available
low-cost versions. A standard 9V,
500mA adaptor can be used to power
the circuit. Reed switch S1 is an im-
portant part of the circuit, and it
should be normally open type.
104 OCTOBER 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
Mount the reed switch on the
doorframe and the remaining
circuit on the nearby wall. The mag-
net for controlling the reed
switch should be fixed on the door
so as to close the reed switch
when the door closes. When the door
opens, the contacts of the reed switch
break to activate the alarm. Isolate the
CMYK
triac from the remaining parts of the
circuit and ensure adequate spacing
between its pins to avoid short cir-
cuit.
Warning. Since triac is used in the
circuit, some parts will be at mains po-
tential. So exercise utmost care during
testing and installation to avoid lethal
shock. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 CIRCUIT IDEAS
STABILISED POWER SUPPLY WITH
SHORT-CIRCUIT INDICATION
D. MOHAN KUMAR
H
ere is an efficient 4-stage stabilised
power supply unit for testing elec-
tronic circuits. It provides well
regulated and stabilised output, which is
essential for most electronic circuits to give
proper results. The circuit provides an au-
dio-visual indication if there is a short cir-
cuit in the PCB under test, so the power
supply to the circuit under test can be
cut-off immediately to save the valuable
components from damage.
The circuit provides four different regu-
lated outputs (12V, 9V, 6V and 5V) and
an unregulated 18V output, which are se-
lectable through rotary switch S2. The se-
lected output is indicated on the analogue
voltmeter connected to the outputs rails.
The circuit uses a standard 18V-0-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JULY 2004
18V, 500mA step-down transformer to gen-
erate 18V AC. A rectifier diode compris-
ing diodes D1 and D2 provides 18V DC,
which is smoothed by capacitor C1 and
given to the combination of regulator ICs
(IC1 through IC4). The regulator ICs pro-
duce fixed, regulated outputs of 12V, 9V,
6V and 5V, respectively, which are con-
nected to the rotary switch contacts. This
power supply is useful for loads requiring
up to 200mA current.
Complementary transistors T1 and T2
conduct when the power to the circuit is
switched on. Full selected supply voltage
is available at the collector of transistor
T2, which is used to power the load. LED3
indicates the presence of output voltage.
The negative terminal of piezobuzzer PZ1
is connected to the output rail via LED2,
so the piezobuzzer remains silent as its
S.C.
DWI
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I
negative terminal is also at full supply volt-
age (selected). If there is a short circuit at
the output, LED2 glows to activate the
piezobuzzer.
A fuse-failure indicator distinguishes
short circuit at the output and input fail-
ure. It consists of a bicolour LED (LED1)
and resistors R1 and R2. When power is
available and the fuse is intact, red and
green halves of LED1 are effectively in
parallel to output a yellowish light. When
fuse fails, green LED goes off and red LED
lights up to indicate fuse breakdown.
The circuit can be easily constructed
on a general-purpose PCB. Use small heat-
sinks for all ICs to dissipate heat. The out-
put voltage can be read on a voltmeter.
Enclose the circuit in a metal box with
provisions for voltmeter, LEDs, rotary
switch, etc.
 CIRCUIT IDEAS
WATER-LEVEL CONTROLLER
K.P. VISWANATHAN
H
ere is a simple, automatic water-
level controller for overhead tanks
that switches on/off the pump mo-
tor when water in the tank goes below/
above the minimum/maximum level. The
water level is sensed by two floats to op-
erate the switches for controlling the pump
motor.
Each sensors float is suspended from
above using an aluminium rod. This ar-
rangement is encased in a PVC pipe and
fixed vertically on the inside wall of the
water tank. Such sensors are more reli-
able than induction-type sensors. Sensor
1 senses the minimum water level, while
sensor 2 senses the maximum water level
(see the figure).
Leaf switches S1 and S2 (used in tape
recorders) are fixed at the top of the sen-
sor units such that when the floats are
lifted, the attached 5mm dia. (approx.) alu-
minium rods push the moving contacts
(P1 and P2) of leaf switches S1 and S2
from normally closed (N/C) position to
normally open (N/O) position. Similarly,
when the water level goes down, the mov-
ing contacts revert back to their original
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU DECEMBER 2004
positions.
Normally, N/C contact of switch S1 is
connected to ground and N/C contact of
switch S2 is connected to 12V power sup-
ply. IC 555 is wired such that when its
trigger pin 2 is grounded it gets triggered,
and when reset pin 4 is grounded it gets
reset. Threshold pin 6 and discharge pin 7
are not used in the circuit.
When water in the tank goes below
the minimum level, moving contacts (P1
and P2) of both leaf switches will be in
N/C position. That means trigger pin 2
and reset pin 4 of IC1 are connected to
ground and 12V, respectively. This trig-
gers IC1 and its output goes high to
energise relay RL1 through driver transis-
tor SL100 (T1). The pump motor is
switched on and it starts pumping water
into the overhead tank if switch S3 is on.
As the water level in the tank rises,
the float of sensor 1 goes up. This shifts
the moving contact of switch S1 to N/O
position and trigger pin 2 of IC1 gets con-
nected to 12V. This doesnt have any im-
pact on IC1 and its output remains high
to keep the pump motor running.
As the water level rises further to reach
the maximum level, the float of sensor 2
S.C.
DWIV
EDI
pushes the moving contact of switch S2
to N/O position and it gets connected to
ground. Now IC1 is reset and its output
goes low to switch the pump off.
As water is consumed, its level in the
overhead tank goes down. Accordingly,
the float of sensor 2 also goes down. This
causes the moving contact of switch S2 to
shift back to NC position and reset pin 4
of IC1 is again connected to 12V. But IC1
doesnt get triggered because its trigger
pin 2 is still clamped to 12V by switch S1.
So the pump remains switched off.
When water level further goes down
to reach the minimum level, the moving
contact of switch S1 shifts back to N/C
position to connect trigger pin 2 of IC1 to
ground. This triggers IC1 and the pump is
switched on.
The float sensor units can be assembled
at home. Both the units are identical, ex-
cept that their length is different. The depth
of the water tank from top to the outlet
water pipe can be taken as the length of the
minimum-level sensing unit. The depth of
the water tank from top to the level you
want the tank to be filled up to is taken as
the length of the maximum-level sensing
unit. The leaf switches are fixed at the top
of the tank as shown in the figure.
Each pipe is closed at both the ends by
using two caps. A 5mm dia. hole is drilled
at the centre of the top cap so that the
aluminium rod can pass through it easily to
select the contact of leaf switches. Simi-
larly, a hole is to be drilled at the bottom
cap of the pipe so that water can enter the
pipe to lift the float.
When water reaches the maximum
level, the floats should not go up more
than the required distance for pushing
the moving contact of the leaf switch to
N/O position. Otherwise, the pressure on
the float may break the leaf switch itself.
The length of the aluminium rod is to be
selected accordingly. It should be affixed
on the metal/thermocole float using some
glue (such as Araldite).
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

HIGHWAY ALERT SIGNAL LAMP S.C.

DWI
VED
I

D. MOHAN KUMAR

H
ere is a signal lamp
for safe highway
driving. The lamp
automatically emits bril-
liant tricolour light when a
vehicle approaches the rear
side of your vehicle. It emits
light for 30 seconds that
turns off when the ap-
proaching vehicle over-
takes. The ultra-bright blue,
white and red LEDs of the
signal lamp emit very bright
light to alert the approach- Fig. 1: Circuit diagram of highway alert signal lamp

ing vehicles nected to trig- level. This activates astable IC2, which
driver even ger pin 2 of switches on and off the LED chain alter-
during the day, IC1, which is nately. The intermittent flashing of LEDs
giving addi- normally kept gives a beautiful tricolour flashlight effect.
tional safety high by resistor The circuit can be easily constructed on
during night, or R1. a small piece of general-purpose PCB. Fig.
when you need W h e n 2 shows the bottom and front views of
Fig. 2: Pin configuration to stop your ve- Fig. 3: Suggested headlight from Darlington phototransistor L14F1. The pro-
hicle on side of arrangement of LEDs an approaching posed arrangement of LEDs, which are sol-
the highway. The circuit saves consider- vehicle illumi- dered in a circular fashion on a general-
able battery power. nates the phototransistor, it conducts to purpose PCB, is shown in Fig. 3. Use a
The circuit is built around two timer give a short pulse to IC1, and the output circular reflector for the LEDs to get brighter
ICs NE555 (IC1 and IC2). IC1 is designed of IC1 goes high for a period determined light. Fix the LED arrangement on the rear
as a standard monostable, while IC2 is by resistor R2 and capacitor C1. The out- side of your vehicle, and the phototransistor
designed as an astable. Darlington put of IC1 is fed to the base of transistor where it is illuminated directly by the head-
phototransistor L14F1 (T1) is used as a T2 via resistor R3. Transistor T2 conducts light of the approaching vehicle. 12V DC
photosensor to activate the monostable. to drive transistor T3 and its collector goes supply to the circuit, can be provided by
The collector of phototransistor T1 is con- high to take reset pin 4 of IC2 to high your vehicle battery with proper polarity.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU APRIL 2004

 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

SIMPLE DIGITAL IVEDI

SECURITY SYSTEM
S.C. DW

PHERDAUS ISLAM nected as shown in Fig. 1. If you dont

want to use a buzzer, switch it off by

Y
ou can use this simple and reli-
able security system as a watch-
dog by installing the sensing
loops around your building. You have
to stretch the loop wires two feet above
the ground to sense the unauthorised
entry into your premises.
Wire loops 1, 2 and 4 are connected
to the A, B and C inputs of 7-segment
decoder 4511 (IC1), respectively, while
the D input of IC1 is grounded perma-
opening switch S2.
The circuit works off a 9V regu-
lated power supply. However, battery
back-up is recommended. A common-
cathode, 7-segment display (LTS543)
is used for displaying whether the
loops are intact or not.
If loop 1 is broken, the display will
show 1. If two or all the three loops
are broken, the display will show the
sum of the respective broken loop Fig. 2: The proposed wiring diagram of loops

Fig. 1: The digital security system circuit

nently. The loops are also connected to
a dual 3-input NOR gate and inverter
CD4000 (IC2) to activate the alarm.
Fig. 1 shows the circuit of the digi-
tal security system, while Fig. 2 shows
the proposed wiring diagram for the
loops around the premises. Before us-
ing this security system, make sure
that loops shown in Fig. 2 are con-
numbers. For example, if loops 1 and
4 are broken, the display will show
5(1+4).
When all the three loops are intact,
the display will show 0. All the three
inputs of gate N1 remain low to give a
high output. This high output is fur-
ther given to gate N2 and, as a result,
its output remains low. This keeps
transistor T1 in cut-off position and the
piezobuzzer does not sound.
When any loop is broken, the out-
put of NOR gate N1 goes low, while
the output of gate N2 goes high. Tran-
sistor T1 conducts and the buzzer
sounds to alert you. You can mute the
buzzer by switching off power to the
circuit through switch S1. z

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MARCH 2005 105

CMYK
CIRCUIT IDEAS
NON-CONTACT POWER MONITOR
D. MOHAN KUMAR
H
ere is a simple non-contact AC
power monitor for home appliances
and laboratory equipment that
should remain continuously switched-on.
A fuse failure or power breakdown in the
equipment going unnoticed may cause ir-
reparable loss. The monitor sounds an
alarm on detecting power failure to the
equipment.
The circuit is built around CMOS IC
CD4011 utilising only a few components.
NAND gates N1 and N2 of the IC are wired
as an oscillator that drives a piezobuzzer
directly. Resistors R2 and R3 and capaci-
tor C2 are the oscillator components. The
amplifier comprising transistors T1 and T2
disables the oscillator when mains power
is available.
In the standby mode, the base of T1
picks up 50Hz mains hum during the posi-
tive half cycles of AC and T1 conducts.
This provides base current to T2 and it
also conducts, pulling the collector to
ground potential.
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU NOVEMBER 2003
SUN
IL KU
MAR
e n a b l e d
and the
piezobuzzer
produces a
shrill tone. Re-
sistor R1 pro-
tects T2 from
short circuit if
VR is adjusted
to zero resis-
tance.
The circuit
can be easily
assembled on a
perforated/
As the collectors of T1 and T2 are con- breadboard. Use a small plastic case to en-
nected to pin 2 of NAND gate N1 of the close the circuit and a telescopic antenna as
oscillator, the oscillator gets disabled when aerial. A 9V battery can be used to power
the transistors conduct. Capacitor C1 pre- the circuit. Since the circuit draws only a
vents rise of the collector voltage of T2 few microamperes current in the standby
again during the negative half cycles. mode, the battery will last several months.
When the power fails, the electrical After assembling the circuit, take the aerial
field around the equipments wiring ceases near the mains cable and adjust VR until the
and T1 and T2 turn off. Capacitor C1 starts alarm stops to indicate the standby mode.
charging via R1 and preset VR and when it The circuit can be placed on the equipment
gets sufficiently charged, the oscillator is to be monitored close to the mains cable.
circuit
ideas

Multitone Siren s.c. dwiv

edi

Pradeep G. and small audio amplifier LM386. IC

4060 is used as the multitone genera-

T
his multitone siren is useful for tor. A 100H inductor is used at the These multifrequency signals are
burglar alarms, reverse horns, input of IC 4060. So it oscillates within mixed and fed to the audio amplifier
etc. It produces five different the range of about 5MHz RF. IC 4060 built around IC LM386.
audio tones and is much more ear- itself divides RF signals into AF and The output of IC2 is fed to the
catching than a single-tone siren. ultrasonic ranges. Audio signals of speaker through capacitor C9. If you
The circuit is built around popular different frequencies are available at want louder sound, use power ampli-
CMOS oscillator-cum-divider IC 4060 pins 1, 2, 3, 13 and 15 of IC 4060 (IC1). fier TBA810 or TDA1010.
Only five out-
puts of IC1 are used
here as the other
five outputs (pins
4 through 7 and 14)
produce ultrasonic
signals, which are
not audible.
Assemble the
circuit on a gen-
eral-purpose PCB
and enclose in a
suitable cabinet.
Regulated 6V-12V
(or a battery) can be
used to power the
circuit.

1 1 8 Au g u s t 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m

MIDNIGHT security light
D. MOHAN KUMAR
M
ost thefts happen after
midnight hours when peo-
ple enter the second phase
of sleep called paradoxical sleep.
Here is an energy-saving circuit that
causes the thieves to abort the theft
attempt by lighting up the possible
sites of intrusion (such as kitchen or
backyard of your house) at around
1:00 am. It automatically resets in the
morning.
The circuit is fully automatic and
uses a CMOS IC CD 4060 to get the
desired time delay. Light-dependent
resistor LDR1 controls reset pin 12 of
IC1 for its automatic action.
During day time, the low resist-
ance of LDR1 makes pin 12 of IC1
high, so it doesnt oscillate. After
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
sunset, the high resistance of LDR1
makes pin 12 of IC1 low and it starts
oscillating, which is indicated by the
flashing of LED2 connected to pin 7
of IC1. The values of oscillator compo-
nents (resistors R1 and R2 and capaci-
tor C4) are chosen such that output
pin 3 of IC1 goes high after seven
hours, i.e., around 1 am. This high
output drives triac 1 (BT136) through
LED1 and R3.
Bulb L1 connected between the
phase line and M2 terminal of triac 1
turns on when the gate of triac 1 gets
the trigger voltage from pin 3 of IC1.
It remains on until pin 12 of IC1 be-
comes high again in the morning.
Capacitors C1 and C3 act as power
reserves, so IC1 keeps oscillating even
if there is power interruption for a few
seconds. Capacitor C2 keeps trigger
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u F e b r ua ry 2 0 0 9 9 5
circuit
ideas
edi
s.c. dwiv
pin 12 of IC1 high during day time,
so slight changes in light intensity
dont affect the circuit. Using preset
VR1 you can adjust the sensitivity of
LDR1.
Power supply to the circuit is de-
rived from a step-down transformer
X1 (230V AC primary to 0-9V, 300mA
secondary), rectified by a full-wave
rectifier comprising diodes D1 through
D4 and filtered by capacitor C1.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB with adequate spacing
between the components. Sleeve the
exposed leads of the components.
Using switch S1 you can turn on the
lamp manually. Enclose the unit in a
plastic case and mount at a location
that allows adequate
daylight.
Caution. Since the
circuit uses 230V AC,
many of its points are
at AC mains voltage. It
could give you lethal
shock if you are not
careful. So if you dont
know much about work-
ing with line voltages,
do not attempt to con-
struct this circuit. EFY
will not be responsible
for any kind of resulting
loss or damage.
circuit
ideas

Versatile Probe
Raju R. Baddi
edi
s.c. dwiv

Y
ou can use this versatile probe
for continuity testing and iden-
tification of transistor type and
transformer windings. The n-side or while the other hand is
p-side of a transistor can be identified free.
quickly in one go. You can make two Fig. 1 shows the circuit
contacts with the probe in one hand of the probe. The operation
of the circuit is simple.
It is driven by an alter-
nating current flow-
ing through two LEDs
(LED1 and LED2). So
one LED corresponds
to forward direction of
current flow, while the
other shows reverse di-
rection of current flow.
This helps to detect ori-
entation of the p-n junc-
tion with respect to the
probes. The LEDs can
be arranged near the
probes to glow either for
the p-side or the n-side
as per your choice.
The frequency is de-
termined by capacitor
C1 and preset VR1 con-
Fig. 1: Circuit of versatile probe nected between gates G1 Fig. 2: Constructional detail of versatile probe

Testing Results for Different Components

Component Probe D Probe C Red LED Green LED Result
Diode 1st terminal 2nd terminal Off On Probe D side is anode (p) and probe C
1st terminal 2nd terminal On Off side is cathode (n)
Probe D side is n and probe C side is p
Transistors C E X X Unused pin is base
Any type pnp or npn E C X X Unused pin is base
npn-type transistor B E On Off p-n junction
B C On Off p-n junction
Result: p is common, so npn transistor
pnp-type transistor B E Off On n-p junction
B C Off On n-p junction
Result: n is common, so pnp transistor
Step-down transformer Primary terminal 1 Primary terminal 2 Glow with Glow with Both LEDs glowing with low intensity
low intensity low intensity Result: Primary side
Secondary terminal 1 Secondary terminal 2 Glow with Glow with Both LEDs glowing with high intensity
high intensity high intensity Result: Secondary side
Continuity Connect with X On Off Indicates shorting
LEDs probe

1 0 6 F e b r ua ry 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m

and G2. The frequency can be varied
using preset VR1. Higher frequency
results in more sensitivity to inductive
reactance. The preset is trimmed so that
when the probes are shorted, both the
LEDs glow equally.
Fig. 2 shows the probe arrangement
for testing. Most of the battery power is
consumed only when the LEDs glow.
The probes have been constructed to
provide a good grip on the components
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
under testing. One probes tip has been
widened. (Drop the empty refill of a
ball-pen from some height to remove
the ball, then insert a sharp needle or
something similar into the tip. Slowly
push the needle inside and widen the
tip so that a component lead can be
inserted into it during testing.) Slightly
unequal probe lengths help to make
easy contacts.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u F e b r ua ry 2 0 1 0 1 0 7
circuit
ideas
purpose PCB which is as compact as
possible and put it inside a glue stick
tube (whose inner mechanism has been
removed) at its centre. The metallic
disk and metallic strips can be cut out
from any tin container. For the probes,
use the spring mechanism of gel ball
pens. Probes C and D are the points
representing the probe terminals.
Two button cells (CR2032) are used to
power the probe circuit.
CMYK

CIRCUIT
IDEAS

MUSICAL LIGHT CHASER S.C. DW

IVEDI

DEBARAJ KEOT ranged in zig-zag fashion. The bulb lighting effect generator circuit. You
sets glow one after another depending just need to place the gadget near the

T
his music-operated lighting ef- on the intensity of the audio signal. speakers of the music system.
fect generator comprises five No electrical connection is to be made Fig. 1 shows the complete circuit
sets of 60W bulbs that are ar- between the music system and the of the musical light chaser, while Fig.

Fig. 1: Circuit diagram of musical light chaser

82 JANUARY 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

CMYK
2 shows pin configurations of 9V regu-
lator 7809, triac BT136 and level meter
IC LB1403.
The circuit is powered by regulated
9V DC. The AC mains is stepped down
by transformer X1 to deliver a second-
ary output of 12V AC at 250 mA. The
transformer output is rectified by a
full-wave rectifier comprising diodes
D1 and D2 and filtered by capacitors
C1 and C2. Regulator IC 7809 (IC1)
provides regulated 9V power supply
to the circuit. Closing switch S1 pro-
vides power to the circuit and LED1
glows to indicate that the circuit is
ready to work.
When you put your music system
in front of the condenser microphone
of the light chaser, the sound pressure
variation is converted into electrical
signals by the condenser microphone.
These weak electrical signals are am-
plified by op-amp A741 (IC2), which
is configured as an inverting ampli-
fier. Using preset VR1 you can set the
sensitivity of the circuit.
The amplified output is fed to IC
LB1403 (IC3) at its input pin 8. IC3 is a
five-dot LED level meter commonly
used in stereo systems for LED
bargraph displays. It has a built-in am-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
Fig. 2: Pin configuration
plifier, comparators and constant cur-
rent source at its output pins.
Depending on the intensity of the
input audio signals, all or some out-
puts of IC3 go low to drive transistors
T1 through T5, which, in turn, fire the
corresponding triacs TR1 through TR5
via their gates and multicoloured zig-
zag bulb sets comprising ZL1 through
ZL5 glow.
When the audio level is low, only
triac T1 is fired and the zig-zag bulb
set ZL1 turns on and off sequentially.
When the audio level is high, triacs
TR1 through TR5 get fired and all the
bulb sets (ZL1 through ZL5) turn on
and off sequentially.
Pin 7 of IC3 is used for selecting
the response speed of the lighting.
The larger the time constant, the
slower the response, and vice versa.
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
The time constant can be changed by
changing the values of resistor R6,
variable resistor VR2 and capacitor
C7. Here, variable resistor VR2 is used
for varying the response speed of the
chaser light as desired. When VR2 is
set in the minimum resistance posi-
tion, the response is very fast, and
when it is set at the maximum resis-
tance, the response is slow.
The complete circuit including the
power supply can be constructed on
any general-purpose PCB or
a small Vero board. Triacs TR1
through TR5 should be kept away
from the op-amp and its related com-
ponents. The metallic parts of the
triacs should not touch each other and
the other parts of the circuit. After
assembling the circuit, house it in a
suitable shockproof plastic cabinet.
Make some holes in the cabinet for
heat dissipation.
Note. 1. Some zig-zag lights have
a special bulb called master bulb for
automatic flickering. It should be
removed and replaced with a simple
non-flickering colour bulb.
2. Never touch any naked part of
the circuit when it is connected to the
mains. z
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JANUARY 2005 83
circuit
ideas

Electronic Candles edi

s.c. dwiv
Raj K. Gorkhali
gate trigger circuit components. It is

H
ere is a simple circuit that
can produce the effect of
candle light in a normal
electric bulb. A candle light, as we
all know, resembles a randomly
flickering light. So, the objective of
this project activity is to produce a
randomly flickering light effect in an
electric bulb.
To achieve this, the entire circuit
can be divided into three parts. The first
part comprises IC1 (555), IC2 (74LS164),
IC3 (74LS86), IC4 (74LS00) and the as-
sociated components. These generate a
randomly changing train of pulses.
basically half-wave AC power being
supplied to the electric bulb.
The third part is the power sup-
ply circuit to generate regulated 5V
DC from 230V AC for random signal
generator. It comprises a stepdown
transformer (X1), full-wave rectifier
(diodes D3 and D4), filter capacitor
(C9), followed by a regulator (IC5).
The random signal generator of
the circuit is built around an 8-bit
serial in/parallel out shift register
(IC2). Different outputs of the shift
register IC pass through a set of logic
gates (N1 through N5) and final out-
to provide better flickering effect in
the bulb.
The random signal triggers the
gate of SCR1. The electric bulb gets
AC power only for the period for
which SCR1 is fired. SCR1 is fired
only during the positive half cycles.
Conduction of SCR1 depends upon
the gate triggering pin 3 of IC2, which
is random. Thus, we see a flickering
effect in the light output.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose it in a suitable

Fig. 1: Circuit diagram for electronic candle

The second put appearing at pin 6 of gate N5 is case. Fix bulb and neon bulb on the
part of the circuit fed back to the inputs of pins 1 and front side of the cabinet. Also, connect
consists of SCR1 2 of IC2. The clock signal appears a power cable for giving AC mains
(C106), an electric at pin 8 of IC2, which is clocked by supply to the circuit for operation. The
bulb connected an astable multivibrator configured circuit is ready to use.
between anode of around timer (IC1). The clock fre- Warning. Since the circuit uses
Fig. 2: Pin configurations
SCR1 and mains quency can be set using preset VR1 230V AC, care must be taken to avoid
of C106 and 7805 live wire, and and VR2. It can be set around 100 Hz electric shock.

1 4 2 J a n ua ry 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
Automatic sprinkler
control system
Raj K. Gorkhali
I
f you have an automatic sprinkler
control system, chances are that
you are currently using all of its
outputs controlling sprinklers. The
problem arises when you want to add
another sprinkler control solenoid
valve. Using this circuit, you can add
an expansion module to the control-
ler without upgrading the controller
or running new wiring. The circuit is
fitted in place of an existing solenoid
and allows the controller to switch
on two valves (hence two sprinklers)
instead of one.
Designed for use with standard
24V AC controller systems, the circuit
uses the 24V output to power a timer
which activates one of the valves for,
say, 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, the
circuit switches this valve off and the
other valve on. The second valve is
activated for the remainder of time that
the controller is programmed to give
for that station.
The 24V AC from the controller is
half-wave-rectified by diode D1 and
1 2 0 J a n ua ry 2 0 1 1 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
filtered by capacitors C1 and C2. The
rectified DC is fed to the timer circuit
through resistor R1 and zener diode
ZD1 to produce 12 volts to enable the
timer circuit.
IC 555 (IC1) is wired as an astable
mutivibrator producing about 7Hz
pulses. You can change this frequency
by changing the values of timing com-
ponents R2, R3 and C4. The output
of IC1 is fed to clock pin 10 of IC2.
The 7Hz frequency is further divided
by IC2, which is a 14-stage binary
counter.
IC2 is reset through capacitor C6
and resistor R4 when power switch
S1 is closed. Output pin 3 of IC1 goes
low when it resets. Counter IC2 is then
clocked at 7 Hz, with its final output
(Q14) going high after 20 minutes.
This high output of IC2 activates the
solenoid valves via optocoupled triacs
built around IC3 and IC4.
Working of the circuit is simple.
When you power-on the circuit using
switch S1, IC1 is enabled and IC2 re-
sets. Q14 of IC2 remains low, making
transistor T1 cut-off. Transistor T2
edi
s.c. dwiv
conducts to forward-bias the internal
LED of optocoupler IC3. Triac1 is
controlled through IC3, which pro-
vides gate current through resistor
R12 to turn it on. As a result, solenoid
valve-1 activates to provide path for
water to flow.
After 20 minutes, Q14 of IC2 goes
high, making transistor T1 conduct.
Transistor T2 cuts off and the internal
LED of optocoupler IC4 is forward-bi-
ased. Triac2 is controlled through IC4,
which provides gate current through
resistor R9 to turn it on. As a result,
solenoid valve-2 activates to give path
for water flow.
Timer IC1 is disabled as soon as
the output of IC2 goes high, making its
reset pin 4 low to stop clocking to IC2
and so its output remains high. Triac2
has a snubber circuit built around R10
and C6. Triac1 too has a snubber circuit
built around R13 and C7. The snubber
circuit is used to suppress any voltage
spike produced by switching the sole-
noid valve coils.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

purpose PCB and house in a water-
proof plastic box with an outlet hole
cut in it for the wiring. Seal the wiring
hole and box lid with a generous ap-
plication of silicon sealant.
before installing the circuit in the
sprinkler control system, test it by
providing 24V AC as the input and
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
using suitable light bulbs as loads on
the output.
Once the timer is ready for instal-
lation, remove one control valve from
the controller and replace it with 24V
AC input of this circuit (terminals A
and B in the circuit diagram). Con-
nect the ground terminal of the circuit
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u J a n ua ry 2 0 1 1 1 2 1
circuit
ideas
to the solenoid valve as shown in the
circuit.
The timer is set here such that
valve 1 remains open for 20 minutes
and after 20 minutes, valve 1 closes
and valve 2 opens for the following 20
minutes. valve 2 remains open until
switch S1 is closed.

AUTOMATIC PHASE CHANGER
 MUHAMMAD AJMAL P.
I
n three-phase applications, if low
voltage is available in any one or
two phases, and you want your
equipment to work on normal voltage,
this circuit will solve your problem.
However, a proper-rating fuse needs
to be used in the input lines (R, Y and
B) of each phase. The circuit provides
correct voltage in the same power sup-
ply lines through relays from the other
phase where correct voltage is avail-
able. Using it you can operate all your
equipment even when correct voltage
is available on a single phase in the
building.
The circuit is built around a trans-
former, comparator, transistor and re-
lay. Three identical sets of this circuit,
one each for three phases, are used.
Let us now consider the working of
the circuit connecting red cable (call it
R phase).
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The mains power supply phase R
is stepped down by transformer X1 to
deliver 12V, 300 mA, which is recti-
fied by diode D1 and filtered by ca-
pacitor C1 to produce the operating
voltage for the operational amplifier
(IC1). The voltage at inverting pin 2 of
oprational amplifier IC1 is taken from
the voltage divider circuit of resistor
R1 and preset resistor VR1. VR1 is used
to set the reference voltage according
to the requirement. The reference volt-
age at non-inverting pin 3 is fixed to
5.1V through zener diode ZD1.
Till the supply voltage available in
phase R is in the range of 200V-230V,
the voltage at inverting pin 2 of IC1
remains high, i.e., more than reference
voltage of 5.1V, and its output pin 6
also remains high. As a result, transis-
tor T1 does not conduct, relay RL1 re-
mains de-energised and phase R sup-
plies power to load L1 via normally-
closed (N/C) contact of relay RL1.
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S.C. DW
IVEDI
As soon as phase-R voltage goes
below 200V, the voltage at inverting
pin 2 of IC1 goes below reference volt-
age of 5.1V, and its output goes low.
As a result, transistor T1 conducts and
relay RL1 energises and load L1 is
disconnected from phase R and
connected to phase Y through relay
RL2.
Similarly, the auto phase-change of
the remaining two phases, viz, phase
Y and phase B, can be explained.
Switch S1 is mains power on/off
switch.
Use relay contacts of proper rating
and fuses should be able to take-on
the load when transferred from other
phases. While wiring, assembly and in-
stallation of the circuit, make sure that
you:
1. Use good-quality, multi-strand
insulated copper wire suitable for your
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JULY 2007 93
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
current requirement.
2. Use good-quality relays with
proper contact and current rating.
3. Mount the transformer(s) and re-
lays on a suitable cabinet. Use a Tag
Block (TB) for incoming/outgoing con-
94 JULY 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
nections from mains.
EFY Note: 1. During testing in the
lab, we used a 12V, 200-ohm, single-
phase changeover relay with 6A cur-
rent rating. Similarly, ampere-rated
fuses were used.
2. If the input voltage is low in two
phases, loads L1 and L2 may also be
connected to the third phase. In that
situation, a high-rating fuse will be re-
quired at the input of the third phase
which is taking the total load. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
circuit
ideas
Skin Response Meter
D. Mohan Kumar
H
uman skin offers
some resistance to
current and voltage.
This resistance changes with
the emotional state of the
body. The circuit proposed
here measures changes in
your skin resistance following
changes in your mental state.
In the relaxed state, the
resistance offered by the skin
is as high as 2 mega-ohms
or more, which reduces to
500 kilo-ohms or less when
the emotional stress is too high. The
reduction in skin resistance is related to
increased blood flow and permeability
followed by the physiological changes
during high stress. This increases the
electrical conductivity of the skin.
This circuit is useful to monitor the
skins response to relaxation techniques.
It is very sensitive and shows response
during a sudden moment of stress. Even
a deep sigh will give response in the
circuit.
The circuit uses a sensitive amplifier
to sense variations in the skin resistance.
IC CA3140 (IC1) is designed as a resist-
ance-to-voltage converter that outputs
varying voltage based on the skins con-
ductivity. It is wired as an inverting am-
plifier to generate constant current to skin
in order to measure the skin resistance.
IC CA3140 is a 4.5MHz BiMOS op-
erational amplifier with MOSFET inputs
and bipolar output. The gate-protected
inputs have high impedance and can
sense current as low as 10 pA. This de-
vice is ideal to sense small currents in
low-input-current applications.
The inverting input (pin 2) of IC1
is connected to ground (through preset
VR1) and one of the touch plates, while
the non-inverting input (pin 3) is ground-
ed directly. The output from IC1 passes
through current-limiting resistor R1 to the
second touch plate. R1 act as a feedback
8 8 J u n e 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
resistor along with the skin when the
touch plates make contact with the skin.
So the gain of IC1 depends on the feed-
back provided by R1 and the skin.
In the inverting mode of IC1, a posi-
tive input voltage to its pin 2 through the
feedback network makes its output low.
If the skin offers very high resistance in
the relaxed state, input voltage to pin 2
reduces and the output remains high.
Thus the gain of IC1 varies depending
on the current passing through the skin,
which, in turn, depends on the skin re-
sponse and emotional state.
In the standby state, touch plates
are free. As there is no feedback to IC1,
it gives a high output (around 6 volts),
which is indicated by shifting of the
meter to right side.
When the touch plates are shorted by
the skin, the feedback circuit completes
and the output voltage reduces to 4 volts
or less depending on the resistance of
the skin. Since the feedback network has
a fixed resistor (R1) and VR1 is set to a
fixed resistance value, the current flowing
through it depends only on the resistance
of the skin. The output from IC1 is dis-
played on a sensitive moving coil meter
(VU meter). By varying preset VR2, you
can adjust the sensitivity of the meter.
For easy visual observation, an LED
display is also included. IC LM3915 (IC2)
is used to give a logarithmic display
through LED indications. It can sink
s.c. dwiv
edi
current from pin 18 to pin 10
with each increment of 125
millivolts at its input pin 5.
Using VR3 you can adjust the
input voltage of IC2, while
using VR4 you can control the
brightness of the LEDs.
In practice, the circuit pro-
vides both meter reading and
LED indications. If the LED
display is not needed, IC2 can
be omitted.
Assemble the circuit on
a general-purpose PCB and
enclose in a suitable cabinet with touch
pads glued on the top, 5-10 mm apart.
Touch pads can be any type of conduct-
ing plates, such as aluminium or copper
plates, having dimensions of 11 cm2.
The moving coil meter can be a small
VU meter with 1-kilo-ohm coil resistance
and 0-10 digit reading.
After assembling the circuit, adjust
the presets such that IC1 outputs around
6 volts. None of the LEDs (LED1 through
LED3) glows in this position with the
touch plates open.
Now gently touch the touch plates
with your middle finger. Maintain the
finger still allowing one minute to bond
with the pads and keep your body
relaxed. Adjust VR3 until the green
LED (LED1) lights up and the meter
shows full deflection. Adjust VR2 to get
maximum deflection of the meter. This
indicates normal resistance of the skin,
provided the body is fully relaxed.
If you are stressed or have ill feel-
ing, skin resistance decreases and the
blue LED lights up followed by the red
LED along with a deflection of the meter
towards the lower side. In short, the red
LED and zero meter reading indicate
you are stressed, and the green LED and
high meter reading indicate you are re-
laxed. Practise some relaxation technique
and observe how much your body is
relaxed.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

MAINS SUPPLY FAILURE ALARM S.C. DW

IVEDI

T.K. HAREENDRAN

W
henever AC mains supply
fails, this circuit alerts you
by sounding an alarm. It also
provides a backup light to help you
find your way to the torch or the gen-
erator key in the dark.
The circuit is powered directly by
a 9V PP3/6F22 compact battery. Press-
ing of switch S1 provides the 9V power
supply to the circuit. A red LED
(LED2), in conjunction with zener di-
ode ZD1 (6V), is used to indicate the
battery power level. Resistor R9 limits
the operating current (and hence the
brightness) of LED2.
When the battery voltage is 9V,
LED2 glows with full intensity.
As the battery voltage goes below 8V,
the intensity of LED2 decreases and
it glows very dimly. LED2 goes off CD4538 (IC2) is used here. goes low and pnp transistor T2 gets
when the battery voltage goes below When mains goes off, IC2 is trig- forward biased to light up the white
7.5V. gered after a short duration deter- LED (LED1). Light provided by this
Initially, in standby state, both the mined by components C1, R4 and C3. back-up LED is sufficient to search the
LEDs are off and the buzzer does not Output pin 10 of IC2 goes high to for- torch or generator key.
sound. The 230V AC mains is directly ward bias relay driver transistor T1 via During the mono time-out period,
fed to mains-voltage detection resistor R7. Relay RL1 energises to ac- the circuit can be switched off by open-
optocoupler IC MCT2E (IC1) via resis- tivate the piezobuzzer via its N/O con- ing switch S1. The on period of the
tors R1, R2 and R3, bridge rectifier BR1 tact for the time-out period of the monostable multivibrator may be
and capacitor C1. Illumination of the monostable multivibrator (approxi- changed by changing the value of re-
LED inside optocoupler IC1 activates mately 17 minutes). At the same time, sistor R5 or capacitor C2.
its internal phototransistor and clock the N/C contact removes the positive If mains doesnt resume when
input pin 12 of IC2 (connected to 9V via supply to resistor R4. The time-out pe- the on period of the monostable
N/C contact of relay RL1) is pulled riod of the monostable multivibrator lapses, the timer is retriggered after a
low. Note that only one monostable of is determined by R5 and C2. short delay determined by resistor R4
dual-monostable multivibrator IC Simultaneously, output pin 9 of IC2 and C3. z

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MAY 2005 85

CMYK
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
MAT SWITCH
 D. MOHAN KUMAR
T
his simple circuit produces a
warning beep when somebody
crosses a protected area in your
home or office. The switch, hidden be-
low the floor mat, triggers the alarm
when the person walks over it.
The circuit uses a conductive foam
92 MAY 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
wired around IC NE555 (IC1).
S.C. DW
IVEDI
IC1 outputs a pulse of fifty-seconds
duration with preset values of R4 and
C3. This pulse is applied to the buzzer
through transistor T2. The buzzer
as the switch. It can be two small sounds a warning beep on
pieces of conductive pads usually used unauthorised entry. The pulse dura-
to pack sensitive ICs as antistatic cover. tion can be changed to the desired
Alternatively, you can make the switch value by changing the values of R4 and
by coating conducting carbon ink on C 3 .
two small pieces of a copper-clad Resistor R2 in the circuit makes the
board. trigger pin of IC1 high to prevent false
When the circuit is in standby triggering.
mode, transistor T1 does not conduct, Assemble the circuit on a general-
since its base is purpose PCB and enclose in a plastic
floating. When case. Use a 9V battery to power the
the person circuit. Connect the touchpad switch
walks, the switch with the PCB and hide under the mat
is pressed and at the entrance. The PCB can be
current flows mounted on the nearby wall.
through R1 and Make the switch carefully using
the switch to conducting foam or copper clad coated
provide positive with conducting ink. Place the two
bias to transistor pieces with their conducting surface
T1. Transistor T1 facing each other. Solder carefully a
conducts and its thin copper electric wire and ensure
collector voltage that it makes contact when the two
drops, which plates touch together on pressing. Pro-
acts as a negative vide two 1cm rubber tabs between the
trigger input for plates to avoid touch in the standby
the monostable mode. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

Water-Level Indicator
using 7-segment display
Riju Thazhathu Veettil
T
his water-level indicator uses
a 7-segment display, instead
of LEDs, to indicate the water
level (low, half and full) in the tank.
Moreover, a buzzer is used to alert you
of water overflowing from the tank.
The circuit shows the water level by
displaying L, H and F for low, half and
full, respectively.
The circuit uses five sensors to
sense the different water levels in the
tank. Sensor A is connected to the
negative terminal (GND) of the power
supply. The other four sensors (B
through E) are connected to the inputs
of NOT gate IC 7404. When there is
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
s.c. dwiv
edi
a high voltage at the input pin of the 10 also goes high. Now as both pins 9
NOT gate, it outputs a low voltage. and 10 of gate N9 are high, its output
Similarly, for a low voltage at the input pin 8 also goes high. As a result, posi-
pin of the NOT gate, it outputs a high tive supply is applied to DIS3 and it
voltage. shows L indicating low level of water
When the tank is empty, the input in the tank.
pins of IC 7404 are pulled high via a Similarly, when water in the tank
1-mega-ohm resistor. So it outputs a touches the half level, pins 4 and 5
low voltage. As water starts filling the of AND gate N8 become high. As a
tank, a low voltage is available at the result, its output also goes high and
input pins of the gate and it outputs a DIS2 shows H indicating half level of
high voltage. water in the tank. At this time, pin 9 of
gate N9 also goes low
via gate N4 and DIS3
stops glowing.
When the water
tank becomes full,
the voltage at pin 1
of gate N1 and pin 3
of gate N2 goes low.
Output pin 3 of gate
N7 goes high and
DIS1 shows F indi-
cating that the water
tank is full.
When water starts
overflowing the tank,
pin 13 of gate N6 goes
low to make output
pin 12. The buzzer
sounds to indicate
that water is over-
flowing the tank and
you need to switch off
the motor pump.
Assemble the cir-
cuit on a general-pur-
pose PCB and enclose
When the water in the tank rises in a suitable box. Use a non-corrosive
to touch the low level, there is a low material such as steel strip for the five
voltage at input pin 5 of gate N3 and sensors and hang them in the water tank
high output at pin 6. Pin 6 of the gate is as shown in the circuit diagram. Use
connected to pin 10 of gate N9, so pin regulated 5V to power the circuit.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u M ay 2 0 1 0 1 0 1
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

APPLIANCE TIMER-CUM-CLAP SWITCH

 PANKAJ D. CHOUDHURY turn the appliance on or off with
the clap of your hand, if so desired,
IVEDI
S.C. DW

W
hen planning for a week-
end outing to return late in
the evening, we are often
in an ambivalence whether to leave the
staircase/outside light on or off. We easy to assemble as well as inexpen-
sometimes miss our favourite TV
programme because we forget to
switch on the TV in time. If we are in
the habit of taking an afternoon nap,
we either turn on the mosquito repel-
lent earlier than required or get up be-
ing bitten by mosquitoes.
The timer-cum-clap switch pre-
sented here can solve all these prob-
lems and many more. It is a simple
circuit that can be programmed to turn
on household appliances like lights,
fans, TV sets, music systems, etc ex-
actly at a preset time and turn off at
another preset time automatically,
thereby saving on electricity. You can
without having to touch the unit
physically.
The transistor-based timer circuit
uses readily available components, is
sive, and can be programmed to
switch on/off a load from one sec-
ond to 100 hours in advance. To make
the circuit cost-effective as well as
simple to construct, a general-purpose
digital clock is incorporated as the ba-
sic timing device. The alarm output
of the clock is used to toggle the out-
put power supply for switching an
appliance on or off.
Transistors T6 and T7 are config-
ured as a bistable flip-flop that has two
stable states. Transistor T7 will be in
cut-off mode corresponding to transis-
tor T6 in conduction mode, and vice
versa. When transistor T6 conducts, its
collector potential is very near to the
emitter potential, i.e., ground, and
therefore there is no base current to
transistors T7 through R6. Thus, tran-
sistor T7 is in cut-off state. The collec-
tor of T7 is above ground potential and
the current flows through resistors R7
and R13 to maintain the base current
of T6. Thus, T6 remains in conduction
state and T7 in cut-off state indefi-
nitely.
Now, if a voltage pulse is applied
to the base of transistor T7 from some
external source, a momentary base cur-
rent will trigger it into conduction and
its collector potential will come down
to near ground potential. Thus, the

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU NOVEMBER 2006 99

 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
current flowing through resistor R13
will pass through the collector of T7
and there will be no current through
R7, making T6 go into cut-off state
and thereby raising the collector po-
tential of T6 to some positive value.
This, in turn, will keep T7 conduct-
ing. Now the base current of T7 will
pass through resistors R14 and R6.
This state will sustain until some ex-
ternal voltage is applied to the base
of T6.
The external voltage pulse (for
switching) is taken from two sources:
the alarm output of a clock or the
sound picked up by condenser micro-
phone M after proper amplification
by transistors T1, T2 and T3.
Since most of the digital clocks
give out negative pulses to the buzzer
(whose other end is directly connected
to the positive terminal of the bat-
tery), a reverse diode (D8) and a pnp
transistor (T10) are used at this stage.
The negative pulses are rectified by
D8 and filtered by C9 to supply a
steady base current of T10. Otherwise,
the output will become noisy because
of the pulsating nature of the alarm.
(If the clock gives out positive pulses,
T10 can be replaced with an npn
transistor like BC547. Diode D8 has
to be reversed and R18 has to be con-
nected between the base of T10 and
ground.)
The external voltage pulse is fed at
the common emitter of transistors T4
and T5 through capacitor C8. When
the alarm starts (sending negative volt-
age pulses), capacitor C9 discharges
through D8 and, at the same time,
charges through R19, thus triggering
the base current of T10. The emitter
current of T10 charges capacitor C8,
which passes through the emitter of
either T4 or T5 depending on their
bias.
When T6 is conducting, T4 is for-
ward biased and the voltage pulse is
fed at the base of T7, bringing T7 into
conduction and T6 into cut-off mode.
This makes T5 forward-biased and T4
reverse-biased. The next voltage pulse,
either through T10, D1 or D2 corre-
sponding to the clock alarm, clap
sound or operation of the reset switch,
sends a base current of T6 through the
100 NOVEMBER 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
emitter of T5 and the output changes
over.
When clap switch is not required,
S2 can be turned off. S3 is the reset
switch (push-to-on type), which is
used to toggle the output between
on and off states. R10-C7 and R8- shops) can be used as the cabinet for
C6 are parallel paths to R7 and R6
for quick switchover of the bistable
latch.
Two AA-size batteries supply 3V
DC to the clock and maintain a posi-
tive voltage to the collectors of T6
and T7 through diode D7. This keeps
the circuit active during power fail-
ures also. A step-down transformer
supplies 12V DC to the relay coil and
sound amplifier section. Diodes D5
and D6 are rectifier diodes and C5 is
the ripple filter capacitor. Diode D4
prevents the 3V battery from drain-
ing out into the rest of the circuit.
The digital clock is a commonly
available digital calendar with at least
one alarm setting and one countdown
timer setting. The digital calendar, be-
ing cheap, keeps the total cost of the
project low and allows for precise set-
tings of the alarm times. The alarm
can be set 24 hours in advance, while
a second alarm can be selected in the
countdown timer mode, which allows
for setting of the time 100 hours
(99:59:59 hours to be precise) in ad-
vance. Availability of more than one
alarm setting in the clock will give
the added advantage of setting mul-
tiple switching times.
Instead of the digital calendar, any
other digital clock or battery-operated
quartz clock (with alarm) can also be
used as the basic timing device,
though the alarm time setting is less
precise in case of the latter. Instead
of one clock, multiple clocks can be
wired by connecting diodes parallel
to D8.
Note that once set in the clock
mode, the alarm operates daily at the
same time. But in the countdown
mode, it operates only once. So if an
appliance is to be turned on and off
daily at the same time without human
intervention, at least two digital clocks
have to be wired (if the clock does not
have two alarm settings apart from the
countdown timer).
This simple circuit can be as-
sembled on a general-purpose PCB.
The clock, battery, switches, relay,
transformer, etc are wired with the
PCB (not shown in the circuit). A plas-
tic switchboard (available in electrical
assembling the unit. Holes can be
drilled easily on the plastic cabinet.
House the PCB, transformer, relay, etc
inside the cabinet. Fix the plug socket,
switches and external connector on the
rear side of the cabinet. Indicator LEDs
(fixed on LED sockets) on the front
panel show on or off condition of
the output plug.
Glue the condenser microphone in-
side the front or side wall with small
holes drilled in front of it to receive
external sound. The battery chamber
housing two pencil cells can be fixed
inside the cabinet or on the rear of the
cabinet as per convenience. The clock
is glued on top of the cabinet. Before
fixing the clock on the cabinet, open it
carefully to disconnect its piezoelec-
tric buzzer. The terminal that shows
pulsating voltage during an alarm op-
eration (detected with a multimeter)
is connected to the base of T10 through
D8 and R19. The internal battery is re-
placed and the terminals are connected
to the external battery chamber with
proper polarity.
The operation of the circuit can be
divided into two parts: clap mode and
timer mode.
The timer can be put in clap mode
by turning on the clap switch (S2). The
connected appliance can now be
turned on/off by clapping with an au-
dible intensity. The clock timer will
function as usual in this mode.
While clapping, leave a gap of a
few seconds between two successive
claps. Thus, the gadget will show
better response because it has been
designed to consider two overlapping
claps as one, ignoring the second
one.
For timer mode, switch S2 is turned
off. The alarm is set at the time when
switchover is required. The second
switchover time can be set in the
countdown timer. For that, the time
difference between the present time
and the time at which switching is re-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
quired is calculated and this time is reset switch S3. off) to allow for the first alarm to
set in the countdown timer. When set- While setting the alarm, ensure a subside completely. Otherwise, the
ting is done, set the output plug as delay of at least three minutes be- unit may malfunction (ignore the
on or off (as desired) by pressing tween two successive alarm times (on/ second alarm). 

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU NOVEMBER 2006 101

circuit
ideas
WIRELESS SWITCH
Navpreet Singh Tung
N
ormally, home appliances are
controlled by means of switch-
es, sensors, etc. However,
physical contact with switches may be
dangerous if there is any shorting.
The circuit described here requires
no physical contact for operating the
appliance. You just need to move
your hand between the infrared LED
(IR LED1) and the phototransistor
(T1). The infrared rays transmitted by
1 0 0 o c to b e r 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
s.c. dwiv
edi
properly aligned. The collector of T1
IR LED1 is detected by the phototran-
sistor to activate the hidden lock, flush
system, hand dryer or else.
This circuit is very stable and sensi-
tive compared to other AC appliance
control circuits. It is simple, compact
and cheap. Current consumption is
low in milliamperes.
The circuit is built around an IC
CA3140, IRLED1, phototransistor and
other discrete components. When regu-
lated 5V is connected to the circuit, IR
LED1 emits infrared rays, which are
received by phototransistor T1 if it is
is connected to non-inverting pin 3 of
IC1. Inverting pin 2 of IC1 is connected
to voltage-divider preset VR1. Using
preset VR1 you can vary the reference
voltage at pin 2, which also affects sen-
sitivity of the phototransistor.
Op-amp IC1 amplifies the signal
received from the phototransistor.
Resistor R3 controls the base current of
transistor BC548 (T2). The high output
of IC1 at pin 6 drives transistor T2 to
energise relay RL1 and switch on the
appliance, say, hand dryer, through the
relay contacts.
The working of the circuit is simple.
In order to switch on the appliance,
you simply interrupt the infrared rays
falling on the phototransistor through
your hand. During the interruption,
the appliance remains on through the
relay. When you remove your hand
from the infrared beam, the appliance
turns off through the relay.
Assemble the circuit on any gen-
eral-purpose PCB. Identify the resistors
through colour coding or using the
multimeter. Check the polarity and pin
configuration of the IC and mount it
using base. After soldering the circuit,
connect +5V supply to the circuit.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

CAR-REVERSING HORN WITH FLASHER
Ashok K. Doctor
H
ere is a simple circuit that
starts playing the car horn
whenever your car is in re-
verse gear. The circuit (refer Fig. 1)
employs dual timer NE556 to generate
the sound. One of the timers is wired
Fig. 1: Car reverse horn
as an astable multivibrator to generate
the tone and the other is wired as a
monostable multivibrator.
Working of the circuit is simple.
When the car is in reverse gear, re-
verse-gear switch S1 of the car gets
shorted and the monostable timer
triggers to give a high output. As
a result, the junction of diodes D1
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
and D2 goes high for a few seconds
depending on the time period de-
edi
s.c. dwiv
veloped through resistor R4 and
capacitor C4. At this point, the asta-
ble multivibrator is enabled to start
oscillating. The output of the astable reverse switch through two wires
multivibrator is fed to the speaker such that S1 shorts when the car gear
through capacitor C6. The speaker, is reversed and is open otherwise. To
power the cir-
cuit, use the car
battery.
The flasher
circuit (shown
in Fig. 2) is built
around timer
NE555, which
is wired as an
astable multi-
vibrator that
outputs square
Fig. 2: Flasher circuit wave at its pin
3. A 10W auto
in turn, produces bulb is used for flasher. The flashing
sound until the rate of the bulb is decided by preset
output of the mon- VR1.
ostable is high. Assemble the circuit on a general-
When the junc- purpose PCB and enclose in a suitable
tion of diodes D1 and D2 is low, the cabinet. The flasher bulb can be mount-
astable multivibrator is disabled to ed at the cars rear side in a reflector or
stop oscillating. The output of the asta- a narrow painted suitable enclosure.
ble multivibrator is fed to the speaker EFY note. A higher-wattage bulb
through capacitor C6. The speaker, in may reduce the intensity of the head-
turn, does not produce sound. light. You can enclose both the car-
Assemble the circuit on a general- reversing horn and flasher circuits
purpose PCB and enclose in a suitable together or separately in a cabinet in
cabinet. Connect the circuit to the car your car.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u O c to b e r 2 0 0 9 9 9

SHUTTER GUARD

D. MOHAN KUMAR
T
his sensitive vibration sensor is
exclusively made for shops to
protect against burglary. It will
detect any mechanical or acoustic vi-
bration in its vicinity when somebody
tries to break the shutter and immedi-
ately switch on a lamp and sound a
warning alarm. A 15-minute time de-
lay after switch-on allows sufficient
time for the shop owner to close the
shutter.
The front end of the circuit has a
timer built around the popular binary
counter IC CD4060 (IC1) to provide
15-minute time delay for the remain-
ing circuitry to turn on. Resistors R3
and R4 and capacitor C2 will make
Q9 output high after 15 minutes. Di-
ode D1 inhibits the clock input (pin
11) to keep the output high till the
power is switched off. Blinking LED1
indicates the oscillation of IC1.
The high output from IC1 is used
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
to enable reset pin 4 of IC2 so that it
can function freely. Transistor T1 am-
plifies the piezo-sensor signal and trig-
gers monostable IC2. The base of tran-
sistor T1 is biased using a standard
piezo element that acts as a small ca-
pacitor and flexes freely in response
to mechanical vibrations so that the
output of IC2 is high till the prefixed
time period.
In the standby mode, the alarm cir-
cuit built around IC3 remains dormant
as it does not get current. Timing com-
ponents R8 and C6 make the output
of IC2 high for a period of three min-
utes.
When any mechanical vibration
(caused by even a slight movement)
disturbs the piezo element, trigger pin
2 of IC2 momentarily changes its state
and the output of IC2 goes high. This
triggers triac 1 and the alarm circuit
activates. Triac BT136 completes the
lamp circuit by activating its gate
through resistor R9. IC UM3561 (IC4)
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU SEPTEMBER 2007 97
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S.C. DW
IVEDI
generates a tone simulating the police
siren with R11 as its oscillation-
controlling resistor. Zener diode ZD1
provides stable 3.1V DC for the tone-
generating IC.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and enclose in a suit-
able, shockproof case. Connect the
piezo element to the circuit by using
a single-core shielded wire. Glue a
circular rubber washer on the fine
side of the piezo element and fix
it on the shutter frame with the
washer facing the frame so that the
piezo element is flexible to sense
the vibrations. Fix the lamp and
the speaker on the outer side and
the remaining parts inside the case.
Since triac is used in the circuit, most
points in the PCB will be at mains
lethal potential. So it is advised not
to touch any part of the circuit while
testing.


Transistorised Logic Probe
for TTL
Raju R. Baddi
A
logic probe is a handheld pen-
like probe used for analysing
and troubleshooting the logi-
cal states 0 or 1 of a digital circuit.
While most logic probes are powered
by the circuit under test, some probes
use batteries. These can be used for ei-
ther TTL (transistor-transistor logic) or
CMOS (complementary metallic oxide
semiconductor) integrated circuit de-
vices. The circuit described here can be
used for TTL logic only, and shows the
presence of either state (logic 1 or 0).
Fig. 1: Circuit of transistorised logic probe
Fig. 2: Proposed arrangement for compact logic probe
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
edi
s.c. dwiv
As shown in Fig. 1, the logic probe
circuit is built around four transis- a voltage divider bias for the supply
tors and a few passive components. It voltage. Under this condition, the base-
uses two LEDs that show logic states emitter junction of transistor T1 is for-
1 (green) and 0 (red). The green LED ward biased, so the voltage drop across
glows when the voltage at probe tip resistor R5 (>0.6V) is enough to drive
exceeds about 2.4V and the red LED transistor T3 into conduction, which, in
glows when this voltage falls below turn, cuts off transistor T4. As a result,
about 1.2V, which is adequate to detect the red LED (LED2) does not glow. The
the normal TTL levels. When no LED current flowing through R3 is nearly
glows, it means the probe is in sus- equal to that through R5. However,
pended state, i.e., it is neither showing this does not produce enough voltage
logic 1, nor logic 0. drop (0.3V-0.6V) across resistor R3 to
Working of the logic probe circuit make transistor T2 conduct. As a result,
is simple and can be divided into three the green LED (LED1) does not glow.
states: The probe Thus neither of the LEDs glows when
is suspended, the the probe is in suspended condition.
probes tip is at When the probe tip is at logic 1,
logic 1 and the transistor T3 forward biases to cut-off
probes tip is at transistor T4. But, this voltage should
logic 0. exceed 2.4V (normally TTL logic 1 is
When the well above this voltage), this will cause
probe is in sus- a greater current to flow through emit-
pended condi- ter resistor R5 of T1, which also flows
tion, the junction through collector resistor R3 causing
voltage of resis- a larger voltage drop across R3. Thus
tors R1 and R2 transistor T2 conducts and the green
is almost equal LED (LED1) glows to indicate the pres-
to that obtained ence of logic 1 (high) at the probe tip.
when R1 and When the probe tip is at logic 0,
R2 alone form transistor T3 cuts off to make transistor
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 9 1 1 9
circuit
ideas
T4 conduct. As a result, the red LED
(LED2) glows to indicate logic 0 (low).
It can be easily seen from the circuit
diagram that a voltage of more than
1.2 volts is required at the probe tip
to forward-bias transistors T1 and T3
whose base-emitter junctions appear
in series in the circuit. Any voltage less
than this at the probe tip will not for-
1 2 0 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
ward-bias T3, resulting in the red LED
(LED1) glowing.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and insert in a small plas-
tic tube, say, a glue stick whose inner
mechanism has been removed. For the
probe tip, use the front portion of a gel-
pen refill. The proposed arrangement
for the compact logic probe is shown
in Fig. 2. Before checking the logic of
any circuit, connect the black clip to the
ground of the circuit and the red clip to
the positive terminal of the circuit.
The main feature of the circuit is
that when the supply voltage is less
than about 4.0V, the red LED (LED2)
glows to indicate non-standard TTL
voltage supply.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

SMART CELLPHONE HOLDER S.C. DW

IVEDI

T.K. HAREENDRAN holder will stop

flashing to indicate

T
his smart cellphone holder that the mobile
makes sure that you dont phone is not in the
forget to carry your mobile cell holder of the
phone. Fitted in the car, it keeps case. Resistor R1
searching for the mobile phone limits the current
within the holder using infrared flowing through
(IR) rays and alerts you through a IR LED1 and resis-
flashing LED when it doesnt find one. tor R6 limits the
You can attach the circuit to your ex- operating current
isting cellphone holder or, with a little and hence lumi-
skill, construct one as per your require- nance of LED2.
ment. Variable resistor
The circuit, wired around IC VR1 determines
LM555 (IC1), derives power from the the detection sen-
12V DC automobile battery. Diode D1 sitivity of
is an accidental wrong-polarity input phototransistor T1.
guard. Resistor R7 limits the inrush The blinking rate
current to IC1. Fig. 1: Circuit of smart cellphone holder of LED2 can be
When power is applied to the cir- changed by
cuit, the low-frequency astable from IR LED1 changing the
multivibrator built around IC1 is acti- fall on value of ca-
vated and LED2 at its output pin 3 phototransistor pacitor C1 (or
flashes briefly. T1 and it con- R3-R4 resistor
When ignition switch S2 is flipped ducts to pull combination).
to on position, the +12V DC from the the base of P i n
cars battery disables the astable LED driver configurations
multivibrator via diode D2 and LED2 Fig. 2: Pin configurations transistor T2 Fig. 3: Proposed of BC547 and
turns off. of BC547 and 2N5777 t o w a r d s cellphone holder phototransistor
When the ignition is turned off and ground to dis- 2 N 5 7 7 7 ,
the mobile phone is in its holder, LED2 able the visual indicator (LED2). and the proposed cellphone
again starts blinking. In case the If youve forgotten to carry your holder are shown in Figs 2 and 3, re-
cellphone holder is empty, IR rays cellphone, LED2 fitted in the cellphone spectively. z

94 JULY 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

CMYK

MOSFET-BASED PREAMPLIFIER
FOR FM RADIO DXing
N.S. HARISANKAR,VU3NSH
F
M transmissions can be received
within a range of 40 km. If you are
in fringe areas, you may get a very
weak signal. FM DXing refers to hearing
distant stations (1500 km or more) on the
FM band (88-108 MHz). The term DX is
Fig. 1: Circuit of MOSFET-based preamplifier for FM DXing
Fig. 2: Different antennae used for FM DXing
CIRCUIT IDEAS
SAN
I TH
EO
borrowed from amateur radio operators. much higher gainapproaching that of a
It means distance unknown; D stands vacuum tube. These are classified into
for distance and X stands for unknown. junction FETs and MOSFETs. On compar-
For an FM receiver lacking gain, or hav- ing the FETs with a vacuum tube, the gate
ing a poor signal-to-noise ratio, using an implies the grid, the source implies the
external preamplifier improves the signal cathode, and the drain implies the plate.
level. In a transistor, the base implies the grid,
The dual-gate MOSFET preamplifier cir- the emitter implies the source, and the
collector implies the drain.
In dual-gate FETs, gate 1 is the signal
gate and gate 2 is the control gate. The
gates are effectively in series, making it
easy to control the dynamic range of the
device by varying the bias on gate 2.
The MOSFET is more flexible because
it can be controlled by a positive or nega-
tive voltage at gate 2. The resistance be-
tween the gate and rest of the device is
extremely high because these are separated
by a thin dielectric layer. Thus the MOSFET
has an extremely high input impedance.
Dual-gate MOSFETs (DG MOSFETs) are
very popular among radio amateurs. These
are being used in IF amplifiers, mixers,
and preamplifiers in HF-VHF transceivers.
The isolation between the gates (G1 and
G2) is relatively high in mixer applications.
This reduces oscillator pulling and radia-
tion. The oscillator pulling is troublesome
particularly in shortwave communications.
It is a characteristic in many unsophisti-
cated frequency-changer stages, where the
incoming signal, if large, pulls the oscilla-
tor frequency slightly off the frequency set
by the tuning knob and towards a fre-
quency favourable to the (large) incoming
cuit shown in signal. A DG MOSFET can also be used
Fig. 1 gives for automatic gain control in RF amplifi-
an excellent ers.
gain of about DG MOSFET BF966S is an n-channel
18 dB. It depletion-type MOSFET that is used for
costs less and general-purpose FM and VHF applications.
is simple to In this configuration, it is used for FM
design. radio band. The quadratic input character-
Field-ef- istic of the FET input stage gives better
fect transis- results than the exponential characteristic
tors (FETs) of a bipolar transistor.
are superior Gate 1 is meant for input and gate 2 is
to bipolar for gain control. The input from the an-
transistors in tenna is fed to gate G1 via C1 and L1.
many appli- Trimmer VC1 is used to tune and select
cations as the input frequencies. Capacitor C4 (100
these have a kpF) at the gain control electrode (gate 2)
NOVEMBER 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
CIRCUIT IDEAS

decouples any variation in G2 volt-

Coil & Capacitor Details for DXing of Various Frequency Bands
age at radio frequencies to main-
tain constant gain. Set preset VR 10m band 6m band 3m band 2m band
(47k) to adjust the gain or connect (28 MHz) (50 MHz) (98 MHz) (144 MHz)
a fixed resistor for fixed gain. The amateur radio amateur radio FM radio FM radio
output of the circuit is obtained via
L1 core 17T, 28 SWG 12T, 26 SWG 7T, 5mm dia., 5T, 20SWG,
capacitor C5 and fed to the FM re-
Amindoncore OnT-37-10,Tap 20SWG -inch ID, -inch L
ceiver amplifier.
(T-50-6), Tap at 5T from GND Aircore, 1cm Length, Tap 2 from GND
For indoor use, connect a -
at 6T from GND Tap 3T from GND
wavelength whip antenna, -wave-
L2 core 17T, 28 SWG 12T, 26 SWG 8T, close winding, 4T, 20 SWG,
length 1.5m wire antenna, or any
Amindoncore On T-37-10, 5mm dia. Air-core, No tap
other indoor antenna set-up with
T-50-6, without tap No tap
this circuit. You may use a 9V
Without tap
battery without the transformer and
VC1 & VC2 60 pF 22 pF 22 pF 15 pF
diode 1N4007, or any 6V-12V power
supply to power the circuit (refer
Fig. 1). The RF output can be taken on page 72 of Electronics Projects Vol. 8.) strong signal overloading. It produces less
directly through capacitor C5. For an im- Mount the DG MOSFET BF966S at the cross-modulation than a conventional tran-
proved input and output impedance, solder side of the PCB to keep parasitic sistor having negative temperature coeffi-
change C1 from 1 kpF to 22 pF and C5 capacitance as small as possible. Use an cient, doesnt succumb to thermal run-
from 1 kpF to 100 kpF. epoxy PCB. After soldering, clean the PCB away at high frequencies, and decreases
For outdoor use at top mast, like a TV with isopropyl alcohol. Use a suitable noise. In VHF and UHF, the MOSFET
booster, connect the C5 output to the enclosure for the circuit. All component produces less noise and is comparable
power supply unit (PSU) line. Use RG58U/ leads must be small. Avoid shambled wir- with JFETs. DG FETs reduce the feedback
RG11 or RG174 cable for feeding the power ing to prevent poor gain or self oscilla- capacitance as well as the noise power
supply to the receiver amplifier. The PSU tions. Connecting a single-element cubical coupled to the gate from the channel,
for the circuit is the same as that of a TV quad antenna to the circuit results in giving stable unneutralised power gain for
booster. For TV boosters, two types of Open Sesam for DXing. wide-band applications.
mountings are employed: The fixed tuned You can use a folded dipole or any This circuit can be used for other
booster is mounted on the mast of the other antenna. However, an excellent per- frequency bands by changing the input
antenna. The tunable booster consisting formance is obtained with a cubical quad and the output LC networks. The table
of the PSU is placed near the TV set for antenna (refer Fig. 2) and Sangean ATS- here gives details of the network compo-
gain control of various TV channels. (For 803 world-band receiver. nents for DXing of stations at various
details, refer High-Gain 4-Stage TV Booster In an amplifier, FET is immune to frequency bands.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU NOVEMBER 2003

CIRCUIT IDEAS

I
VED
DWI
FIRE ALARM USING THERMISTOR S.C.

PRINCE PHILLIPS

I
n this fire alarm circuit, a thermistor
works as the heat sensor. When tem-
perature increases, its resistance de-
creases, and vice versa. At normal tem-
perature, the resistance of the thermistor
(TH1) is approximately 10 kilo-ohms,
which reduces to a few ohms as the tem-
perature increases beyond 100C. The cir-
cuit uses readily available components and
can be easily constructed on any general-
purpose PCB.
Timer IC NE555 (IC1) is wired as an
astable multivibrator oscillating in audio
frequency band. Switching transistors T1
and T2 drive multivibrator NE555 (IC1).
The output of IC1 is connected to npn and increases the on time of alarm. The discharging of capacitor C1 when the ther-
transistor T3, which drives the loudspeaker higher the value of capacitor C1, the higher mistor connected to the positive supply
(LS1) to generate sound. The frequency the forward voltage applied to the base of cools down and provides a high-resistance
of IC1 depends on the values of resistors transistor T1 (BC548). (10-kilo-ohm) path. It also stops the con-
R5 and R6 and capacitor C2. Since the collector of transistor T1 is duction of T1. To prevent the thermistor
When thermistor TH1 becomes hot, it connected to the base of transistor T2, from melting, wrap it up in mica tape.
provides a low-resistance path to extend transistor T2 provides positive voltage to The circuit works off a 6V-12V regu-
positive voltage to the base of transistor reset pin 4 of IC1 (NE555). Resistor R4 is lated power supply. LED1 is used to indi-
T1 via diode D1 and resistor R2. Capaci- used such that IC1 remains inactive in the cate that power to the circuit is switched
tor C1 charges up to the positive voltage absence of positive voltage. Diode D1 stops on.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU NOVEMBER 2004


ANTI-THEFT ALARM FOR BIKES
PRAVEEN KUMAR M.P.
I
f anybody tries to steal your bike, this
circuit turns on the horn of the bike to
alert you of the impending theft.
Usually, a handle lock is used on the
handle bar for the safety of bikes, with
the front mudguard in a slanted position.
When the handle lock is freed, the front
mudguard can be aligned with the body
of the bike.
This circuit consists of transmitter and
receiver sections. The transmitter (IR
LED1) is fitted on the back end of the
front mudguard and the receiver sensor
(IRX1) is fitted on the central portion of
the crash guard of the bike such that IR
rays from the transmitter directly fall on
the sensor when the front mudguard
comes in line with the body of the bike.
The transmitter section is built around
timer 555 (IC2), which is wired as an astable
multivibrator with a frequency of around
38 kHz. The output of IC2 is further ampli-
fied by transistor T1 and given to an infra-
red light-emitting diode (IR LED1), which
continuously transmits the IR frequency.
The receiver section uses IR receiver
module TSOP 1738 (IRX1), which is nor-
mally used in TV receivers. The receiver
module senses the IR modulated frequency
transmitted by the IR LED.
When no IR rays are incident on the
sensor, its output is high. But the output of
the IR sensor goes low when it senses the
modulated IR signal. The output of the
receiver module is given to a negative-
voltage comparator built around IC LM311
(IC3). The input voltage at pin 2 of IC3 is
fixed by using the voltage-divider network
comprising resistors R7 and R8.
When IR rays are not incident on the IR
receiver module, the voltage at pin 3 of IC3
is greater than the voltage at pin 2. As a
result, the output of comparator IC3 is low.
But when the receiver senses IR rays from
IR LED1, the voltage at pin 3 of IC3 is lower
than the voltage at pin 2. As a result, the
output of the comparator goes high.
The output of the comparator is given
to a latch made up of JK flip-flop (IC4). The
low-to-high going pulse from the compara-
tor makes the output of IC4 high until it is
reset. The output of IC4 is latched and used
to energise relay RL1 via transistor T2. The
relay is connected to the negative terminal
CIRCUIT IDEAS
S.C.
DWI
VED
I
of the mobikes horn, while the positive
terminal of the horn is connected to the
positive terminal of the battery via resistor
R1. The energised relay drives the horn,
which continues sounding until you press
reset switch S2 momentarily.
At night, lock your bike using the
handle lock and switch on the circuit us-
ing switch S1. Since the IR transmitter (IR
LED1) and the receiver (IRX1) will not be
in line of sight, IR rays from IR LED1 will
not be incident on the sensor. When any-
one tries to move the bike away, the IR
transmitter and the IR receiver will come
in line of sight and the IR rays from the
IR transmitter will be incident on the re-
ceiver. This will make the output of the
comparator (IC3) high. The pulse from the
comparator will make the output of latch
IC4 high and transistor T2 will conduct to
sound the horn via relay RL1.
Note. The circuit excluding the trans-
mitter and the receiver can be housed in
a small metal box and kept inside the tool
box of the bike.
Before you start your bike, make
sure that the circuit is switched off using
switch S1.
OCTOBER 2004 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

DIGITAL STOP WATCH
C.H. VITHALANI
H
eres a digital stop watch built
around timer IC LM555 and 4-digit
counter IC with multiplexed 7-seg-
ment output drivers (MM74C926).
IC MM74C926 consists of a 4-digit
counter, an internal output latch, npn
output sourcing drivers for common-
cathode, 7-segment display and an
internal multiplexing circuitry with four
multiplexing outputs. The multiplexing cir-
cuit has its own free running oscillator,
and requires no external clock. The
counter advances on negative edge of
the clock. The clock is generated by timer
IC LM555 (IC1) and applied to pin 12
of IC2.
A high signal on reset pin 13 of
IC2 resets the counter to zero. Reset pin
13 is connected to +5V through reset
S.C.
DWI
VED
I
push-on-switch S3. When S2 is momen-
tarily pressed, the count value becomes
0, transistor T1 conducts and it resets
IC1. Counting starts when S2 is in off
condition.
A low signal on the latch-enable input
pin 5 (LE) of IC2 latches the number in
the counter into the internal output latches.
When switch S2 is pressed, pin 5 goes
low and hence the count value gets stored
in the latch. Display-select pin 6 (DS) de-
cides whether the number on the counter
or the number stored in the latch is to be
displayed. If pin 6 is low the number in
the output latch is displayed, and if pin 6
is high the number in the counter is dis-
played.
When switch S2 is pressed, the
base of pnp transistor T2 is connected to
ground and it starts conducting. The emit-
ter of T2 is connected to DS pin of IC2.
CIRCUIT IDEAS
Thus, when switch S3 is pressed, reset
pin 13 of IC2 is connected to ground
via transistor T1 and the oscillator does
not generate clock pulses. This is done
to achieve synchronisation between IC1
and IC2.
First, reset the circuit so that the dis-
play shows 0000. Now open switch S2
for the stop watch to start counting the
time. If you want to stop the clock, close
switch S2.
Rotary switch S1 is used to select the
different time periods at the output of the
astable multivibrator (IC1). The circuit
works off a 5V power supply. It can be
easily assembled on a general-purpose
PCB. Enclose the circuit in a metal box
with provisions for four 7-segment dis-
plays, rotary switch S1, start/stop switch
S2 and reset switch S3 in the front panel
of the box.
JULY 2004 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
FULLY AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY LIGHT
 DR C.H. VITHALANI
T
his simple automatic emer-
gency light has the following
advantages over conventional
emergency lights:
1. The charging circuit stops auto-
matically when the battery is fully
charged. So you can leave the emer-
gency light connected to AC mains
overnight without any fear.
2. Emergency light automatically
turns on when mains fails. So you
dont need a torch to locate it.
3. When mains power is available,
emergency light automatically turns
off.
The circuit can be divided into in-
verter and charger sections. The in-
verter section is built around timer
NE555, while the charger section is
100 FEBRUARY 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
built around 3-terminal adjustable
regulator LM317.
In the inverter section, NE555 is
wired as an astable multivibrator that
produces a 15kHz squarewave. Out-
put pin 3 of IC 555 is connected to the
Darlington pair formed by transistors
SL100 (T1) and 2N3055 (T2) via resis-
tor R4. The Darlington pair drives fer-
rite transformer X1 to light up the
tubelight.
For fabricating inverter transformer
X1, use two EE ferrite cores (of
25138mm size each) along with plas-
tic former. Wind 10 turns of 22 SWG
on primary and 500 turns of 34 SWG
wire on secondary using some insula-
tion between the primary and second-
ary.
To connect the tubelight to ferrite
transformer X1, first short both ter-
IVEDI
S.C. DW
minals of each side of the tubelight
and then connect to the secondary of
X1. (You can also use a Darlington pair
of transistors BC547 and 2N6292 for a
6W tubelight with the same trans-
former.)
When mains power is available, re-
set pin 4 of IC 555 is grounded via
transistor T4. Thus, IC1 (NE555) does
not produce squarewave and emer-
gency light turns off in the presence
of mains supply.
When mains fails, transistor T4
does not conduct and reset pin 4 gets
positive supply though resistor R3. IC1
(NE555) starts producing square
wave and tubelight turns on via
ferrite transformer X1.
In the charger section, input
AC mains is stepped down by
transformer X2 to deliver 9V-0-
9V AC at 500 mA. Diodes D1
and D2 rectify the output of the
transformer. Capacitors C3 and
C4 act as filters to eliminate
ripples. The unregulated DC
voltage is fed to IC LM317 (IC2).
By adjusting preset VR1, the
output voltage can be adjusted
to deliver the charging voltage.
When the battery gets
charged above 6.8V, zener diode
ZD1 conducts and regulator IC2
stops delivering the charging
voltage.
Assemble the circuit on a
general-purpose PCB and en-
close in a cabinet with enough
space for the battery and
switches. Connect a 230V AC
power plug to feed charging
voltage to the battery and
make a 20W tube outlet in the
cabinet to switch on the
tubelight. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
circuit
ideas

Automated Alarm Circuits s.c. dwiv

edi

Pallabi Sarkar and Normally, when the door is closed,

Anirban Sengupta reed switch S1 is closed, transistor T1
conducts and the monostable multivi- When the door is opened, reed

T
wo alarm circuits are presented brator (IC1) remains in standby mode switch S1 gets disconnected, T1 stops
here. One produces bird-chirp- with low output at pin 10. conducting and low-to-high pulse at pin
ing sound and the other British
police siren tone.
Fig. 1 shows the circuit of the bird-
chirping-sound alarm unit along with
the circuit of the control unit. Fig. 2
shows the circuit of only the British
police siren tone generator, which has
to be integrated with the control circuit
portion of Fig. 1 at points A and B to
complete the circuit diagram of auto-
mated alarm.
The control unit is built around ICs
CD4047 and CD4027 (as shown on the
left side of the dotted line in Fig. 1). As
mentioned earlier, it is common to both
the alarm circuits. IC CD4047 (IC1)
is wired in positive-edge-triggering
monostable multivibrator mode to set
and reset IC CD4027 (IC2). The output
pulse width of IC1 depends on the
values of capacitor C2 and resistor R3
connected to its pins 1, 2 and 3. Fig. 2: Alarm circuit that generates police siren tone

Fig. 1: Alarm circuit that generates bird-chirping sound

9 6 F e b r ua ry 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m

8 of IC1 triggers the monostable and a
short-duration positive pulse of about
10 seconds is available as Q output at
pin 10. At the same time, complementary
output Q goes low at pin 11. The output
from IC1 is used to set and reset IC2.
IC2 is a low-power, dual J-K mas-
ter/slave flip-flop having independ-
ent J, K, set, reset and clock inputs.
The flip-flops change states on the
positive-going transition of the clock
pulses. IC2 is wired such that its Q
output turns high when reset pin 4
receives a high pulse. When set pin 7
receives a high pulse, Q output goes
low and Q output goes high. This
lights up LED2 and drives transistor
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
T2 (BC548), which enables the alarm
circuit.
The output at point A is used to
enable the alarm tone generator circuit
(on the right side of the dotted line)
consisting of two 555 timer ICs marked
as IC3 and IC4. The R-C network de-
termines the frequency of the sound
produced. The triangular waveform
of the astable multivibrator is taken
out from the junction of pins 2 and
6 of IC3. This waveform is fed as the
control voltage at pin 5 of IC4 through
resistor R18. The output received from
pin 3 of IC4 is fed to the base of transis-
tor T3 to drive an 8-ohm loudspeaker
(LS1), which generates the bird-chirp-
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u F e b r ua ry 2 0 0 9 9 7
circuit
ideas
ing sound.
For the chirping-sound alarm gen-
erator, assemble the circuit shown in
Fig. 1 on a separate general-purpose
PCB and enclose in a small box. And if
you want an alarm circuit with British
police siren tone, assemble the circuit
shown in Fig. 2 on another general-
purpose PCB and connect it to points
A and B of the control unit shown in
Fig. 1 after removing the circuit on the
right side of the dotted line. Use a 9V,
500mA standard adaptor to power the
circuit.
This circuit may be used as a secu-
rity alarm in banks, households and
motorcars.
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

FLYING SAUCER

IVEDI
S.C. DW

 ASHOK K. DOCTOR

T
his unidentified flying object
(UFO) is nothing but an elec-
tronic toy depicting the fantacy.
It comprises three separate sections,
viz, rim flasher, dome flasher and
sound generator.
The rim flasher is a simple sequen-
tial circuit built around timer IC 555
Fig. 1: Rim flasher
(IC1) and decade counter IC CD4017
(IC2) as shown in Fig. 1. IC1 is wired
as an astable multivibrator whose out-
put is fed to clock pin 14 of decade
counter IC2. All the eight outputs of
IC2 are connected with two LEDs each.
These 16 LEDs (LED1 through LED16)
are arranged round the rim of a fly-
ing-saucer-like toy. The colour of LEDs
used may be yellow, pink orange or
even white to give a good colour ef-
fect.
The dome flasher circuit is built
around a 14-stage ripple-carry binary
counter and oscillator IC CD4060 (IC3)
as shown in Fig. 2. Three outputs are
used here. Three groups of LEDs with
six LEDs in each are arranged such that
each group flashes at a different rate.
Preset VR1 (47-kilo-ohm) is used to
Fig. 2: Dome flasher
vary the flash cycle.
These 18 LEDs (LED17 through
LED34) are arranged around the grove
(disk) of a general-purpose PCB or
veroboard, which is covered by a
transparent dome. Use different-
coloured LEDs for each group to cre-
ate the required light effect. Red, blue,
yellow or green LEDs will create a nice
effect. If a transparent dome is not pos-
sible, drill holes around the top to fix
the LEDs.
The sound generator is built
around two 555 timers, two transis-
tors and some discrete components as
shown in Fig. 3. Timer IC5 is config- Fig. 3: Sound generator

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JULY 2007 95

 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
Fig. 4: Fittings of LEDs on rim
ured as an astable multivibrator. The
charge-discharge cycle of capacitor C8
(47F) generates a sawtooth waveform
which rises rapidly but falls slowly.
This waveform is fed to the base of
transistor T2 (BC327), which is an emit-
ter follower. Its output is used to con-
trol frequency modulation. It is fed to
96 JULY 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
Fig. 5: Assemble unit of unidentify bird
pin 5 of timer IC4. The rectangu-
lar-wave output at pin 3 of timer
IC5 is fed to transistor BC548 (T1) to
operate timer IC4, which is also an
asymmetrical multivibrator. If a 75-
ohm-impedance speaker is available,
there is no need to use resistor R16 (68
ohms).
For assembling the circuit, use two
deep, plastic bowls of about 20 cm di-
ameter each. Make sure
that bowls have rims to
facilitate fixing of LEDs
with small screws. For
fixing the LEDs, refer to
Fig. 4. Assemble the rim
flasher, dome flasher
and sound generator cir-
cuits on separate gen-
eral-purpose PCBs and
mount these on the deep
bowls along with batter-
ies and speaker. PCB1,
PCB2 and PCB3 are for rim flasher,
dome flasher and sound generator, re-
spectively.
The assembled flying
saucer is shown in Fig. 5. When you
switch on the circuit, rim LEDs and
dome LEDs flash, and at the same
time, a sound is generated. This gives
the simulated effect of an unidentified
flying object. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 circuit
ideas
Portable Lamp Flasher
T.K. Hareendran
H
ere is a portable, high-power
incandescent electric lamp
flasher. It is basically a dual
flasher (alternating blinker) that can
handle two separate 230V AC loads
(bulbs L1 and L2).
The circuit is fully transistorised
and battery-powered. The free-run-
ning oscillator circuit is realised using
two low-power, low-noise transistors
Fig. 1: Circuit for portable lamp flasher
Fig. 2: Pin configurations of MOC3021, BT136 and
BC550/547
9 2 j u n e 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
T1 and T2. One of the two transistors
is always conducting, while the other
is blocking. Due to regular charging
and discharging of capacitors C1 and
C2, the two transistors alternate be-
tween conduction and non-conduction
states.
The collector of transistor T1 is con-
nected to the base of driver transistor
T4 through current-limiting resistor
R5. Similarly, the collector of transistor
T2 is connected to the base of driver
transistor T3 through limiting
resistor R6. These transistors
are used to trigger Triac1 and
Triac2 (each BT136) through
optotriacs IC1 and IC2, re-
spectively, and switch on the
power supply to external loads
L1 and L2. IC1 and IC2 operate
alternatively at a low frequency
determined by the values of
edi
s.c. dwiv
capacitors C1 and C2.
The oscillator circuit built around
transistors T1 and T2 generates low fre-
quencies. When transistor T3 conducts,
IC1 is enabled to fire Triac1 and bulb
L1 glows. Similarly, when transistor T4
conducts, IC2 is enabled to fire Triac2
and bulb L2 glows.
Connect the power supply line (L)
of mains to bulbs L1 and
L2, and neutral (N) to T1
terminals of Triac1 and
Triac2. You can also con-
nect neutral (N) line of
the external 230V mains
supply to both loads
(bulbs L1 and L2) as a
common line and then
route supply line (L) to
respective loads (bulbs
L1 and L2).
The circuit works off
only 3 volts. Since current
consumption is fairly low,
two AA-type cells are
sufficient to power the cir-
cuit. Assemble the circuit
on a general-purpose PCB and enclose in
a suitable plastic cabinet with integrated
AA-size pen-light cell holder. Drill holes
for mounting the on/off switch and
power switching terminals. Also connect
two bulb holders for bulbs L1 and L2.
Refer Fig. 2 for pin configurations.
EFY note. While assembling, test-
ing or repairing, take care to avoid the
lethal electric shock.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 circuit
ideas

Car Anti-theft Guard s.c. dwiv

edi

T.K. Hareendran tor R1, which prevents transistor T1

from conducting. In this position, anti-

H
ere is an easy-to-build car theft guard cir-
anti-theft guard. The circuit, cuit is in sleep
shown in Fig. 1, is simple and mode.
easy to understand. When key-oper- W h e n
ated switch S2 of the car is turned on, someone opens
12V DC supply from the car battery is the car door,
extended to the entire circuit through switch S1 be-
polarity-guard diode D5. Blinking comes off as
LED1 flashes to indicate that the guard shown in Fig.
circuit is enabled. It works off 12V 2. As a result,
power supply along with current-limit- transistor T1
ing resistor R4 in series. conducts to fire
When the car door is closed, door r e l a y - d r i v e r Fig. 2: Wiring diagram for door switch (S1)
switch S1 is in on position and 12V SCR1 (BT169)
power supply is available across resis- after a short delay introduced by ca- pacitor C1. Electromagnetic relay RL1
energises and its N/O
contact connects the
power supply to pi-
ezobuzzer PZ1, which
starts sounding to in-
dicate that someone
is trying to steal your
car. To reset the circuit,
turn off switch S2 using
car key. This will cut-
off the power supply to
the circuit and stop the
buzzer sound.
Assemble the cir-
cuit on a general-pur-
pose PCB and house
in a small box. Con-
nect switch S1 to the
car door and keep pi-
ezobuzzer PZ1 at an
appropriate place in
Fig. 1: Circuit of car anti-theft guard the car.

w w w. e f y m ag . co m e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u M ay 2 0 0 8 7 5

DICE WITH 7-SEGMENT DISPLAY
 EFY LAB
A
digital dice circuit can be eas-
ily realised using an astable
oscillator circuit followed by
a counter, display driver and a dis-
play.
Here we have used a timer NE555
as an astable oscillator with a fre-
quency of about 100 Hz. Decade
counter IC CD4026 or CD4033 (which-
ever available) can be used as counter-
cum-display driver. When using
Decoded Segment Outputs
for Counts 0 through 9
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
CD4026, pin 14 (cascading output) is
to be left unused (open), but in case of
CD4033, pin 14 serves as lamp test pin
and the same is to be grounded.
The circuit uses only a handful of
components. Its power consumption is
also quite low because of use of CMOS
ICs, and hence it is well suited for bat-
tery operation. In this circuit two tac-
tile switches S1 and S2 have been pro-
vided. While switch S2 is used for ini-
tial resetting of the display to 0, de-
pression of S1 simulates throwing of
the dice by a player.
When battery is con-
nected to the circuit, the
counter and display section
around IC2 (CD4026/4033)
is energised and the display
would normally show 0, as
no clock input is available.
Should the display show
any other decimal digit, you
may press re-set switch S2
so that display shows 0. To
simulate throwing of dice,
the player has to press
switch S1, briefly. This ex-
tends the supply to the
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU NOVEMBER 2007 97
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
IVEDI
S.C. DW
astable oscillator configured around
IC1 as well as capacitor C1 (through
resistor R1), which charges to the bat-
tery voltage. Thus even after switch
S1 is released, the astable circuit
around IC1 keeps producing the clock
until capacitor C1 discharges suffi-
ciently. Thus for du-
ration of depression
of switch S1 and dis-
charge of capacitor
C1 thereafter, clock
pulses are produced
by IC1 and applied to
clock pin 1 of counter
IC2, whose count ad-
vances at a frequency
of 100 Hz until C1
discharges suffi-
ciently to deactivate
IC1.
When the oscilla-
tions from IC1 stop,
the last (random)
count in counter IC2
can be viewed on the
7-segment display.
This count would
normally lie between
0 and 6, since at the
leading edge of every
7th clock pulse, the counter is reset to
zero. This is achieved as follows.
Observe the behavior of b seg-
ment output in the Table. On reset, at
count 0 until count 4, the segment b
output is high. At count 5 it changes
to low level and remains so during
count 6. However, at start of count 7,
the output goes from low to high state.
A differentiated sharp high pulse
through C-R combination of C4-R5 is
applied to reset pin 15 of IC2 to reset
the output to 0 for a fraction of a
pulse period (which is not visible on
the 7-segment display). Thus, if the
clock stops at seventh count, the dis-
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
play will read zero. There is a prob-
ability of one chance in seven that dis-
play would show 0. In such a situa-
tion, the concerned player is given an-
98 NOVEMBER 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
other chance until the display is non-
zero.
Note. Although it is quite feasible
to inhibit display of 0 and advance
the counter by 1, the same makes the
circuit somewhat complex and there-
fore such a modification has not been
attempted. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

Night Alert
D. Mohan Kumar
I
dea of this circuit came to me at
midnight when my pet dog started
barking continuously on sensing
a moving shadow, perhaps that of an
intruder. Dogs have a night adaptation
capability to maximise the sensitivity
of vision in low light. They are well
adapted to see moving objects rather
than stationary ones in darkness.
This circuit turns a lamp on for
a short duration when the dog barks,
giving an impression that the occu-
pants have been alerted.
The condenser microphone fitted
in the dogs cage senses barking sound
and generates AC signals, which pass
through DC blocking capacitor C1
to the base of transistor BC549 (T1).
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
s.c. dwivedi
capacitor C3 are timing components.
When fully charged, capacitor C3 takes
about two minutes to discharge.
So when sound is produced in front
of the condenser mic, triac1 (BT136)
Transistor T1 along with transistor fires and the bulb (B1) glows for about
T2 amplifies the sound signals and two minutes.
provides current pulses from the col- Assemble the circuit on a general-
lector of T2. purpose PCB and enclose in a plastic
The input trigger pulse is applied cabinet. Power to the circuit can be
to the collector of transistor T3 and derived from a 12V, 500mA step-down
coupled by capacitor C3 to the base of transformer with rectifier and smooth-
transistor T4 causing T4 to cut off. The ing capacitor. Solder the triac ensuring
sufficient spacing
between the pins
to avoid short
circuit. Fix the
unit in the dogs
cage, with the
lamp inside or
outside as de-
sired. Connect
the microphone
to the circuit us-
ing a short length
of shielded wire.
Enclose the mi-
crophone in a
tube to increase
collector voltage of transistor T4 for- its sensitivity.
ward biases transistor T3 via resistor Caution. Since the circuit uses
R8. Transistor T1 conducts and capaci- 230V AC, many of its points are at AC
tor C3 discharges to keep transistor T4 mains voltage. It could give you le-
cut-off. Transistor T4 remains cut-off thal shock if you are not careful. So if
until capacitor C3 charges enough to you dont know much about working
enable it to conduct. with line voltages, do not attempt to
When transistor T4 conducts, its col- construct this circuit. EFY will not be
lector voltage goes low to drive transis- responsible for any kind of resulting
tor T3 into cut-off state. Resistor R9 and loss or damage.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 8 8 5
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
REMOTE-CONTROLLED
POWER-OFF SWITCH
DEBARAJ KEOT
R
emote controllers for various
audio/video systems are usu-
ally provided with a power
on/off or standby-mode selector three BC548 transistors, an infrared
button. But turning the system off
from the remote handset actually does
not cut off the whole system from
mains. Some circuitry inside the sys-
tem continues to get power from mains
even when the power is turned off us-
ing the remote handset. One needs to
turn off the mechanical switch pro-
vided on the systems front panel or
wall outlet in order to turn off the en-
tire system.
Also, accessories like TV boosters,
stabilisers and additional ampli-
speaker systems cannot be turned off
from the remote handset. And it is very
annoying to get out of bed to switch
off mains after watching some
programme on TV or listening to mu-
sic.
The circuit given here can discon-
nect the entire system along with the
104 OCTOBER 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
accessories, including the circuit itself,
from mains using the remote for the
audio or video systems.
The circuit consists of a timer IC
NE555, a decade counter IC HCF4017,
ply for the audio/video system and
(IR) sensor IC TSOP1738 and a few dis-
crete components. Transformer X1, di-
odes D1 and D2, and capacitor C1 form
power supply for the circuit. Zener di-
ode ZD1 provides regulated voltage
to IR sensor TSOP1738 (IC3).
Timer IC NE555 (IC1) is configured
as an astable multivibrator that pro-
duces a clock pulse every two seconds.
The clock pulse is fed to decade
counter IC HCF4017 (IC2), whose Q7
output is inverted by transistor T1 and
applied to the base of transistor T2 to
drive the relay.
The output of sensor IC3 is used
to drive transistor T3 and activate the
relay via transistor T2.
The outputs of transistors T1 and
T3 are ORed and the resultant is ap-
plied to transistor T2. Thus if any one
or both the inputs connected to the
CMYK
S.C. DW
IVEDI
base of transistor T2 are high, relay
RL1 energises. The relay de-energises
if both the inputs to transistor T2 go
low.
Initially, to switch on mains sup-
the circuit itself, pushbutton switch S1
is pressed momentarily.
Normally, the output of IR receiver
module IC3 is high when it is not be-
ing activated by a remote, and the re-
lay energises to close the N/O contact
and place a short across switch S1. This
circuit and the load continue to get
power through the N/O contact of re-
lay RL1 even when pushbutton S1 is
released.
At the same time, the output of IC2
starts scrolling around its output pins,
i.e., pins 5 and 6 go high and low al-
ternately for the clock pulses received.
When Q6 output goes high the warn-
ing LED (yellow) glows, and when Q7
output goes high the off LED (red)
glows.
Yellow LED (LED1) indicates that
its time to switch off the audio or
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

video system.
The entire system can be turned off
by pressing any key on the handset
once when the red LED (LED2) is
glowing. The reason is that red LED2
glows when the Q7 output of IC2 is
high. Due to this, the output of tran-
sistor T1 is low. Now if any key on
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
the remote handset is pressed, the sen-
sor output goes low for a while. Since
both the inputs connected to the base
of transistor T2 become low at this
time, the transistor stops conducting
and the relay de-energises. As a re-
sult, the N/O contact of the relay
opens to switch off the circuit and
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU OCTOBER 2005 105
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
the load connected across the
transformers primary winding.
Any normal operation (increasing/
decreasing volume, changing channels,
etc) can be performed when either both
the LEDs are off or the remote is not
oriented towards IR receiver module
IC3. z
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
LAPTOP PROTECTOR
 D. MOHAN KUMAR
P
rotect your valuable laptop
against theft using this minia-
ture alarm generator. Fixed in-
side the laptop case, it will sound a
loud alarm when someone tries to take
the laptop. This highly sensitive cir-
cuit uses a homemade tilt switch to
activate the alarm through tilting of
the laptop case.
The circuit uses readily available
components and can be assembled on
a small piece of Vero board or a gen-
eral-purpose PCB. It is powered by a
12V miniature battery used in remote
control devices.
IC TLO71 (IC1) is used as a volt-
age comparator with a potential di-
vider comprising R2 and R3 provid-
ing half supply voltage at the non-in-
verting input (pin 3) of IC1. The in-
verting input receives a higher volt-
122 OCTOBER 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
age through a water-activated tilt
switch only when the probes in the
tilt switch make contact with water.
When the tilt switch is kept in the hori-
zontal position, the inverting input of
IC1 gets a higher voltage than its non-
inverting input and the output remains
low.
IC CD4538 (IC2) is used as a
monostable with timing elements R5
and C1. With the shown values, the
output of IC2 remains low for a pe-
riod of three minutes. CD4538 is a pre-
cision monostable multivibrator free
from false triggering and is more reli-
able than the popular timer IC 555. Its
output becomes high when power is
switched on and it becomes low when
the trigger input (pin 5) gets a low-to-
high transition pulse.
The unit is fixed inside the laptop
case in horizontal position. In this po-
sition, water inside the tilt switch ef-
S.C. DW
IVEDI
fectively shorts the contacts, so the out-
put of IC1 remains low. The alarm gen-
erator remains silent in the standby
mode as trigger pin 5 of IC2 is low.
When someone tries to take the
laptop case, the unit takes the vertical
position and the tilt switch breaks the
electrical contact between the probes.
Immediately the output of IC1 be-
comes high and monostable IC2 is trig-
gered. The low output from IC2 trig-
gers the pnp transistor (T1) and the
buzzer starts beeping.
Assemble the circuit as compactly
as possible so as to make the unit
matchbox size. Make the tilt switch us-
ing a small (2.5cm long and 1cm wide)
plastic bottle with two stainless pins
as contacts. Fill two-third of the bottle
with water such that the contacts never
make electrical path when the tilt
switch is in vertical position. Make the
bottle leakproof with adhesive or wax.
Fix the tilt switch
inside the enclo-
sure of the circuit
in horizontal posi-
tion. Fit the unit in-
side the laptop
case in horizontal
position using ad-
hesive.
Use a minia-
ture buzzer and a
micro switch (S1)
to make the gadget
compact. Keep the
laptop case in hori-
zontal position and
switch on the unit.
Your laptop is now
protected. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
circuit
ideas
Short-Circuit Protection in
DC Low-Voltage Systems
Pratik Panchal
M
any a times you need to cuit. Here is a circuit to derive the addi-
power an adjoining acces- tional power supply from the main cir-
sory circuit from the power cuit. The main circuit is protected from
supply used in the main module cir- any damage due to short-circuit in the
additional power supply
circuit by cutting off the
derived supply voltage.
The derived supply volt-
age restores automatically
when shorting is removed.
An LED is used to indicate
whether short-circuit exists
or not. Authors prototype
of short-circuit protection
module is shown in Fig. 1.
In the main power sup-
Fig. 1: Prototype of short-circuit protection in DC low-voltage
ply circuit, 230V AC is
systems stepped down by trans-
former X1 (230V
AC primary to
0-9V, 300mA
secondary), rec-
tified by a full-
wave rectifier
comprising di-
odes D1 through
D4, filtered by
capacitor C1
and regulated
by IC 7805 to
give regulated
5V (O/P1).
Transis-
tors SK100 and
BC547 are used
to derive the
secondary out-
put of around
5V (O/P2) from
the main 5V
Fig. 2: Circuit diagram of short-circuit protection supply (O/P1).
1 0 0 O c to b e r 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
s.c. dwiv
edi
Working of the circuit is simple. When
the 5V DC output from regulator IC
7805 is available, transistor BC547
conducts through resistors R1 and R3
and LED1. As a result, transistor SK100
conducts and short-circuit protected 5V
DC output appears across O/P2 termi-
nals. The green LED (LED2) glows to
indicate the same, while the red LED
(LED1) remains off due to the presence
of the same voltage at both of its ends.
When O/P2 terminals short, BC547
cuts off due to grounding of its base.
As a result, SK100 is also cut-off. Thus
during short-circuit, the green LED
(LED2) turns off and the red LED
(LED1) glows. Capacitors C2 and C3
across the main 5V output (O/P1) ab-
sorb the voltage fluctuations occurring
due to short-circuit in O/P2, ensuring
disturbance-free O/P1. The design of
the circuit is based on the relationship
given below:
RB = (HFE X Vs)/(1.3 X IL)
where,
RB = Base resistances of transistors
of SK100 and BC547
HFE = 200 for SK100 and 350 for
BC547
Switching Voltage Vs = 5V
1.3 = Safety factor
IL = Collector-emitter current of
transistors
Assemble the circuit on a gen-
eral-purpose PCB and enclose in a
suitable cabinet. Connect O/P1 and
O/P2 terminals on the front panel of
the cabinet. Also connect the mains
power cord to feed 230V AC to the
transformer. Connect LED1 and LED2
for visual indication.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
DESKTOP POWER SUPPLY

T.K. HAREENDRAN
U
seful for electronics hobbyists,
this linear workbench power
supply converts a high input
voltage (12V) from the SMPS of a PC
into low output voltage (1.25 to 9
volts). An adjustable three-pin voltage
regulator chip LM317T (IC1) is used
here to provide the required voltages.
The LM317T regulator, in TO-220 pack,
can handle current of up to 1 amp in
practice.
Fig. 1 shows the circuit of the desk-
Fig. 1: Circuit of desktop power supply
98 SEPTEMBER 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
S.C. DW
IVEDI
top power supply.
Regulator IC LM317T tive load is
is arranged in its stan- connected at
dard application. Di- the output.
ode D1 guards against Similarly, ca-
polarity reversal and pacitor C3 sup-
capacitor C1 is an ad- presses any re-
ditional buffer. The sidual ripple.
green LED (LED1) in- Connect a Fig. 3: Suggested power
Fig. 2: Pin dicates the status of the
configuration of standard digi- supply box
LM317 power input. Diode D2 tal voltmeter in
prevents the output parallel with the output leads to accu-
voltage from rising above the input rately set the desired voltage with the
voltage when a capacitive or induc- help of variable resistor VR1. You can
also use your digital multimeter
if the digital voltmeter is not
available. Switch on S1 and set
the required voltage through
preset VR1 and read it on the
digital voltmeter. Now the
power supply is ready for use.
The circuit can be wired on
a common PCB. Refer Fig. 2 for
pin configuration of LM317 be-
fore soldering it on the PCB. Af-
ter fabrication, enclose the cir-
cuit in a metallic cover as
shown in Fig. 3. Then open the
cabinet of your PC and connect
the input line of the gadget to a
free (hanging) four-pin drive
power connector of the SMPS
carefully.

WWW.EFYMAG.COM
circuit
ideas

ELECTRIC WINDOW/FENCE CHARGER

T.K. HAREENDRAN
tors R2 and R3, preset VR1 and capaci-
edi
tor C3. The amplitude of the output s.c. dwiv

H
ere is the circuit of a simple pulse can be varied to some extent by
electric window charger. adjusting variable resistor VR1. You
With a couple of minor circuit can vary the frequency from 100 Hz
variations, it can be used as an electric to 150 Hz. drives pnp transistor T1 into conduc-
fence charger too. A standard 12V, 7Ah X1 is a small, iron-core, step-down tion for the duration of the time period.
sealed maintenance-free (SMF) UPS transformer (230V AC primary to 12V, The collector of T1 is connected to the
battery is required for powering the 1A secondary) that must be reverse base of driver transistor T2 through re-
entire unit. connected, i.e., the secondary winding sistor R5. When transistor T1 conducts,
Any component layout and mount- terminals of the transformer should T2 also conducts. When T2 conducts, a
ing plan can be used. However, be connected between the emitter and high-current pulse flows through the
try to keep the output terminals of ground and the output taken across the secondary winding of transformer X1
transformer X1 away from the circuit primary winding. Switch S1 is used for to generate a very high-voltage pulse
board. Timer NE555 (IC1) is wired as power on/off and LED1 works as a at the primary winding.
a free-running oscillator with narrow power-on indicator. LED2 is used to This dangerously high voltage
negative pulse at the output pin 3. The indicate the pulse activity. can be used to charge the window
pulse frequency is determined by resis- The output pulse from pin 3 of IC1 rails/fences. Ordinary silicon diode
D1 (1N4001) protects
T2 against high-voltage
peaks generated by X1
inductance during the
switching time.
You can replace
X1 with another trans-
former rating, and, if
necessary, replace T2
with another higher-
capacity transistor. The
circuit can be used to
charge a 1km fence
with some minor mod-
ifications in the output
section.
Caution. Take all
the relevant electri-
cal safety precautions
when assembling, test-
ing and using this high-
voltage generator.

1 1 0 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 circuit
ideas

Electric Guitar Preamplifier sani the

o

T.K. HAREENDRAN up attached to a guitar headstock is

shown in Fig. 1. The pickup device has

H
ere is the circuit of a guitar
preamplifier that would ac-
cept any standard guitar
pickup
jack
Headstock
Fig. 1: A typical example of mounting the guitar
pickup
Fig. 2: Guitar preamplifier circuit
pickup. It is also versatile in that it has
two signal outputs.
A typical example of using a pick-
a transducer on one end and a jack on
the other end. The jack can be plugged
into a preamplifier circuit and then to
a power amplifier system.
The pickup device captures me-
chanical vibrations, usually from
stringed instruments such as guitar
or violin, and converts them into an
electrical signal, which can then be
amplified by an audio amplifier. It
is most often mounted on the body
of the instrument, but can also be at-
tached to the bridge, neck, pickguard
or headstock.
The first part of this preamplifier
circuit shown in Fig. 2 is a single-tran-
sistor common-emitter amplifier with
degenerative feedback in the emitter
and a boot-strapped bias divider to
secure optimal input impedance. With
the component values shown here, the
input impedance is above 50 kilo-ohms
and the peak output voltage is about
2V RMS. Master-level-control potmeter
VR1 should be adjusted for minimal
distortion.
The input from guitar pickup is fed
to this preamplifier at J1 terminal. The
signal is buffered and processed by the
op-amp circuit wired around IC TL071
(IC1). Set the gain using preset VR2.
The circuit has a master and a slave
control. RCA socket J2 is the master
signal output socket and socket J3 is
the slave.
It is much better to take
the signal from J2 as the input
to the power amplifier sys-
tem or sound mixer. Output
signals from J3 can be used to
drive a standard headphone
amplifier. Using potmeter
VR3, set the slave output sig-
nal level at J3.
House the circuit in a
metallic case. VR1 and VR3
should preferably be the types
with metal enclosures. To
prevent hum, ground the case
and the enclosures. A well-
regulated 9V DC power supply
is crucial for this circuit. How-
ever, a standard 9V alkaline
manganese battery can also be used to
power the circuit. Switch S1 is a power-
on/off switch.

w w w. e f y m ag . co m e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0 1 1 7
 CIRCUIT IDEAS
HIT SWITCH
T.A. BABU
T
his versatile hit switch is the elec-
tronic equivalent of a conventional
switch. It can be used to control
the switching of a variety of electronic
devices.
The circuit of the hit switch uses a
piezoelectric diaphragm (piezobuzzer) as
the hit sensor. A piezoelectric material de-
velops electric polarisation when strained
by an applied stress. The hit sensor makes
use of this property.
When you hit or knock the piezo ele-
ment (hit plate) with your fingertip, a small
voltage developed by the piezo element is
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU DECEMBER 2004
SAN
I THE
O
amplified by transistor BC547 (T1). The
combination of transistor T1 and the bridge
rectifier comprising diodes D1 through D4
acts as a voltage-control switch. The in-
verter gates of IC CD4069 (IC1) together
with associated components form a
bistable switch.
IC CD4069 is a CMOS hex inverter.
Out of the six available inverter gates, only
three are used here. IC1 operates at any
voltage between 3V and 15V and offers a
high immunity against noise. The recom-
mended operating temperature range for
this IC is 55C to 125C. This device is
intended for all general-purpose inverter
applications.
Initially, the input of gate N1 is low,
while the input of gate N2 is high. Trig-
gering the voltage-control switch by hit-
ting the sensor pulls the input of gate N1
to high level and causes the bistable to
toggle. The capacitor gets charged via re-
sistor R1 and the circuit changes its state.
This latch continues until the bistable
switch gets the next triggering input.
Every time the hit plate receives a hit,
the voltage-control switch triggers the
bistable circuit. That means every subse-
quent hit at the sensor will toggle the state
of the switch. The red LED (LED1) con-
nected at the output of gate N3 indicates
on/off position of
the switch. Relay
RL1 is activated by
the hit switch to con-
trol the connected
load.
The circuit works
off 12V DC. It can be
constructed on any
general-purpose PCB.
For the desired re-
sults, proper connec-
tions and installation
of the hit sensor are
necessary. Remove
the cover of the
piezobuzzer and connect its two leads to
the circuit. Mount the plate such that it
receives the hit properly. The piezoelectric
material on the plate can easily get dam-
aged, so hit the switch gently.

ELECTRONIC WATCHDOG
TAPAN KUMAR MAHARANA
H
eres an electronic watchdog for
your house that sounds to inform
you that somebody is at the gate.
Fig. 1: 38kHz IR transmitter circuit
Fig. 2: Receiver circuit
transmitter is derived from the receiver
circuit by connecting its points A and B
to the respective points of the receiver
circuit. The receiver is powered by regu-
lated 6V DC. For the purpose, you can
use a 6V battery.
The transmitter and receiver units are
aligned such that the IR beam falls di-
rectly on the IR sensor. As long as IR
beam falls on the sensor, its output re-
mains low, transistor T1 does not conduct
S.C.
DWI
VED
I
The circuit comprises
a transmitter unit and
a receiver unit, which
are mounted face to
face on the opposite
Fig. 4: Mounting arrangement for transmitter and receiver units
Fig. 3: Pin configurations of
TSOP1738 and UM66
and trigger pin 2 of IC2 remains high.
When anyone interrupts the IR beam
falling on the sensor, its output goes high
to drive transistor T1 into conduction and
pin 2 of IC2 goes low momentarily. As a
result, IC2 gets triggered and its pin 3
goes high to supply 3.3V to melody gen-
erator IC3 at its pin 2, which produces a
sweet melody through the speaker fitted
inside the house. Output pin 3 of IC2
remains high for around 30 seconds.
CIRCUIT IDEAS
pillars of the gate such that the IR
beam gets interrupted when someone
is standing at the gate or passing
through it.
The transmitter circuit (see Fig. 1)
is built around timer NE555 (IC1),
which is wired as an astable
multivibrator producing a frequency of
about 38 kHz. The infrared (IR) beam
is transmitted through IR LED1.
The receiver circuit is
shown in Fig. 2. It comprises
IR sensor TSOP1738 (IR RX1),
npn transistor BC548 (T1),
timer NE555 (IC2) and some
resistors and capacitors. IC2 is
wired as a monostable
multivibrator with a time pe-
riod of around 30 seconds. The
melody generator section is
built around melody generator
IC UM66 (IC3), transistor T2
and loudspeaker LS1. Fig. 3
shows pin configurations of IR
sensor TSOP1738 and melody
generator IC UM66.
The power supply for the
Fig. 4 shows mounting arrangement
for both the transmitter and receiver units
on the gate pillars. To achieve a high di-
rectivity of the IR beam towards the sen-
sor, use a reflector behind the IR LED.
After both the units have been built,
connect 6V power supply to the receiver
circuit. You should hear a continuous
melody from the speaker. Now connect
6V power to the transmitter also and
orient IR LED1 towards IR receiver. The
NOVEMBER 2004 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
CIRCUIT IDEAS

melody should stop after about 30 sec- door, the IR beam is interrupted and the Using preset VR1, you can set the volume
onds. Now the transmitter and the re- alarm sounds for 30 seconds. The alarm of the loudspeaker.
ceiver units are ready for use. keeps sounding as long as one stands This circuit can also be used as a door-
When somebody enters through the between the transmitter and receiver units. bell or burglar alarm.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU NOVEMBER 2004


SOLIDSTATE REMOTE CONTROL SWITCH
SEEMANT SINGH
H
ere is a solidstate remote control
switch which uses readily available
electronic components. The control
circuit comprises the transmitter and re-
ceiver sections. The range of the transmit-
ter is around seven metres.
The transmitter circuit (shown in Fig.
1) is built around a timer IC (555) wired
as an astable multivibrator. It works off a
9V battery. When remote control switch
S1 is pressed, the astable multivibrator
built around IC1 starts oscillating at a fre-
quency of about 38 kHz. The signal fre-
quency at output pin 3 of IC1 is transmit-
Fig. 2: Receiver circuit
ted through two infrared diodes (IR LED1
and IR LED2). A green LED (LED1) con-
nected to pin 3 glows whenever S1 is
pressed, indicating the presence of a sig-
nal for transmission at the output of the
multivibrator.
The output frequency F at pin 3 of IC1
depends on the timing components, viz,
resistors R1 and R2 and capacitor C2. It is
given by the following relationship:
F = 1.443/(R1+2R2)C2
This frequency is fed to npn transis-
tors T1 and T2 (each BC547) through re-
sistor R4 (470-ohm) to drive the IR LEDs.
Resistor R5 limits the current flowing
through the IR LEDs.
The receiver circuit (shown in Fig. 2)
Fig. 1: Transmitter circuit
consists of regulator IC 7806 (IC4), IR re-
ceiver module (TSOP1738), timer 555
(IC2) and decade counter CD4017 (IC3).
Timer 555 (IC2) is wired as a monostable
multivibrator.
The 9V DC power supply for the re-
ceiver circuit is regulated by regulator IC
7806. The presence of power in the circuit is
indicated by glowing of the red LED (LED2).
The IR receiver module (TSOP1738),
which gets 5.1V power supply through ze-
ner diode ZD1, receives the transmitted
signal of about 38 kHz. The signal is am-
plified by transistor BC558 (T3) and given
to triggering pin 2 of IC2 through cou-
pling capacitor C6.
Initially, when no signal is received
CIRCUIT IDEAS
SAN
I TH
EO
from the transmitter, the
output of the IR receiver
module is high (approx.
5V).
When the transmitter
is pointed at the receiver
and switch S1 is momen-
tarily pressed, the trans-
mitted IR rays are sensed
by the receiver module
and its output pulses low
to trigger the monostable
(IC2). The output of IC2
goes high for about five
seconds. Thus, even if
you press the remote
switch more than one time by mistake,
there wont be any change in the output
of the receiver within this period and hence
no undesired switching of the appliance.
The signal reception is indicated by glow-
ing of the green LED (LED3).
The output of IC2 is given to the clock
input (pin 14) of IC3. Here, IC3 is wired as
a bistable circuit. For every clock input,
pins 2 and 3 of IC3 alternately go high.
Initially, when the power to the re-
ceiver circuit is switched on, pin 3 of IC3
is high and therefore the yellow LED
(LED4) connected to it glows. The glow-
ing of LED4 indicates that the appliance is
in off condition.
When a clock pulse is received at pin 14
SEPTEMBER 2004 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

of IC3, pin 3 goes low to turn off LED4, while turn, controls the appliance. AC mains. Also, make sure that the neutral
pin 2 becomes high. The high output at pin Precautions. Dont touch the leads of point of mains is connected to the ground
2 triggers the gate of triac BT136, which, in the triac as it is connected across the 230V line of the circuit and not vice versa.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU SEPTEMBER 2004


INFRARED FIRECRACKER IGNITER
 PRADEEP VASUDEVA
F
irecrackers are normally ignited
by using a matchstick or a
candle. You have to run away
quickly after igniting the fuse of the
firecracker. This method of igniting
firecracker is unsafe, because the dan-
ger of the firecracker bursting before
you reach a safe distance is always
there.
The device described here uses re-
mote control, usually used with TV re-
ceivers or CD players, to burst the fire-
cracker. Thus the firecracker can be ig-
nited from a safe distance using the
circuit described below in conjunction
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
with the remote control.
In the figure shown here, normally
the output of IC1 is low and green
LED2 is on and the red LED3 off. glows and green LED2 turns off. On
This indicates that the circuit is
ready for use. When any key on the
remote control is pressed, output pin
3 of IRX1 (IR receiver module
TSOP1738) goes low. This output is
connected to pin 2 of IC1 via LED1
and resistor R4 to trigger the
monostable operation of IC1.
The output of IC1 remains high for
a period equal to 1.1R2C2. With the
values of the components given in the
circuit diagram here, the period works
out to 3.5 seconds approximately. This
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU AUGUST 2007 97
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S.C. DW
IVEDI
activates relay RL1 and red LED3
state of red LED3 indicates that the
firecracker is about to burst.
R7 is a small part of the element of
an electric heater (220V,
1000W), which is kept away
from the electronic circuit
and connected to the relay
contacts through a thick
electric cable. The resistance
value of short length of the
heater element (R7) is 3 to
3.5 ohms. A current of
around 4 amperes flows
through it when connected
to a 12V battery. Flow of 4A
current through R7 for 3.5
seconds makes it red hot,
which ignites the fire-
cracker.
The circuit is powered
by a 12V, 7AH battery. IC2
provides about 9V for the
operation of the circuit. The
circuit should be housed in a metallic
cabinet to prevent it from being dam-
aged by bursting of the firecracker. The
IR receiver and the two LEDs should
be fixed on the front panel of the cabi-
net.
Wiring and relay used in the cir-
cuit should be chosen such that they
are able to carry more than 5 amperes
of current. 

VERSATILE WATER-LEVEL
CONTROLLER
A. SHAFEEK AHAMED
T
his simple, economical and ver-
satile circuit switches on the
motor pump when water in the
overhead tank falls below the lowest
level and turns it off when the tank
is full. Moreover, if the pump is run-
ning dry due to low voltage, it sounds
an alarm to alert you to switch off the
controller circuit (and hence the mo-
Fig. 1: Circuit of water-level controller
tor pump) to avoid coil burn and
power wastage.
The water-level controller circuit
(see Fig. 1) is built around IC 555 (IC2)
to monitor the water level in the over-
head tank and on/off status of the lay RL1 energises. The motor pump
motor through the inverter and driver
circuits. The transistor switch circuitry
monitors the flow of water and raises
an alarm if the pump runs dry.
Power supply is obtained through
step-down transformer X1, diodes D1
through D4, capacitor C1, series current-
limiting resistor R1, regulator IC1, and
noise-filtering capacitors C2 and C3.
The set-up for the water-level sens-
ing electrodes is shown in Fig. 2. Elec-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
trodes are suspended into the tank
such that they dont touch each other.
Points B, L and U of the water-level
controller circuit are connected to the
respective points of the sensor elec-
trodes assembly.
When water in the tank is below
the lowest level L1, all the electrodes
are electrically separated and hence
points L and U (pins 6 and 2 of IC2,
respectively) are pulled up to the sup-
ply voltage through resistors R2 and
R3, respectively. Therefore, to reset IC2
the output of IC2 at pin 3 goes low.
As a result, transistor T1 stops con-
ducting to drive transistor T2 and re-
the motor remains switched off.
now starts running to fill the tank with
water. Freewheeling diode D5 prevents
chattering of the relay due to the back
emf produced by the relay coil.
When the water level rises to
bridge the electrodes, because of the
conductivity of water, pin 6 (E1) is
pulled down to ground (E2). This does
not alter the output state of IC2, which
maintains its previous state, and the
motor keeps running.
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU DECEMBER 2005 95
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S.C. DW
IVEDI
When water rises to the overflow
level L2 and touches electrode E3,
point U (pin 2 of IC2) is connected to
already sunken ground electrode E2,
thereby triggering it. IC2 resets to give
a high output at pin 3. This is inverted
by transistor T1 to cut off transistor
T2 and de-energise relay RL1. The mo-
tor pump now stops to prevent water
overflow.
As water is consumed, the water
level comes down leaving electrode E3
isolated from ground electrode E2.
Now point U (pin 2 of IC2) is pulled
up to the supply voltage. This does
not change the output state of IC2 and
When water level again falls be-
low electrode E2, IC2 resets to cut off
transistor T1. Transistor T2 conducts
to energise relay RL1 and the motor is
powered to run. This is how the pro-
cess continues. LED1 glows whenever
the relay energises, indicating that the
motor pump is running.
As the values of resistors R2 and R3
are very high, corrosion of electrodes is
very little. Capacitors C2 through C7
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
filter out unwanted noise. Switches S2
and S3 can be used to manually switch
on and off the motor pump, respec-
tively, when water is in between the
upper and lower levels. Switch S1 is
used to disable the unit during dry
pump run or while flushing the tank.
For the sensor electrodes, use a
moulded-type AC chord (used for tape
recorders) with its pair of wires sleeved
at the end and connected together to
form the electrode. Other electrodes can
be made similarly. These three AC
chords are suspended inside the tank
from a longitudinally cut PVC pipe
(used for electrical wiring).
The arrangement for the dry pump
sensor is shown in Fig. 3. A moulded-
type AC chord with its pair of wires
sleeved at the end can be attached firmly
to the delivery pipe such that water
falls onto the plug leads. The sleeved
ends are connected to points A and B of
the water-level controller circuit.
The circuit for dry-run alarm com-
prises transistors T3 and T4,
piezobuzzer PZ1, resistors R6 and R7,
and capacitor C7. When points A and
B of the dry-running sensor (see Fig.
3) are bridged by water being deliv-
ered by the pipe, transistor T3 con-
ducts to drive transistor T4 into cut-
off state and therefore the DC buzzer
remains silent.
When the pump runs dry, points
A and B are electrically apart causing
transistor T3 to cut off because of pull-
up resistor R6. Transistor T4 conducts
due to the emitter drop of transistor
T3, which activates the DC buzzer to
96 DECEMBER 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
Fig. 2: Water-level electrodes set-up for over-
head tank
sound an alarm indicating dry running
of the pump.
The alarm circuit is enabled only
when transistor T2 conducts, i.e., only
when the motor pump runs. Diode D6
isolates the relay driver circuitry to
prevent transistor T3 from extending
ground to the relay through transistor
T3 and water being delivered. As soon
as the pump is switched on, the alarm
sounds until water reaches the deliv-
ery port.
House the controller circuit (in-
cluding the power supply) in a cabi-
net. Use a four-core shielded cable for
wiring the tank electrodes to the con-
troller unit fixed near the motor switch.
To test the circuit, proceed as fol-
lows:
1. Switch on power to the circuit.
2. LED1 glows and relay RL1
energises to produce an alarm from
piezobuzzer PZ1, indicating that none
of the circuit points A, B, U and L is
shorted through water (i.e., water in
the tank is below the lowest limit). The
CMYK
energised relay in-
dicates on status
of the motor.
3. Immerse
Fig. 3: Dry pump
points A and B in
sensor set-up water. The buzzer
stops sounding to
indicate that water is flowing out of
the pipe to short points A and B. This
confirms no dry run.
4. Immerse points B and L in water,
as would be the case when the
water level rises. Momentarily touch
point U to water. LED1 goes off
and the relay de-energises to turn
the pump off. This would be the
case when water touches the overflow
limit.
5. Remove points A and B from
water assuming that the flowing wa-
ter that was shorting points A and B
has stopped. Now, although water is
not flowing, the buzzer does not sound
as the relay is already de-energised.
6. Remove points U and B from
water, assuming that water has fallen
below the lowest limit because of con-
sumption. Two seconds later, LED1
glows and the relay energises.
Precautions. 1. Make sure that wa-
ter being delivered from the water pipe
doesnt touch any of the suspended
water-level sensors.
2. Mount the alarm sensor firmly
onto the water pipe such that elec-
trodes A and B are shorted by water
flowing out of the pipe.
3. Use a properly shielded cable to
carry signals from the tank to the wa-
ter-level controller unit. z
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

SAFETY GUARD
A. RAMESH BABU
P
rotect your home appliances
from voltage spikes with this
simple time delay circuit.
At the heart of the circuit is IC
CD4060, which consists of two in-
verter gates for clock generation and
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
counter.
The anode of the SCR is connected
SUNIL K
UMAR to +9V and the cathode is connected
to the relay coil. The other pin of the
relay coil is connected to the negative
supply, while its contacts are used for
a 14-bit binary ripple counter. Here switching on the appliances.
the clock oscillations are governed Whenever power to the appliances
by resistor R1 and capacitor C1. In is switched on or resumes after mains
this circuit, only two outputs of the failure, the oscillator starts oscillat-
IC (Q5 and Q14) have been used. Q5 ing and LED1 blinks. This continues
is connected to an LED (LED1) and for three minutes. After that, Q14 out-
Q14 is used to trigger the gate of the put of IC CD4060 goes high to trig-
SCR through D4 as well as reset the ger the gate of the SCR through D4.
At this moment,
the voltage is
available at the
cathode of the
SCR, which
energises the relay
coil to activate the
appliance and
LED2 glows.
Switch S1 is used
for quick start
without waiting
for delay. z
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JUNE 2005 91
CMYK
 circuit
ideas

Electronic Dice Using AT89C2051

Debdoot Sheet
counter variable, which, on being inter-

T
o
his simple circuit demonstrates rupted by an external trigger, latches sani the
the capability of an AT89C2051 the counter value and displays a ran-
microcontrol- dom number through its output ports.
ler chip to function This method is similar to the one used
as a random number in PCs or calculators for generating ran-
generator based on dom numbers at any instance. and uses an 18MHz crystal to generate
the flying counter The application of this dice is the clock (refer Fig. 2). Switch S1 con-
principle. The pro- Fig. 1: Suggested similar to the one used in a game of nected at pin 1 is used as a reset switch.
gram in the chip con- LED arrangement dice. The random numbers generated Interrupt occurs at pin 6 of IC1 on logic
for electronic dice
stantly updates the display are not displayed numerically, but 0. Switch S2 connected to pin 6 (INT0)
represented by of IC1 is used to trigger an external in-
the number of terrupt to make pin 6 low. It is used as
glowing LEDs. input to generate the random number.
The LEDs are The random number is indicated by
the dot repre- glowing of the LEDs (LED1 through
sentation on the LED7) connected to port pins P1.2-P1.7
face of a dice. and P3.7.
Suggested LED TL0 and TH0 act as free-wheeling
arrangement for counters in auto-increment mode and
the electronic constantly count up from the initial
dice display is value. When the interrupt occurs, the
shown in Fig. 1. value from the counter is latched and
The use of glowing LEDs indicate the random
IC AT89C2051 number generated by the microcontrol-
(IC1) module ler chip. Assembly language is used for
in the design is programming the chip. The Assembly
quite simple. It code listing is self-explanatory.
operates off 3- EFY note. The source code is in-
Fig. 2: Circuit for electronic dice using AT89C2051 5.5V DC supply cluded in this months EFY-CD and

w w w. e f y m ag . co m e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u J u n e 2 0 1 0 1 0 5
circuit
ideas
Smart Hearing Aid
Devrishi Khanna and
Rohit Modi
N
ormally, hearing aid circuits
consume battery power
continuously once they are
switched on. The circuit given here
saves battery power by switching
on the sound amplifier section only
when sound is detected. The sensi-
tivity of the detection section and the
on time duration of the sound am-
plifier circuit can be set by the user.
Also the circuit uses only a single
condenser mic for sound detection
and amplification.
As is clear from the above, this
hearing aid consists of a condenser
microphone, earphone, and sound
detection and amplification sections.
The sound detection section employs
a quad op-amp IC LM324 (IC1(A)) and
a timer NE555 (IC2). The sound signal
received at the mic is pre-amplified
by transistor BC549 (T1). The voltage
at its collector is fed to the inverting
terminal (pin 2) of op-amp IC1(A),
8 8 M a r c h 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
which is used as a comparator. The
reference voltage (Vref) at the non-
inverting terminal (pin 3) of IC1(A)
is set using preset VR1. The preset is
also used to control the sensitivity of
the sound signals received by the cir-
cuit. The output from pin 1 of IC1(A)
is fed to the trigger input (pin 2) of
timer NE555, which is configured in
monostable mode.
When sufficient sound signal
strength is detected at the base of tran-
sistor T1, the pulsating voltage at its
collector exceeds the reference voltage
at pin 3. As a result, output pin 1 of
IC1(A) goes low. The low output from
IC1(A) triggers the NE555 timer and its
output goes high for a preset duration.
R4 and C2 are the timing components
for setting the time duration. The high
output of the timer is directly used as
the power source for the sound ampli-
fier section.
The sound amplifier section is built
around transistors T2 through T5. The
last amplifier stage T5 (pnp transistor
BC558) drives the earphone. The sound
sani the
o
signal received from the mic is fed to
the non-inverting pin of the second
op-amp of IC1(B) which is wired in
unity follower configuration. The unity
follower mode resolves the problem
of impedance mismatch which would
have occured if the output of the mic
is fed directly to amplifier stage. The
output from pin 7 of IC1(B) is fed to the
base of transistor T2. The weak signal
received at transistor stage T2 is further
amplified by transistors T3, T4 and T5.
An earphone to listen to the sound is
connected between the collector of T5
and ground. It is recommended to use
a mono earphone with volume control
attached.
With 9V DC supply, when sound is
detected through the mic, the amplifier
section is automatically triggered and
the current consumption of the circuit
is about 96 mA. When the amplifier cir-
cuit is off, the circuit draws a current
of about 6 mA only, thus saving con-
siderable amount of battery power.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m

Four-Stage FM Transmitter
Pradeep G.
T
his FM transmitter circuit uses
four radio frequency stages:
a VHF oscillator built around
transistor BF494 (T1), a preamplifier
built around transistor BF200 (T2), a
driver built around transistor 2N2219
(T3) and a power amplifier built
around transistor 2N3866 (T4). A con-
denser microphone is connected at the
input of the oscillator.
Working of the circuit is simple.
When you speak near the microphone,
frequency-modulated signals are
obtained at the collector of oscillator
transistor T1. The FM signals are am-
plified by the VHF preamplifier and
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
the pre-driver stage. You can also use
transistor 2N5109 in place of 2N2219.
The preamplifier is a tuned class-A RF
amplifier and the driver is a class-C
amplifier. Signals are finally fed to the
class-C RF power amplifier, which de-
livers RF power to a 50-ohm horizontal
dipole or ground plane antenna.
Use a heat-sink with transistor
2N3866 for heat dissipation. Carefully
adjust trimmer VC1 connected across
L1 to generate frequency within 88-
108 MHz. Also adjust trimmers VC2
through VC7 to get maximum output
at maximum range.
Regulator IC 78C09 provides stable
9V supply to the oscillator, so variation
in the supply voltage will not affect the
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u M a r c h 2 0 1 0 1 0 3
circuit
ideas
s.c. dwiv
edi
frequency generated. You can also use
a 12V battery to power the circuit.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB. Install the antenna prop-
erly for maximum range.
Coils L1 through L5 are made with
20 SWG copper-enamelled wire wound
over air-cores having 8mm diameter.
They have 4, 6, 6, 5 and 7 turns of wire,
respectively.
EFY note. This transmitter is meant
only for educational purposes. use of
this transmitter with outdoor antenna
is illegal in most parts of the world. The
author and EFY will not be responsible
for any misuse of this transmitter.
 circuit
ideas

ELECTRONIC BICYCLE LOCK

T.K. Hareendran J2 are two standard RCA sockets. A
edi
home-made security loop can be used s.c. dwiv

T
he electronic bicycle lock de- to link these two input points. Around
scribed here is a worthwhile 50cm long, standard 14/36 flexible
alternative for bicycle own- wire with one RCA plug per end is

Fig. 3: Lock fitted on the bicycle

tone generator UM3561 (IC1). IC1

Fig. 1: Circuit of electronic bicycle lock remains enabled until power to the
circuit is turned off using switch S1
ers who want enough for the security loop. or the loop is re-plugged through J1
to make their Fig. 1 shows the circuit of the and J2.
bicycles intelli- electronic bicycle lock. It is powered Assemble the circuit on a general-
gent at reason- by a compact 9V battery (6F22). purpose PCB and house in a small tin-
able cost. One Key lock switch S1 and smoothing plate enclosure. Fit the system key lock
of the benefits capacitor C2 are used for connect- switch (S1) on the front side of the en-
of building it ing the power supply. A connected closure as shown in Fig. 2. Place RCA
yourself is that loop cannot activate IC1 and there- sockets (J1 and J2) at appropriate posi-
Fig. 2: Lock box the circuit can fore the speaker does not sound. tions. Now, mount the finished unit in
be used for vir- When the loop is broken, zener diode place of your existing lock (as shown
tually any make of bicycles. ZD1 (3.1V) receives operating power in Fig. 3) by using suitable clamps and
In the circuit, input jacks J1 and supply through resistor R2 to enable screws.

w w w. e f y m ag . co m e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u M ay 2 0 0 9 8 5
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

SENSITIVE VIBRATION
DETECTOR
IVEDI
S.C. DW

T.K. HAREENDRAN of IC1 goes high and

the entire circuit is in

T
his vibration detector is realised idle state. LED1 indi-
using readily available, low- cates the power sta-
cost components. One of its tus.
many applications is in a rolling shut- In the event of
ter guard for offices and shops. The vibrations, IC2 is
detector will sense vibration caused by clocked by the
activities like drilling and switch on pulses from the
the connected load (bulb, piezobuzzer, piezoceramic element
etc) to alert you. connected to its
The circuit works off a 6V battery Fig. 2: Pin clock pin 14. Q1
or 6V regulated power supply and configuration of through Q9 outputs Fig. 3: Arrangement for rolling shutter guard
SCR1 BT169 and
uses a piezoceramic element as the back view of the of IC2 are fed to re- for shops, offices and banks
vibration detector. The same is easily piezo element lay-driver switching
available from electronics/telephone transistor T1 through its gate. This, in turn, energises relay
component vendors or you can take it diodes D1 through D9 connected in RL1. The relay contacts can be used
out from an active buzzer. OR mode. to switch any alarm device to indicate
Initially, when the power is Immediately after clocking, any of vibration detection. The circuit can
switched on, decade counter IC1 is re- the outputs Q1 through Q9 would go be reset by momentarily pressing
set by power-on-reset components C2 high and npn transistor T1 would con- switch S1.
and R1. As a result, Q0 output (pin 3) duct. As a result, SCR1 is fired through Zener diodes ZD1 and ZD2 at the
clock input of IC1
are used for protec-
tion against high
voltage input. In
the case of repeated
false triggering of
IC1, add a 100nF ca-
pacitor in parallel to
the piezoceramic
element.
The pin con-
figuration of SCR
BT169 and the
back view of the
piezo element are
shown in Fig. 2. Fig.
3 shows suggested
location of the vi-
bration detector for
rolling shutters of
banks, shops,
Fig. 1: Circuit of the sensitive vibration detector etc. z

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU NOVEMBER 2005 103

CMYK

FUEL RESERVE INDICATOR
FOR VEHICLES
D. MOHAN KUMAR
H
ere is a simple circuit for moni-
toring the fuel level in ve-
hicles. It gives an audiovisual
indication when the fuel level drops
alarmingly below the reserve level,
helping you to avoid running out of
petrol on the way.
Nowadays vehicles come with a
dash-mounted fuel gauge meter that
indicates the fuel levels on an analogue
display. The reserve level is indicated
by a red marking in some vehicles, but
the needle movement through the red
marking may be confusing and not
precise. This circuit monitors the fuel
tank below the reserve level and warns
through LED indicators and audible
beeps when the danger level is ap-
proaching.
The fuel sensor system consists of a
tank-mounted float sensor and a cur-
rent meter (fuel meter), which are con-
nected in series. The float-driven sen-
sor attached to an internal rheostat
offers high resistance when the tank is
empty. When the tank is full, the resis-
tance decreases, allowing more current
to pass through the meter to give a
higher reading.
The fuel monitoring circuit works
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
by sensing the voltage variation de-
veloped across the meter and activates
the beeper when the fuel tank is al-
most empty. Its point A is connected
to the input terminal of the fuel meter
and point B is connected to the body
of the vehicle.
The circuit consists of an op-amp
IC CA3140 (IC1), two 555 timer ICs
(IC2 and IC3) and decade counter
CD4017 (IC4).
Op-amp IC CA3140 is wired as a
voltage comparator. Its inverting in-
put (pin 2) receives a reference volt-
age controlled through VR1. The non-
inverting input (pin 3) receives a vari-
able voltage tapped from the input ter-
minal of the fuel meter through resis-
tor R1.
When the voltage at pin 3 is higher
than at pin 2, the output of IC1 goes
high and the green LED (LED1) glows.
This condition is maintained until the
voltage at pin 3 drops below that at
pin 2. When this happens, the output
of IC1 swings from high to low, send-
ing a low pulse to the trigger pin of
the monostable (usually held high by
R3) via C1. The monostable triggers
and its output goes high for a prede-
termined time based on the values of
R5 and C2. With the given values, the
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
EO
SANI TH
on time will be around four minutes.
The output of IC2 is used to power
the astable circuit consisting of timer
555 (IC3) via diode D2. Oscillations of
IC3 are controlled by R6, R7, VR2 and
C4. With the given values, the on and
off time periods are 27 and 18 sec-
onds, respectively. The pulses from IC3
are given to the clock input (pin 14) of
decade counter CD4017 (IC4) and its
outputs go high one by one.
When the circuit is switched on,
LED1 and LED2 glow if your vehicle
has sufficient petrol in the tank.
When the fuel goes below the reserve
level, the output of IC1 goes low, LED1
turns off and a negative triggering
pulse is received at pin 2 of IC2. The
output of IC2 goes high for around
four minutes and during this time pe-
riod, clock pin 14 of IC4 receives the
clock pulse (low to high) from the
output of IC3.
For the first clock pulse, Q0 output
of IC4 goes high and the green LED
(LED2) glows for around 50 seconds.
On receiving the second clock pulse,
Q1 goes high to light up the yellow
LED (LED3) and sound the buzzer for
around 45 seconds. This audio-visual
signal warns you that the vehicle is
running out of fuel. On receiving the
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JULY 2005 97
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
third clock pulse, LED3 and the buzzer
go off. There is a gap of around two-
and-a-half minutes before Q5 output
goes high.
By the time Q5 goes high and the
red LED (LED4) glows, four minutes
elapse and the power supply to IC3 is
cut off. The output state at Q5 will not
change unless a low-to-high clock in-
put is received at its pin 14. Thus LED4
will glow continuously along with the
beep. The continuous glowing of the
red LED (LED4) and the beep from the
buzzer indicate that the vehicle will
run out of fuel very shortly.
98 JULY 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
Q6 output of IC4 is connected to
its reset pin 15 via diode D3. This
means that after on state of Q5, the
count will always start from Q0. Ca-
pacitor C5 provides power-on reset to
IC4 when switch S1 is closed. The out-
put of IC1 is also connected to reset
pin of IC4 via diode D1 (1N4148). So
when your vehicle is refueled above
the reserve level, LED2 glows to indi-
cate that the tank has sufficient fuel.
IC5 provides regulated 12V DC for
proper functioning of the circuit even
when the battery is charged to more
than 12V.
CMYK
The circuit can be assembled on a
perforated board. Adjust VR1 until the
voltage at pin 2 of IC1 drops to 1.5V.
When point A is connected to the fuel
meter (fuel gauge) terminal that goes
to the fuel sensor, green LEDs (LED1
and LED2) glow to indicate the nor-
mal fuel level. VR2 can be varied to
set the on time period of IC3 at
around 20 seconds.
Enclose the circuit in a small case
and mount on the dashboard using ad-
hesive tape. The circuit works only in
vehicles with negative grounding of
the body. z
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
DIGITAL AUDIO/VIDEO
INPUT SELECTOR
T.K. HAREENDRAN
N
eed to connect more than one
audio-video (AV) source to
your colour television? Dont
worry, heres an AV input expander
for your TV. It is inexpensive and easy
to construct.
The working of the circuit is simple
and straightforward. Whenever 12V
DC is applied to the circuit, power-on
LED1 glows. Now reset the decade
counter by momentarily pressing
switch S2 to make Q0 output of IC1
high. LED2 glows to indicate that the
circuit is ready to work.
Switch S1 is used for selecting a
particular audio-video (AV) signal. To
select the first AV signal, press switch
PCB FOR 8085
MICROPROCESSOR KIT
(EFY NOVEMBER 99)
WITH ALL ITS ICs
108 MARCH 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
S.C. DW
S1 once. To select the second AV sig-
nal, press switch S1 twice. In the same
way, you can select the other two sig-
nals.
Momentarily pressing of switch S1
once results in clocking of the decade
counter and relay driver transistor T1
conducts to energise relay RL1. Now
normally opened (N/O) contacts of
two-changeover relay RL1 connect the
television sets inputs to the first AV
signal (marked as Video-In 1 and Au-
dio-in 1). LED3 glows to indicate this.
When you press switch S1 twice,
the Q2 output of IC1 goes high. Con-
sequently, 2C/O relay RL2 (not shown
in the circuit) energises and television
Available at:
CMYK
IVEDI
inputs are connected to the second AV
signal (not shown in the figure). LED4
(not shown in figure) glows to indi-
cate this.
Similarly, pressing switch S1 thrice
makes the Q3 output of IC1 high. Con-
sequently, 2C/O relay RL3 (not shown
in the figure) energises
and the television inputs
are connected to the
third AV signal source.
LED5 (not shown in the
figure) glows to indicate
this.
Again, pressing
switch S1 four times
makes the Q4 output of
IC1 high. Consequently,
2C/O relay RL4
energises and the TV in-
puts are connected to the
fourth AV signal source
(marked as Video-in 4
and Audio-in 4). LED6
glows to indicate this.
Further pressing of switch S1 resets
the decade counter and LED2 glows
again. Thereafter, the cycle repeats. The
circuit is wired for four-input selec-
tion, therefore the Q5 output of IC1 is
connected to reset pin 15 of IC1.
Enclose the assembled PCB along
with the relays in a cabinet with the
input/output sockets and indicators
mounted on the body of the cabinet. z
KitsnSpares
303, Dohil Chambers, 46, Nehru Place,
New Delhi 110019; Phone: 26430523,
26449577; E-mail: kits@efyindia.com
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

touch signal is connected to the counter/

decoder via a resistor and clock input CK

TOUCH DIMMER S.C.

DWI
VED
I is connected to the counter/decoder via a
frequency generator.
Line frequency signal is taken through
R4 at pin 2 of IC TT6061A. At zero cross-
K. KRISHNA MURTY second touch, the bulb gives medium light. ing, the triac (BT136) triggers to drive a
At the third touch, the bulb is driven 200W bulb.

B
y simply touching this touch dim-
mer you can increase the light in-
tensity of incandescent lamps in
three steps. The touch dimmer is built
around 8-pin CMOS IC TT8486A/TT6061A
specifically manufactured for touch dim-
fully. Another touch puts off the light.
Since the IC is highly sensitive, use a
long wire to connect the IC to the touch
sensor. The circuit uses minimum exter-
nal components. For touch plate, you can
use a simple copper plate of 1cm1cm or
The 6.8V power supply is taken di-
rectly from mains through resistors R1 and
R3, diode D3, capacitor C4, and zener
diode and fed to power-input pin 3 of the
IC. Capacitors C1, C2, and C3 connected
between touch input pin 4 and touch plate

Pin Assignments of IC TT6061A

Pin No. Pin name Function description

1 CK System clock input

2 FI 50Hz line frequency
3 VDD Power input pin for VDD
4 TI Touch input
5 CI Sensor control input
6 NC Not connected
7 VSS Power input pin for VSS
8 AT Angle-trigger output

remove the shock potential from the touch

mer applications.
Initially, when mains switch is on,
the bulb is off. Now, if you touch the
touch plate, the bulb glows dimly. On
even the end of the lead wire. Touch plate
is coupled to the touch detector through
820pF, 2kV capacitors C1, C2, and C3 con-
nected in series. Internally IC TT6061As
plate, so do not replace these capacitors
with a single capacitor or with a capacitor
of a lower voltage rating. Mains potential
exists in the circuit. Needless to say, it is
dangerous to touch the circuit when mains
is on.
Note. The IC had been procured by
the author from SM Semiconductors,
Santacruz (W), Mumbai.

DECEMBER 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU


MOBILE BUG
 D. MOHAN KUMAR
T
his handy, pocket-size mobile
transmission detector can sense
the presence of an activated
mobile phone from a distance of one-
and-a-half metres. So it can be used to
prevent use of mobile phones in ex-
amination halls, confidential rooms,
etc. It is also useful for detecting the
use of mobile phone for spying and
unauthorised video transmission.
The circuit can detect both the in-
coming and outgoing calls, SMS and
video transmission even if the mobile
phone is kept in the silent mode. The
moment the bug detects RF transmis-
sion signal from an activated mobile
phone, it starts sounding a beep alarm
and the LED blinks. The alarm contin-
ues until the signal transmission ceases.
An ordinary RF detector using
tuned LC circuits is not suitable for
detecting signals in the GHz frequency
band used in mobile phones. The
transmission frequency of mobile
phones ranges from 0.9 to 3 GHz with
a wavelength of 3.3 to 10 cm. So a cir-
cuit detecting gigahertz signals is re-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
S.C. DW
IVEDI
quired for a mobile bug.
Here the circuit uses a 0.22F disk
capacitor (C3) to capture the RF signals
from the mobile phone. The lead length
of the capacitor is fixed as 18 mm with
a spacing of 8 mm between the leads to
get the desired frequency. The disk ca-
pacitor along with the leads acts as a
small gigahertz loop antenna to collect
the RF signals from the mobile phone.
Op-amp IC CA3130 (IC1) is used
in the circuit as a current-to-voltage
converter with capacitor C3 connected
between its inverting and non-invert-
ing inputs. It is a CMOS version using
gate-protected p-channel MOSFET
transistors in the input to provide very
high input impedance, very low input
current and very high speed of perfor-
mance. The output CMOS transistor
is capable of swinging the output volt-
age to within 10 mV of either supply
voltage terminal.
Capacitor C3 in conjunction with
the lead inductance acts as a transmis-
sion line that intercepts the signals
from the mobile phone. This capacitor
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JANUARY 2008 135
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
creates a field, stores energy and trans-
fers the stored energy in the form of
minute current to the inputs of IC1.
This will upset the balanced input of
IC1 and convert the current into the
corresponding output voltage.
Capacitor C4 along with high-value
resistor R1 keeps the non-inverting in-
put stable for easy swing of the out-
put to high state. Resistor R2 provides
the discharge path for capacitor C4.
Feedback resistor R3 makes the invert-
ing input high when the output be-
comes high. Capacitor C5 (47pF) is
connected across strobe (pin 8) and
null inputs (pin 1) of IC1 for phase
compensation and gain control to
optimise the frequency response.
When the mobile phone signal is
detected by C3, the output of IC1 be-
comes high and low alternately ac-
cording to the frequency of the signal
as indicated by LED1. This triggers
monostable timer IC2 through capaci-
tor C7. Capacitor C6 maintains the
base bias of transistor T1 for fast
switching action. The low-value tim-
ing components R6 and C9 produce
very short time delay to avoid audio
nuisance.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB as compact as possible
and enclose in a small box like junk
mobile case. As mentioned earlier, ca-
pacitor C3 should have a lead length
of 18 mm with lead spacing of 8 mm.
Carefully solder the capacitor in stand-
ing position with equal spacing of the
leads. The response can be optimised
by trimming the lead length of C3 for
the desired frequency. You may use a
short telescopic type antenna.
Use the miniature 12V battery of a
remote control and a small buzzer to
make the gadget pocket-size. The unit
will give the warning indication if
someone uses mobile phone within a
radius of 1.5 metres. 
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
DIP package.
Here the IC is
wired in bridge
HEARING AID S.C. DW
IVEDI
configuration to
drive the 32-ohm
general-purpose

T.K. HAREENDRAN sistor R1 biases the internal circuit of monophonic ear-
the low-voltage condenser microphone phone. Red LED

T
his low-cost, general-purpose
electronic hearing aid works off
3V DC (2x1.5V battery).
In this circuit, transistor T1 and as-
sociated components form the audio
signal preamplifier for the acoustic sig-
nals picked up by the condenser mi-
crophone and converted into corre-
sponding electrical signals. Resistor R5
and capacitor C3 decouple the power
supply of the preamplifier stage. Re-
for proper working. The audio output (LED1) indicates
from the preamplifier stage is fed to the power sta-
the input of the medium-power am- tus. Resistor R8
plifier circuit via capacitor C2 and vol- limits the operat-
ume control VR1. ing current of
The medium-power amplifier LED1.
section is wired around popular au- The audio Fig. 2: Enclosure
dio amplifier IC TDA2822M (not output of this
TDA2822). This IC, specially designed circuit is 10 to 15 mW and the quies-
for portable low-power applications, cent current drain is below 1 mA. The
is readily available in 8-pin mini circuit can be easily assembled on a

Fig. 3: Pin descriptions of cond.

mic, C1740 and BC547

veroboard. For easy as-

sembling and mainte-
nance, use an 8-pin DIP IC
socket for TDA2822M.
Proposed enclosure (with
earphone socket) for the
assembled unit is shown
in Fig. 2.
Note. The complete
kit is available at
Fig. 1: Hearing aid circuit KitsnSpares.

96 AUGUST 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU WWW.EFYMAG.COM

CMYK

ANTI-COLLISION REAR LIGHT
 ASHOK K. DOCTOR
D
uring poor visibility, i.e.,
when there is fog, or at dawn
or dusk, or when your ve-
hicle gets stalled on a lonely stretch of
a highway, this flashing light will pro-
vide safety and attract the attention of
people to help you out. It uses high-
brightness yellow LEDs.
The circuit uses a dual binary
counter CD4520, quadruple 2-input
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
NAND schmitt trigger CD4093, 8-stage
shift-and-store bus register CD4094
and some descrete components.
An oscillator is built around gate A,
whose frequency can be varied through
preset VR1 when required. The output
of the oscillator is fed to IC1 and IC3.
When the circuit is switched on, the
oscillator starts oscillating, the counter
starts counting through IC1 and the
data is shifted on positive-going clock
through IC3. As a result, the four groups
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JUNE 2007 83
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S.C. DW
IVEDI
of LEDs flash one by one.
All the LEDs will then glow for
some time and switch off for some
time, and the cycle will repeat. Input
pins 12 and 13 of the unused gate D
must be tied to ground and pin 11 left
open. Preset VR1 should be of cermet
type and used to change the flashing
rate of each group of LEDs.
The circuit works off regulated
12V. Assemble it on a general-purpose
PCB and house suitably. 
 CCI IRRC UCIU
T II TD E IADS E A S
CELL-PHONE-CONTROLLED
AUDIO/VIDEO MUTE SWITCH
T.K. HAREENDRAN
T
his cell-phone-controlled audio/
video mute switch is highly useful
in automobiles. The circuit auto-
matically disconnects power supply to the
audio/video system whenever the mobile
handset is lifted off the holder for making
Fig. 1: Proposed cell-phone holder
or receiving a call. You can use any readily
available cell-phone holder with some mi-
nor alterations or fabricate it yourself as
shown in Fig. 1.
The circuit is wired around IC LM555
(IC1), the CMOS version of timer NE555,
as shown in Fig. 2. IC1 is used as a me-
dium-current line driver with either an in-
verting or non-inverting output. It can sink
(or source) current of up to 50 mA only,
so take care while handling it. The audio/
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JUNE 2004
S.C
Fig. 2: The circuit of the cell phone-controlled audio/video mute switch
video system is connected to the circuit
via normally opened (N/O) contacts of the
relay.
When the cell phone is in its holder,
LDR1 does not receive any light from
white LED1 and its resistance is high. As
a result, the voltage at pin 2 of IC1 re-
mains high to provide a low output at pin
3. The low output of IC1 activates relay
RL1 and the audio/video system gets
power supply via its N/O contacts. LED3
glows to indicate that the audio/video sys-
tem is on.
When the handset is taken off
the holder, light rays from LED1 fall on
. DWI
VED
I
LDR1 and its resistance decreases. As a
result, the voltage at pin 2 of IC1 de-
creases to provide a high output at its
pin 3. The high output of IC1 deactivates
relay RL1 and the audio/video system
does not get power supply. LED2 glows
to indicate that the audio/video system
is off.
Preset VR1 is used to control the sen-
sitivity of the circuit. Zener diode ZD1 is
used for protecting white LED1 from the
higher voltage. The circuit works off a 12V
car battery. Switch S1 can be used to
manually switch on/off the audio/video
system.

CHILDS LAMP
D. MOHAN KUMAR
H
ere is a mini emergency lamp that
you can use as a tabletop lamp in
your childs study room. It is bat-
tery-operated and gives sufficient light for
the child to move out of the room when
power fails. The white LED in the circuit
automatically turns on when light in the
room goes off following a power cut. The
LED gives a flashing light instead of glow-
ing continuously to reduce power con-
sumption.
The circuit comprises a light sensor
and an LED flasher designed around CMOS
IC CD4093 (IC1). The light sensor switch
comprises a light-dependent resistor (LDR)
and npn transistors T1 and T2. When am-
bient light is present, the low resistance of
LDR1 drives transistor T1 into conduction.
This keeps transistor T2 cut-off due to low
base bias. The flasher circuit does not get
power as long as ambient light falls on
LDR1. When the resistance of LDR1 be-
comes high in darkness, transistor T1 stops
conducting and transistor T2 starts con-
ducting to turn on the LED lamp.
IC1 is designed as a simple oscillator
using its gate 1 (comprising input pins 1
SAN
I THE
O
and 2 and output pin 3). The oscillators
external components comprise resistor R2
and capacitor C1. Diode D1 and resistor
R4 help in rapid charging of capacitor C1.
When capacitor C1 charge to around 50%
of Vcc, output of gate 1 of IC1 goes low to
discharge capacitor C1. The output from
pin 3 of IC1 again goes high to charge
capacitor C1 again. This cycle repeats and
sets up an oscillation, which is given to
C I R CCUI RICTU IITDIEDAE ASS
gate 2 (comprising input
pins 5 and 6 and output pin
4) of IC1. Gate 2 serves as a
buffer to drive the white
LED (LED1).
For the given values of
resistor R2 and capacitor C1,
the flashing rate of LED1 is
one per second (1 Hz). It
can be increased by decreas-
ing the value of capacitor
C1. Pin 14 of IC1 is Vcc and
all the unused input pins are
tied to the positive rail (pin
14) to prevent floating.
The circuit can be con-
structed on a small
veroboard. Use a reflective
holder for LED1, which
should be directed downwards at an angle
of 45 degrees to prevent direct viewing of
LED1 which gives a high-intensity light
that is harmful for eyes. Preset VR1 can be
adjusted to control the sensitivity of LDR1.
You can enclose the circuit in a plas-
tic doll with LED1 as its headlamp to
make it an attractive gadget for your child.
Mount LDR1 such that ambient light falls
on it directly.
MAY 2004 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

SPEED CONTROL OF DC MOTOR USING
PULSE-WIDTH MODULATION

EFY LAB
P
ulse-width modulation (PWM)
or duty-cycle variation methods
are commonly used in speed
control of DC motors. The duty cycle
is defined as the percentage of digital
high to digital low plus digital high its speed.
pulse-width during a PWM period.
Fig. 1: 5V pulses with 0% through 50% duty cycle
Fig. 2: DC motor speed control using PWM method
Fig. 1 shows the 5V pulses with 0%
through 50% duty cycle.
The average DC voltage value for
0% duty cycle is zero; with 25% duty
cycle the average value is 1.25V (25%
of 5V). With 50% duty cycle the aver-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
age value is 2.5V, and if the duty cycle
is 75%, the average voltage is 3.75V
and so on. The maximum duty cycle
can be 100%, which is equivalent to a
DC waveform. Thus by varying the
pulse-width, we can vary the average
voltage across a DC motor and hence
The circuit of a simple speed con-
troller for a mini DC motor, such
as that used in tape recorders and
toys, is shown in Fig. 2.
Here N1 inverting Schmitt trig-
ger is configured as an astable
multivibrator with constant period
but variable duty
cycle. Although the
total in-circuit resis-
tance of VR1 during
a complete cycle is
100 kilo-ohms, the
part used during
positive and negative
periods of each cycle
can be varied by
changing the posi-
tion of its wiper con-
tact to obtain variable
pulse-width. Schmitt
gate N2 simply acts
as a buffer/driver to
drive transistor T1 during positive in-
cursions at its base. Thus the average
amplitude of DC drive pulses or the
speed of motor M is proportional to
the setting of the wiper position of VR1
potmeter. Capacitor C2 serves as a
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU AUGUST 2006 97
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
UMAR
SUNIL K
storage capacitor to pro-
vide stable voltage to the
circuit.
Thus, by varying
VR1 the duty cycle can
be changed from 0% to
100% and the speed of
the motor from stopped
condition to full speed
Fig. 3: Pin
configuration in an even and continu-
of BC337A ous way. The diodes ef-
fectively provide differ-
ent timing resistor values during
charging and discharging of timing ca-
pacitor C1.
The pulse or rest period is approxi-
mately given by the following equa-
tion:
Pulse or Rest period 0.4 x C1
(Farad) x VR1 (ohm) seconds.
Here, use the in-circuit value of
VR1 during pulse or rest period as ap-
plicable.
The frequency will remain constant
and is given by the equation:
Frequency 2.466/(VR1.C1) 250
Hz (for VR1=100 kilo-ohms and C1=0.1
F)
The recommended value of in-cir-
cuit resistance should be greater than
50 kilo-ohms but less than 2 mega-
ohms, while the capacitor value should
be greater than 100 pF but less than
1 F.

 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
LIGHT FENCE
 D. MOHAN KUMAR
T
he basic problem with most of
standard light sensors is that
they require precise alignment
of light beam to mute the circuit dur-
ing standby mode. The circuit de-
scribed here is so sensitive that it will
detect a moving person at a distance
of few metres in daylight or under
electric lighting without cumbersome
alignment of light beam. It requires vir-
tually no set up, and may be simply
placed within the line-of-sight of al-
most any light source including ambi-
84 JUNE 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
S.C. DW
IVEDI
ent day light or fluorescent electric
light. The beep generated from the cir-
cuit will be loud enough to detect the
entry of a person in the room or the
protected area being guarded.
The circuit uses a voltage compara-
tor and a monostable timer to give the
warning alarm on detecting a moving
person. IC A741 (IC1) is used as a
voltage comparator with two poten-
tial dividers in its inverting and non-
inverting inputs. Resistors R1 and R2
provide half-supply voltage of 4.5
volts to its inverting input (pin 2).
LDR1 and preset VR1 form another
potential divider to provide a variable
voltage input to the non-inverting in-
put (pin 3).
If VR1 is properly adjusted for the
required light level, the output of IC1
will be high, which drives pnp tran-
sistor T1 out of conduction. This is due
to the high potential at the base of T1.
The emitter voltage of T1 will be high
in this condition, which inhibits
IC2 from oscillation and LED1
from lighting. IC2 is wired as a
monostable timer. R6 and C2 pro-
vide a preset time delay.
As a person crosses the pro-
tected area, his shadow will be
sensed by LDR1 due to change
in the light intensity level
and the voltage at the non-invert-
ing input of IC1 will drop mo-
mentarily. The output of IC1 sud-
denly becomes low, allowing T1
to conduct. This triggers the
monostable (IC2) and the alarm
sounds.
Assemble the circuit on a
common PCB and house in a
plastic case. Keep LDR1 inside a
black tube to increase its sensi-
tivity. Adjust preset VR1
until LED1 turns off at the particular
light level. Keep LDR1 facing
the entrance of the room or the area
to be protected. Sensitivity of the cir-
cuit depends on the proper adjust-
ment of VR1. If VR1 is correctly ad-
justed, the circuit can detect a moving
person from a distance of about three
metres. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

DTMF RECEIVER IC MT8870 TESTER S.C.

DWI
VED
I

RONE POUMAI radio communications, the tone duration The Status of LEDs on Pressing Keys
may differ due to noise considerations. on the Telephone Keypad

T
oday, most telephone equipment use Therefore, by adding an extra resistor and
a DTMF receiver IC. One common steering diode the tone duration can be Key No. LED4 LED3 LED2 LED1
DTMF receiver IC is the Motorola set to different values. (MSB) (LSB)
MT8870 that is widely used in electronic The circuit is configured in balanced-
1 Off Off Off On
communications circuits. The MT8870 is line mode. To reject common-mode noise
2 Off Off On Off
an 18-pin IC. It is used in telephones and signals, a balanced differential amplifier
3 Off Off On On
a variety of other applications. When a input is used. The circuit also provides an
4 Off On Off Off
proper output is not obtained in projects excellent bridging interface across a prop-
5 Off On Off On
using this IC, engineers or technicians need erly terminated telephone line. Transient
6 Off On On Off
to test this IC separately. A quick testing protection may be achieved by splitting
7 Off On On On
of this IC could save a lot of time in re- the input resistors and inserting zener di-
8 On Off Off Off
search labs and manufacturing industries odes (ZD1 and ZD2) to achieve voltage
9 On Off Off On
of communication instruments. Heres a clamping. This allows the transient energy
0 On Off On Off
small and handy tester circuit for the DTMF to be dissipated in the resistors and di-
A On On Off On
IC. It can be assembled on a multipurpose odes, and limits the maximum voltage that
B On On On Off
PCB with an 18-pin IC base. One can also may appear at the inputs.
C On On On On
test the IC on a simple breadboard. Whenever you press any key on your
D Off Off Off Off
For optimum working of telephone local telephone keypad, the delayed steer- Note. 1. LED5 blinks momentarily whenever any key is
equipment, the DTMF receiver must be ing (Std) output of the IC goes high on pressed.
designed to recognise a valid tone pair receiving the tone-pair, causing LED5 (con- 2. On = 1, while Off = 0
greater than 40 ms in duration and to ac- nected to pin 15 of IC via resistor R15) to
cept successive digit tone-pairs that are glow. It will be high for a duration de- The optional circuit shown within dot-
greater than 40 ms apart. However, for pending on the values of capacitor and ted line is used for guard time adjustment.
other applications like remote controls and resistors at pins 16 and 17. The LEDs connected via resistors R11
to R14 at pins 11
through 14, respec-
tively, indicate the
output of the IC.
The tone-pair DTMF
(dual-tone multi-fre-
quency) generated
by pressing the tele-
phone button is
converted into bi-
nary values inter-
nally in the IC. The
binary values are
indicated by glow-
ing of LEDs at the
output pins of the
IC. LED1 represents
the lowest signifi-
cant bit (LSB) and
LED4 represents the
most significant bit
(MSB).
So, when you
dial a number, say,
5, LED1 and LED3
will glow, which is
equal to 0101. Simi-
larly, for every

JUNE 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

 CIRCUIT IDEAS
other number dialled on your telephone,
the corresponding LEDs will glow. Thus, a
non-defective IC should indicate proper bi-
nary values corresponding to the decimal
number pressed on your telephone key-
pad.
To test the DTMF IC 8870/KT3170, pro-
ceed as follows:
1. Connect local telephone and the cir-
cuit in parallel to the same telephone line.
2. Switch on S1. (Switch on auxiliary
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JUNE 2003
switch S2 only if keys A, B, C, and D are
to be used.)
4. Now push key * to generate DTMF
tone.
5. Push any decimal key from the tele-
phone keypad.
6. Observe the equivalent binary as
shown in the table.
7. If the binary number implied by
glowing of LED1 to LED4 is equivalent to
the pressed key number (decimal/A, B, C,
or D), the DTMF IC 8870 is correct.
Keys A, B, C, and D on the telephone
keypad are used for special signalling and
are not available on standard pushbutton
telephone keypads. Pin 5 of the IC is
pulled down to ground through resistor
R8. Switch on auxiliary switch S2. Now
the high logic at pin 5 enables the detec-
tion of tones representing characters A, B,
C, and D.
This circuit costs around Rs 80.
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

LOW-COST HEARING AID S.C.

DWIV
EDI

PRADEEP G.

C
ommercially available hearing aids
are quite costly. Here is an inexpen-
sive hearing aid circuit that uses
just four transistors and a few passive com-
ponents.
On moving power switch S to on posi-
tion, the condenser microphone detects the
sound signal, which is amplified by transis-
tors T1 and T2. Now the amplified signal
passes through coupling capacitor C3 to the
base of transistor T3. The signal is further
amplified by pnp transistor T4 to drive a low-
impedance earphone. Capacitors C4 and C5
are the power supply decoupling capacitors.
The circuit can be easily assembled ply. For this, you may use two small 1.5V sensitivity of the condenser microphone,
on a small, general-purpose PCB or a cells. Keep switch S to off state when house it inside a small tube.
Vero board. It operates off a 3V DC sup- the circuit is not in use. To increase the This circuit costs around Rs 65.

AUGUST 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

Fig. 2: Circuit diagram of LED-based message display

LED-BASED
MESSAGE DISPLAY
O
I THE
SAN

S.C. DWIVEDI

T
his LED-based message display is
built around readily availble, low-
cost components. It is easy to fabri-
cate and makes use of 3mm red LEDs. A
total of 172 LEDs have been arranged to
display the message HAPPY NEW YEAR
2004.
The arrangement of LED1 through
LED11 is used to display H as shown in
Fig. 1. The anodes of LED1 through LED11
are connected to point A and the cath-
odes of these LEDs are connected to point
B. Similarly, letter A is built using LED12
through LED21. All the anodes of LED12
through LED21 are connected to point A,
while the cathodes of these LEDs are con-
nected to resistor R8 (not shown in the
circuit diagram). Other letters/words can
also be easily arranged to make the re-
quired sentence.
The power supply for the message dis-
play circuit (Fig. 2) comprises a 0-9V, 2A
step-down transformer (X1), bridge recti-
fier comprising diodes D1 through D4,
and a filter capacitor (C1). IC 7806 (IC1)

Fig. 1: LED arrangement for word H

JANUARY 2004 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU 119

CIRCUIT IDEAS
provides regulated 6V DC to the display
circuit comprising timer 555 (IC2) and
decade counter CD4017 (IC3). The astable
multivibrator built around IC2 produces
1Hz clock at its output pin 3. This output
is connected to clock pin (pin 14) of the
decade counter.
The decade counter can count up to
10. The output of IC3 advances by one
count every second (depending on the
time period of astable multivibrator IC2).
When Q1 output of IC3 goes high, tran-
sistor T1 conducts and the current flows
through LED1 through LED48 via resistors
R7 through R11. Now the word HAPPY
built around LED1 through LED48 is dis-
played on the LED arrangement board.
Next, when Q2 output of IC3 goes
120 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JANUARY 2004
high, transistor T2 conducts and the cur-
rent flows through LED49 through LED87
via resistors R12 through R14. Now the
word NEW is displayed on the LED ar-
rangement board.
Again, when Q3 output goes high, tran-
sistor T3 conducts and the current flows
through LED88 through LED128 via resis-
tors R15 through R18. Now the word
YEAR is displayed on the LED arrange-
ment board.
Similarly, when Q4 output goes high,
transistor T4 conducts and the current
flows through LED129 through LED172
via resistors R19 through R22. Now dig-
its 2004 are displayed on the LED ar-
rangement board.
During the entire period when Q5,
Q6, Q7, or Q8 output go high, transistor
T5 conducts and the current flows through
all the LEDs via diodes D9 through D12
and resistors R7 through R22. Now the
complete message HAPPY NEW YEAR
2004 is displayed on the LED arrange-
ment for four seconds.
Thus, the display board displays
HAPPY, NEW, YEAR and 2004 one
after another for one second each. After
that, the message HAPPY NEW YEAR
2004 is displayed for 4 seconds (because
Q5 through Q8 are connected to resistor
R6 via diodes D5 through D8).
At the next clock input output Q9 goes
high, and IC3 is reset and the display is
turned off for one second. Thereafter the
cycle repeats.
CIRCUIT IDEAS

REMOTE-OPERATED MUSICAL BELL S.C.

DWIV
EDI

PRADEEP G.

T
his infrared light-
controlled 12-tone
musical bell can be
operated using any TV re-
mote control. It can be
operated from up to 10
metres, provided the re-
mote control is directed
towards the sensor.
The circuit uses the
popular 3-lead IR sensor
TK1836 to trigger musi-
cal bell built around IC
UM3481(IC1). (You can
also use IC UM3482,
UM3483, or UM3484
in place of IC UM3481.)
The sensor responds only to 36 kHz. pulses low. Transistor T1 conducts to ap- heard. This way, twelve different musical
Most TV remote controls transmit this ply a triggering pulse to IC1 at its pin 4. tones can be generated.
frequency. After playing one musical tone, the circuit The circuit works off a 5V power sup-
When any button on the TV remote automatically resets. If you again press any ply. Regulator IC 7805, powered from a 9-
control is pressed, the sensors output of the remotes buttons, another music is 12V DC source, provides regulated 5V.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU OCTOBER 2003

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

INFRARED REMOTE CONTROL TIMER S.C.

DWI
VED
I

Fig. 2: IR receiver section

DIPANJAN BHATTACHARJEE whose frequency may
be varied with the help

T
his infrared remote control timer can of potmeter VR3.
be used to turn an appliance on/off When switch S1 of
for a period of 0.11 second to 110.0 the transmitter is
seconds. pressed, the modu-
The circuit comprises two sections, lated IR rays are gen-
namely, the transmitter section and the erated, which are re-
receiver section. ceived by photodiodes
Fig. 1 shows the IR transmitter sec- in the receiver section
tion. The astable multivibrator NE555 (IC1) and amplified by the
is used to generate a 10kHz modulated IR amplifier circuit. The
signal. The output of IC1 is connected to output of op-amp goes
the base of pnp transistor T1 via resistor low to trigger the
R2. Two infrared LEDs (IR1 and IR2) are monostable. Then high
connected in series between the collector output at pin 3 of IC3
(via resistor R3) and ground. activates the two-
When switch S1 is pressed, the IR LEDs changeover relay RL
transmit the modulated IR signal of 10-11 via transistor T3
kHz. This frequency can be changed with (BC548) for a preset
the help of VR1 potmeter. time.
In the receiver section shown in Fig. The on/off time
2, two photodiodes (IR3 and IR4) receive can be set in the timer
the IR signal transmitted by the IR trans- with the help of VR3
mitter. Transistors T2 and T3 amplify the and C10. Switch S2 is
weak signal. The amplified signal is fil- used to reset the
tered by capacitors C6 and C7. The ampli- monostable. If you
fied and filtered signal is now fed to the want to turn the appli-
inverting input pin 2 of op-amp IC2 (IC ance on for a preset
741). The output of IC2 is further con- time, connect the ap-
nected to trigger pin 2 of timer NE555 (IC3) pliance via relay RL(a).
that is used as a monostable multivibrator On the other hand, if
you want to
turn the appli-
ance off for a
preset time,
connect the ap-
pliance via re-
lay RL(b). The
timer can be re-
set by pressing
reset switch S2.
The circuit
works up to 3
metres without
using any fo-
cusing lens.
However, you
can increase
the operating
range by using
focusing lens.
This circuit
costs around
Fig. 1: IR transmitter section Rs 100.

MAY 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU


PULSE GENERATOR
A. JEYABAL
T
his circuit is very useful while
checking/operating counters, step-
ping relays, etc. It avoids the pro-
cedure of setting a switch for the required
number of pulses. By pressing appropriate
switches S1 to S9, one can get 1 to 9 nega-
tive-going clock pulses, respectively.
Schmitt trigger NAND gate N1 of IC2,
resistor R1, and capacitor C1 are wired to
produce clock pulses. These pulses are taken
out through NAND gate N3 that is con-
trolled by decade counter CD4017 (IC1).
Initially no switch from S1 to S9 is
S.C. DWI
VED
I
depressed and the LED is glowing. As pins
5 and 6 of NAND gate N2 are pulled up
by resistor R3, its output pin 4 goes low.
This disables NAND gate N3 to take its
output pin 10 to high state, and no pulse
is available.
IC1 is a decade counter whose Q out-
puts normally remain low. When clock
pulses are applied, its Q outputs go high
successively, i.e. Q0 shifts to Q1, Q1 shifts
to Q2, Q3 shifts to Q4, and so on.
If any one of switches S1 through S9,
say, S5 (for five pulses), is momentarily
depressed, pins 5 and 6 of NAND gate N2
go low, making its output pin 4 high, which
CIRCUIT IDEAS
fully charges capacitor C2 via diode D. At
the same time, this high output of N2 en-
ables NAND gate N3 and clock pulses come
out through pin 10. These are the required
number of pulses used to check our de-
vice.
The clock pulses are fed to clock-enable
pin 13 of IC1, which starts counting. As
soon as output pin 1 (Q5) of IC1 turns high,
input pins 5 and 6 of NAND gate N2 will
also become high via switch S5 because
high-frequency clock allowed five pulses
during momentary pressing. This high in-
put of N2 provides low output at pin 4 to
disable NAND gate N3 and finally no pulse
will be available to advance counter IC1.
Before the next usage, counter IC1
must be in the standby state, i.e. Q0 out-
put must be in the high state. To do this,
a time-delay pulse generator wired around
NAND gate N4, resister R4, diode D, ca-
pacitor C2, and differentiator circuit com-
prising C3 and R5 is used.
When output pin 4 of NAND gate N2
is low, it discharges capacitor C2 slowly
through resistor R4. When the voltage
across capacitor C2 goes below the lower
trip point, output pin 11 of NAND gate N4
turns high and a high-going sharp pulse is
produced at the junction of capacitor C3
and resistor R5. This sharp pulse resets
counter IC1 and its Q0 output (pin 3) goes
high. This is represented by the glowing
of LED.
Ensure the red LED is glowing before
proceeding to get the next pulse. Press
any of the switches momentarily and the
LED will glow. If the switch is kept
pressed, the counter counts continuously
and you cannot get the exact number of
pulses.
This circuit costs around Rs 70.
JUNE 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

OVER-/UNDER-VOLTAGE PROTECTION OF
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
C.H. VITHALANI
T
his circuit protects refrigerators as
well as other appliances from over-
and under-voltage. Operational am-
plifier IC LM324 (IC2) is used here as a
comparator. IC LM324 consists of four op-
erational amplifiers, of which only two op-
erational amplifiers (N1 and N2) are used
in the circuit.
The unregulated power supply is con-
nected to the series combination of resis-
tors R1 and R2 and potmeter VR1. The
same supply is also connected to a 6.8V
zener diode (ZD1) through resistor R3.
Preset VR1 is adjusted such that for
the normal supply of 180V to 240V, the
voltage at the non-inverting terminal (pin
3) of operational amplifier N1 is less than
6.8V. Hence the output of the operational
amplifier is zero and transistor T1 remains
off. The relay, which is connected to the
collector of transistor T1, also remains de-
energised. As the AC supply to the electri-
cal appliances is given through the nor-
mally closed (N/C) terminal of the relay,
the supply is not disconnected during nor-
mal operation.
When the AC voltage increases beyond
240V, the voltage at the non-inverting ter-
minal (pin 3) of operational amplifier N1
increases. The voltage at the inverting ter-
minal is still 6.8V because of the zener
diode. Thus now if the voltage at pin 3 of
the operational amplifier is higher than
6.8V, the output of the operational ampli-
fier goes high to drive transistor T1 and
hence energise relay RL. Consequently, the
AC supply is disconnected and electrical
appliances turn off. Thus the appliances
CIRCUIT IDEAS
SUN
IL KU
MAR
are protected against over-voltage.
Now lets consider the under-voltage
condition. When the line voltage is below
180V, the voltage at the inverting terminal
(pin 6) of operational amplifier N2 is less
than the voltage at the non-inverting ter-
minal (6V). Thus the output of opera-
tional amplifier N2 goes high and it
energises the relay through transistor T1.
The AC supply is disconnected and elec-
trical appliances turn off. Thus the appli-
ances are protected against under-voltage.
IC1 is wired for a regulated 12V supply.
Thus the relay energises in two condi-
tions: first, if the voltage at pin 3 of IC2 is
above 6.8V, and second, if the voltage at
pin 6 of IC2 is below 6V. Over-voltage and
under-voltage levels can be adjusted using
presets VR1 and VR2, respectively.
This circuit costs around Rs 110.
AUGUST 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

PC-BASED DC MOTOR SPEED CONTROLLER
R. KARTHICK
T
his circuit allows you to control the
speed of a DC motor (in eight lev-
els) from your PCs parallel port.
The PC uses a software program to con-
trol the speed of the motor.
The motor is connected to the PC
through an interface circuit. The interface
circuit consists of 1-of-8 decoder IC
74LS138 (IC1), hex inverter ICs 74LS04
(IC2 and IC3), resistor networks, timer IC
555 (IC4) and motor driver transistor SL100
(T1). The decoder IC accepts binary
weighted inputs A0, A1 and A2 at pins 1,
2 and 3, respectively. With active-low en-
able input pins 4 and 5 of the decoder
grounded, it provides eight mutually ex-
clusive active-low outputs (Q0 through
Q7). These outputs are inverted by hex
inverters IC2 and IC3.
//R.KARTHICK,III ECE,K.L.N.C.E.,MADURAI
//karthick_klnce@rediffmail.com
#include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
int a[7],i,c;
void start(void);
void main(void)
{ gotoxy(x,j);
int P=0x0378,j,c=7,c1,x,y;
The resistor network comprising pre-
sets VR1 through VR8, resistors R1 and
R2 and capacitor C1 are the timing com-
ponents of timer IC 555 (IC4), which is
configured in astable mode. The output of
IC4 is a square wave, which is fed to the
base of transistor T1 via current-limiting
resistor R3. Transistor T1 is used to drive
the motor.
The pulse-width modulation (PWM)
method is used for efficient control of the
motor. The output of the PC is decoded to
select a particular preset (VR1 through
VR8). The value of the selected preset,
along with resistors R1 and R2 and ca-
pacitor C1, changes the output pulse width
at pin 3 of IC4. Thus the motor speed can
be increased/decreased by choosing a par-
ticular resistance. For high-power motors,
the transistor can be replaced by an IGBT
or a power MOSFET.
SPEEDM.C
clrscr();
outportb(P,0);
textbackground(9);
textcolor(3);
for(x=0;x<=80;x++)
for(j=0;j<=25;j++)
{ gotoxy(28,13);
cprintf(" ");
CIRCUIT IDEAS
SAN
I THE
O
The software (speedM.c) is written in
C language and compiled using Turbo C
compiler.
Initially, when the motor is off, the
program prompts you to press Enter key
to start the motor. Once you press the
key, the motor starts running at full speed.
After a few seconds, the program asks you
to press any key from the keyboard to go
to the next screen for controlling the speed
of the motor. This screen has options for
increasing and decreasing the motor speed
and also for exiting from the program. For
increasing the speed enter choice 1 and
press Enter key, and for decreasing the
speed enter choice 2 and press Enter key.
This action changes the speed by one step
at-a-time and the message Speed de-
creased or Speed increased is displayed
on the screen. To go to the main menu,
again press Enter key.
}
for(i=0;i<8;i++)
a[i]=i;
gotoxy(23,11);
printf("Press Enter to start the motor");
getch();
printf("WAIT STARTING MOTOR");
start();
JUNE 2004 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

gotoxy(25,15); gotoxy(1,9); outport(P,a[c]);

printf("Motor started sucessfully"); printf("Enter your choice:"); gotoxy(33,13);
gotoxy(22,17); scanf("%d",&c1); printf("SPEED DECREASED");
printf("Press any key for speed control"); switch(c1) getch();
getch(); { }
while(1) case 1:if(c==7) break;
{ { case 3 :
clrscr(); clrscr(); for(j=c;j>=0;j--)
gotoxy(25,3); gotoxy(23,13); {
for(j=0;j<79;j++) printf("MOTOR IS RUNNING IN FULL outportb(0X0378,j);
{ SPEED"); delay(100);
gotoxy(j+1,2); getch(); }
printf("*"); } outportb(P,0);
} if(c<7) clrscr();
gotoxy(23,3); { gotoxy(17,13);
printf("DC MOTOR SPEED CONTROL USING PC"); clrscr(); textcolor(2);
for(j=0;j<79;j++) c++;
{ outport(P,a[c]); cprintf("KARTHICK.R\nECE\nK.L.N.COLLEGE OF
gotoxy(j+1,4); gotoxy(33,13); ENGG\nMADURAI.");
printf("*"); printf("SPEED INCREASED"); getch();
} getch(); exit(1);
printf("\n"); } }
printf("\t\t\t1.INCREASE SPEED\n\t\t\t2.DECREASE break; }
SPEED\n\t\t\t3.EXIT") ; case 2: if(c==0) }
for(j=0;j<79;j++) {
{ clrscr(); void start()
gotoxy(j+1,8); gotoxy(23,13); {
printf("*"); printf("MOTOR IS RUNNING IN LOW SPEED"); outportb(0x0378,0);
} getch(); for(i=0;i<8;i++)
for(j=0;j<79;j++) } {
{ if(c>0) outportb(0X0378,i);
gotoxy(j+1,10); { delay(1000);
printf("*"); clrscr(); }
} c--; }

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JUNE 2004


ELECTRONIC MOTOR STARTER
T.A. BABU
T
his motor starter protects single-
phase motors against voltage fluc-
tuations and overloading. Its salient
feature is a soft on/off electronic switch
for easy operation.
The transformer steps down the AC
voltage from 230V to 15V. Diodes D1 and
D2 rectify the AC voltage to DC. The un-
regulated power supply is given to the pro-
tection circuit.
In the protection circuit, transistor T1 is
used to protect the motor from over-volt-
age. The over-voltage setting is done using
preset VR1 such that T1 conducts when
voltages goes beyond upper limit (say,
260V). When T1 conducts, it switches off
T2. Transistor T2 works as the under-volt-
age protector. The under-voltage setting is
done with the help of preset VR2 such that
T2 stops conducting when voltage is below
lower limit (say, 180V). Zener diodes ZD1
and ZD2 provide base bias to transistors T1
and T2, respectively. Transistors T3 and T4
are connected back to back to form an SCR
configuration, which behaves as an on/
off control. Switch S1 is used to turn on
the pump, while switch S2 is used to turn
off the pump.
CIRCUIT IDEAS
SUN
IL KU
MAR
While making over-/under-voltage set-
ting, disconnect C2 temporarily. Capacitor
C2 prevents relay chattering due to rapid
voltage fluctuations.
Regulator IC 7809 gives the 9V regu-
lated supply to soft switch as well as the
relay after filtering by capacitor C4. A suit-
able miniature circuit breaker is used for
automatic over-current protection. Green
LED (LED1) indicates that the motor is
on and red LED (LED2) indicates that
the power is on. The motor is connected
to the normally-open contact of the relay.
When the relay energises, the motor turns
on.
OCTOBER 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
CIRCUIT IDEAS
WATCHMAN WATCHER
JAYAN A.R.
H
ere is a circuit that can be used in
offices, stores, warehouses, etc dur-
ing night to check whether the
watchman of your establishment is on duty.
For operation, it uses an existing telephone
(e.g. in office or store) closest to the
watchmans post. The watchman is given
an audio alert signal by just ringing the
office/store telephone once (minimum)
from your residence or any other place,
preferably using your mobile phone. The
ring is detected by the given circuit and the
watchman is also given a visual alert signal
by a glowing lamp. The lamp remains on
for a duration of nearly 60 seconds soon
after the ringtone. The watchman is given
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MAY 2004
S.C.
DWI
VED
I
an instruction to register his presence by
simply pointing his torch-light beam to-
wards a wall-mounted LDR sensor unit
(without lifting the handset off-cradle of
the ringing telephone). This is to be done
within the time period during which the
alert lamp glows. If he fails to do it within
the permissible time, the circuit registers
his absence by incrementing a count. If he
does, the count remains unaltered.
Up to nine separate alert rings are con-
sidered here. The count displayed is the
number of times the watchman failed to
register his presence. The mobile phone
records the called number and call time,
and it can be used with the displayed count
to get the timing details.
The telephone lines (TIP and RING) in
the circuit are connected across optocoupler
MCT2E (IC1) through a resistor-capacitor
(R1-C1) combination. The diode in the
optocoupler conducts only during
ring pulses. The collector of the optocoupler
transistor is normally off and a 5V signal is
available here. This signal is connected
to the trigger input of IC 555 (IC2) config-
ured in monostable mode. The time con-
stant of IC2 is set to nearly one minute
(1.1RxC). Its output pin 3 is low during
normal mode of operation and the relay is
de-energised.
When the phone rings, the internal
transistor of the optocoupler conducts to
cause a high-to-low transition at trigger
pin 2 of monostable IC2. Timer IC2 gets
triggered on this trailing edge to energise
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

Mode-Select Table of 74LS192 the torch is used as a re- If LDR1 receives light from the torch
mote for triggering of the watchman within the allowed time
MRpin 14 PL pin 11 UPpin5 DNpin4 Mode monostable IC6 and this period, the down clock remains high until
H X X X Reset triggering is enabled only the up clock is high. The counter counts
L L X X Preset when alert lamp L1 is up and then down, so, in effect, the count
L H H H No change on. remains unchanged.
L H H Count up Monostable IC6 has All components, except LDR1, are kept
L H H Count down a time constant of nearly in a sealed cabinet with locking arrange-
Note: X = Dont care one minute (1.1RxC). It ment. Only LDR1 is wall-mounted and vis-
is used to form a down ible outside. This is done to avoid manual
relay RL1. This relay is used to switch on clock signal for 4-bit up-/down-counter resetting of the counter. The circuit is to
alert lamp L1. The circuit doesnt respond 74LS192 (IC7). Counter IC7 has two sepa- be powered by a battery to avoid resetting
to additional trigger inputs for the set du- rate clocks for up and down counts (refer of the count during power failure.
ration of the monostable. The caller may to the table). For correct counting, it needs The working procedure can be
cut the phone call after hearing ringback one clock line to be high during high-to- summarised as follows:
tone from the called phone. low transition of the other clock line. Oth- 1. Initially, when the power supply is
The sensor circuit formed using LDR1 erwise, it counts erratically. switched on, power-on-reset components
activates another monostable 555 (IC6). To operate counter IC7, the voltage C8 and R13 reset counter IC7 and the dis-
LDR1 has a resistance of 2.2 kilo-ohms in levels and timings of the two clock inputs play shows 0.
daylight, which drops below 50 ohms when (up and down) are to be properly adjusted. 2. Now dial the telephone number
torchlight beam falls on it. (An LDR of Both trigger inputs, i.e. up and down (where parallel system is installed) from
nearly 2cm diameter has been used in this clocks, are asynchronous. outside or from your mobile. For the first
circuit.) Comparator LM358 (IC5) compares The output of monostable IC2 is fil- ring, relay RL1 energises and alert lamp
the level set at pin 3 (nearly 1V, set using a tered using capacitor C4 to remove un- L1 glows.
10k pot) with the level at pin 2. wanted transitions and inverted using 3.When alert lamp L1 is off, the
When no light is falling on LDR1, its Schmitt trigger inverter 74LS14 (IC3). This counter is incremented by 1.
voltage is above 1V and IC5 has a low forms a signal with correct rising and 4. If the watchman focuses the torch-
output at its pin 1. When light is falling on falling edges. The inverted signal from light beam on LDR1 within the glowing
LDR1, its voltage drops below 1V and IC5 pin 6 of gate N3 is used as the up clock. time of alert lamp L1, the counter first
output at its pin 1 becomes high. This low- Counter 74LS192 (IC7) is reset to zero counts up and then counts down and fi-
to-high transition is NANDed with the out- state by making its reset pin 14 high through nally the display shows 0. This indicates
put of monostable IC2 (via inverters gates reset switch S1. The 7-segment, common- that the watchman is present.
N1 and N2) to form the trigger signal for anode display DIS1 is driven through IC 5. If the watchman focuses the torch-
monostable IC6. So the trigger input is 74LS47 (IC8). When the phone rings, count light beam on LDR1 after alert lamp L1
normally high, which falls when torchlight 1 is displayed after nearly one minute. goes off, up-counting takes place and the
beam is focused on LDR1. It returns to high This happens if the watchman fails to focus display shows 1. This indicates that the
state when torchlight is switched off. So the torchlight beam on LDR1. watchman is absent.

MAY 2004 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

MULTIBAND CW TRANSMITTER SAN

I THE
O

REJIMON G. VU2RGQ ceiver. The circuit works off a 9V the required positive feedback for
battery. oscillation and transistor T2 (BC547)

A
radio frequency oscillator is at Connect the Morse key (S1) across functions as the emitter follower.
the heart of all radio transmitters capacitor C5 as shown in the figure. At- The output is taken from the emitter of
and receivers. It generates high- tach a telescopic antenna (capable of T2.
transmitting
over a short
distance) at
the output
terminal.
The coil and
gang capaci-
tor C2 form
the tank cir-
cuit. The
coil (L) has
a total of 60
t u r n s .
Winding de-
tails are
given in Fig.
2. Tappings
on the coil
allow selec-
Fig. 1: Circuit of multiband CW transmitter tion of the
required
frequency oscillations, which are known band. The frequency can be varied using
as carrier waves. Heres a continuous- C2 (main tuning).
wave (CW) transmitter for transmitting On reducing turns of the coil (using
Fig. 2: Details of the inductor
Morse code signals in the shortwave band selector switch S2), the oscillators
(see Fig. 1). It is basically a variable frequency increases because frequency is For stable oscillations, use a polysty-
frequency oscillator (VFO) whose fre- inversely proportional to inductance. rene capacitor as C1. All other capacitors
quency can be varied from 5.2 MHz to Capacitor C1 couples the signal from may be ceramic disk type. Enclose the
15 MHz. The signal can be received in the tank circuit to the base of transistor circuit in a metal box for better
the shortwave band by any radio re- T1 (2N2222). Transistor T1 provides shielding.

124 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JANUARY 2004

 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

SIMPLE SHORT-WAVE S.C. DW

IVEDI

TRANSMITTER

PRINCE PHILLIPS

T
his low-cost short-wave trans-
mitter is tunable from 10 to 15
MHz with the help of J gang
condenser VC1, which determines
the carrier frequency of the
transmitter in conjunction with
inductor L1. The frequency trimming
can be done with VC2. The carrier
is amplified by transistor T4
and coupled to RF amplifier transis-
tor T1 (BD677) through transformer
X1*.
The transmitter does not use any
modulator transformer. The audio out-
put from condenser MIC is
preamplified by transistor T3 (BC548).
The audio output from T3 is further
amplified by transistor T2 (BD139),
which modulates the RF amplifier
built around transistor T1 by varying
the current through it in accordance
with the audio signals amplitude. Fig. 1: Simple shortwave transmitter
RFC1 is used to block the carrier RF
signal from transistor T2 and the transformer transformer X1, we used a readymade
power supply. are given in short-wave antenna coil with
The modulated RF is coupled the figure. tuning slug (Jawahar make),
to the antenna via capacitor C9. EFY Lab. which worked satisfactorily. We tested
For antenna, one can use a 0.5m During test- the transmitter reception up to
long telescopic aerial. Details of ing, in place of
Fig. 2: Pin configurations of 75 metres and found good signal
RF choke, inductor L1 and coupling BD139, BD677 and BC548 coupling strength.

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU APRIL 2006 95

CMYK
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
SOLAR LIGHTING SYSTEM

ASHISH AHUJA
T
he world cannot continue to rely
for long on fossil fuels for its
energy requirements. Fossil fuel
reserves are limited. In addition, when
burnt, these add to global warming,
air pollution and acid rain.
So solar photovoltaic systems are
ideal for providing independent elec-
trical power and lighting in isolated
rural areas that are far away from the
power grid. These systems are non-
polluting, dont deplete the natural re-
sources and are cheap in the long run.
The aim of this circuit is to demon-
strate how we can utilise solar light to
electrify the remote areas, i.e., how we
can store the solar energy and then use
it for small-scale lighting applications.
Solar cells generate direct current,
so make sure that DPDT switch S1 is
towards the solar panel side. The DC
voltage from the solar panel is used to
charge the battery and control the re-
lay.
Capacitor C1 connected in parallel
with a 12V relay coil remains charged
in daytime until the relay is activated.
Capacitor C1 is used to increase the
response time of the relay, so switch-
98 APRIL 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
ing occurs moments after the voltage
across it falls below 12V. Capacitor C1
also filters the rectified output if the
battery is charged through AC power.
The higher the value of the capacitor,
the more the delay in switching. The
switching time is to be properly ad-
justed because the charging would
practically stop in the early evening
while we want the light to be on dur-
ing late evening.
During daytime, relay RL1
energises, provided DPDT switch S1
is towards the solar panel side. Due to
energisation of relay RL1, the positive
terminal of the battery is connected to
the output of regulator IC 7808 (a 3-
terminal, 1A, 8V regulator) via diode
D1 and normally-open (N/O) contacts
of relay RL1. Here we have used a 6V,
4.5Ah maintenance-free, lead-acid re-
chargeable battery. It requires a con-
stant voltage of approx. 7.3 volts for
its proper charging.
Even though the output of the so-
lar panel keeps varying with the light
intensity, IC 7808 (IC1) is used to give
a constant output of 8V. Diode D1
causes a drop of 0.7V, so we get
approx. 7.3V to charge the battery.
LED1 indicates that the circuit is work-
CMYK
IVEDI
S.C. DW
ing and the battery is in the charging
mode.
At night, there will be no genera-
tion of electricity. The relay will not
energise and charging will not take
place. The solar energy stored in the
battery can then be used to light up
the lamp. A 3W lamp glows continu-
ously for around 6 hours if the battery
is fully charged. Instead of a 3W lamp,
you can also use a parallel array of
serially connected white LEDs and lim-
iting resistors to provide sufficient
light for even longer duration.
In case the battery is connected in
reverse polarity while charging, IC
7808 will get damaged. The circuit in-
dicates this damage by lighting up
LED2, which is connected in reverse
with resistor R2. However, the circuit
provides only the indication of reverse
polarity and no measure to protect the
IC. A diode can be connected in re-
verse to the common terminal of the
IC but this would reduce the voltage
available to the battery for charging
by another 0.7 volt.
There is also a provision for esti-
mating the approximate voltage in the
battery. This has been done by connect-
ing ten 1N4007 diodes (D2 through D11)
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

in forward bias with the battery. The
output is taken by LED3 across diodes
D2, D3, D4 and D5, which is equal to
2.8V when the battery is fully charged.
LED3 lights up at 2.5 volts or above.
Here it glows with the voltage drop
across the four diodes, which indicates
that the battery is charged. If the bat-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
tery voltage falls due to prolonged op-
eration, LED3 no longer glows as the
drop across D2, D3, D4 and D5 is not
enough to light it up. This indicates
that the battery has gone weak. Micro-
switch S1 has been provided to do this
test whenever you want.
If the weather is cloudy for some
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU APRIL 2006 99
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
consecutive days, the battery will not
charge. So a transformer and full-wave
rectifier have been added to charge the
battery by using DPDT switch S1. This
is particularly helpful in those areas
where power supply is irregular; the
battery can be charged whenever
mains power is available.

CIRCUIT IDEAS
FLASHING-CUM-RUNNING LIGHT
A. SIVASUBRAMANIAN
T
his circuit generates flashing lights
in running pattern. In conventional
running lights, the LEDs glow one
by one. In this circuit, the LEDs flash a
number of times one by one.
The circuit comprises two astable
multivibrators (IC1 and IC3) and a decade
counter (IC2). Astable multivibrator IC1
produces approximately 0.72Hz clock fre-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU AUGUST 2004
quencies, which are given to decade
counter IC2. The decade counter is de-
signed to count Q0, Q1 and Q2 outputs,
while its fourth output (Q3) is used to
reset it. The Q0, Q1 and Q2 outputs of IC2
are fed to npn transistors T1, T2 and T3,
respectively. The collectors of transistors
T1, T2 and T3 are connected to the emit-
ter of transistor T4, while their emitters
are connected to LED1, LED2 and LED3
via 150-ohm resistors R6, R7 and R8, re-
S.C.
DWI
VED
I
spectively. The LEDs are activated one by
one by the decade counter outputs.
Astable multivibrator IC3 produces ap-
proximately 8.4Hz clock, which is given
to transistor T4 via resistor R9 to switch
on the supply to transis-
tors T1 through T3 for
each positive half cycle
of IC3 output.
Now for each output
period of IC2, a particu-
lar LED blinks at the rate
of 8.4 Hz. The blinking
then shifts to the next
LED when the output of
IC2 advances by one
count (after about 1.3
seconds). Similarly, the
blinking effect shifts to
the next LED after an-
other 1.3 seconds and the
cycle repeats thereafter.
Flashing frequencies
can be changed by
changing the values of R10 and R11 and
capacitor C4. The circuit can be easily as-
sembled on any general-purpose PCB. It
works off a 12V regulated power supply.
You can also add more LEDs in series with
LED1, LED2 and LED3, respectively.
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

QUALITY FM TRANSMITTER SUN

IL KU
MAR

TAPAN KUMAR MAHARANA For frequency stability, use a regulated L1: 5 turns of 24 SWG wire closely
DC power supply and house the transmit- wound over a 5mm dia. air core

T
his FM transmitter for your stereo ter inside a metallic cabinet. For higher L2: 2 turns of 24 SWG wire closely
or any other amplifier provides a antenna gain, use a telescopic antenna in wound over the 5mm dia. air core
good signal strength up to a dis- place of the simple wire. Coils L1 and L2 L3: 7 turns of 24 SWG wire closely
tance of 500 metres with a power
output of about 200 mW. It works
off a 9V battery.
The audio-frequency modula-
tion stage is built around transis-
tor BF494 (T1), which is wired
as a VHF oscillator and modu-
lates the audio signal present at
the base. Using preset VR1, you
can adjust the audio signal level.
The VHF frequency is decided by
coil L1 and variable capacitor
VC1. Reduce the value of VR2 to
have a greater power output.
The next stage is built around
transistor BC548 (T2), which
serves as a Class-A power ampli-
fier. This stage is inductively
coupled to the audio-frequency
modulation stage. The antenna
matching network consists of
variable capacitor VC2 and capacitor C9. are to be wound over the same air core wound over a 4mm dia. air core
Adjust VC2 for the maximum transmis- such that windings for coil L2 start from L4: 5 turns of 28 SWG wire on an
sion of power or signal strength at the the end point for coil L1. Coil winding intermediate-frequency transmitter (IFT)
receiver. details are given below: ferrite core

AUGUST 2004 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
ULTRASONIC PROXIMITY DETECTOR
 PRADEEP G.
W
e the humans can hear
sound of up to 20kHz fre-
quency only. This proxim-
ity detector works at a frequency of 40
kHz. It uses two specially made ultra-
sonic transducers: One transducer
emits 40kHz sound, while the other
receives 40kHz sound and converts it
into electrical variation of the same fre-
quency.
Fig. 1 shows the block diagram of
the ultrasonic proximity detector and
Fig. 2 shows its circuit. Mount the
transducers (transmitter as well as re-
ceiver) about 5 cm apart on a piece of
Fig. 1: Block diagram of ultrasonic proximity detector
Fig. 2: Circuit of ultrasonic proximity detector
88 DECEMBER 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
general-purpose PCB as shown in
Fig. 3 and connect to identical points
(a through d) of the detector circuit
(Fig. 2) via external wires.
The 40kHz oscillator is built
around transistors T1 and T2. If there
is a solid object in front of the ultra-
sonic transmitter module (TX1), some
signals will be reflected back and
sensed by the receiver transducer
(RX1). The 40kHz ultrasonic signals are
converted into 40kHz electric signals
by the receiver and then amplified by
transistors T3 and T4.
The amplified signals are still in
the inaudible range, i.e., these cant be
heard. So a frequency-divider stage us-
IVEDI
S.C. DW
ing CMOS decade counter IC4017 (IC1)
is used at the output of the amplifier.
IC1 divides the input frequency by 10,
so the 40kHz signal becomes 4 kHz,
which is within the audible range. The
4kHz signals are fed to op-amp IC 741
(IC2), which is wired as an earphone
amplifier.
This circuit can be used as an elec-
tronic guard for the blind. Keep it
(along with 9V battery) in their pocket
with earphone plugged to their ear.
The transducer modules should be di-
rected to-
wards the
walking
path. If
any object
comes up
in front or
n e a r b y , Fig. 3: Transducers mounted
they will on the PCB
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

hear 4kHz sound through the ear-
phone and can change their path ac-
cordingly.
One thing to be noted here is that
while using this device, avoid the com-
pany of your pets. The reason is that
pets can hear ultrasonic sound, which
will irritate them and they will bark
unnecessarily.
EFY note. A similar device is used
in some cars, such as Skodas Laura
model, to help the drivers in backing
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
up and avoid banging against some
invisible objects. However, instead of
earphones the sound in this case is
heard through a speaker and there is
also an LCD screen to visually assist
the driver. 

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU DECEMBER 2006 89

 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
SECRET BELL
 D. MOHAN KUMAR
M
any people move through
the corridors and steps in
multistoried buildings. As
most of them are strangers for the in-
habitants of the flats, it becomes nec-
essary to verify the identity of the visi-
tor before opening the door as he can
be a burglar.
This circuit helps you identify the
members of your family. It is basically
Fig. 1: Secret bell circuit
94 DECEMBER 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
UMAR
SUNIL K
a switchless musical bell that activates
with a single puff of breath. The con-
denser mic fitted inside the existing
door-bell switch box will trigger the
bell on detecting air-pressure changes
following the breath. As only the mem-
bers of your family know the secret of
the bell and hence puff out before the
hole for the switch box, the door can
be opened without fear.
The front end of the circuit is a con-
denser mic amplifier with fixed sensi-
tivity. Transistor T1 amplifies the sig-
nal received from the condenser mic
through capacitor C1. When transistor
T1 conducts, a short negative pulse
triggers the monostable wired around
IC1. The monostable time is decided
by resistor R7
and capacitor
C5. Reset pin 4
of IC1 is made
stable by R6 and
C3. Resistor R5
acts as a pull-up
Fig. 2: Pin configuration resistor for trig-
of UM66 and BC548/549 ger pin 2 of IC1
to keep the trig-
ger pin high in the standby mode.
The high output from IC1 is used
to power IC UM66 (IC2). IC2 gener-
ates a soft melody on receiv-
ing 3 volts at pin 2. Transis-
tor T2 amplifies the music
notes. A zener diode main-
tains the power for IC2 at a
safer level of 3 volts.
Assemble the circuit on
any general-purpose PCB
and enclose in a suitable
cabinet. The condenser mic
should be connected to the
circuit using a single-core
shielded wire to reduce
noise interference. Drill a
1mm hole in the cover of the
existing bell switch box and
fix the mic inside the box
with adhesive. The front side
of the mic should face the
hole. 
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
SHADOW ALARM
D. MOHAN KUMAR
T
his opto-sensitive circuit sounds
an alarm whenever a shadow
falls on it. So it can be used at
night by shopkeepers to protect the
valuables in their showrooms. A dim
lighting in the room is necessary to
detect the moving shadow. Unlike
opto-interruption alarms based on
light-dependent resistors (LDRs), it
does not require an aligned light beam
to illuminate the photo-sensor.
The circuit is powered by a 9V PP3
battery and uses the most sensitive
photo-sensor L14F1 to detect shadows.
It is portable and can be used at any
place that is to be monitored.
Op-amp A741 (IC1) is used as a
voltage comparator. Its inverting in-
put is biased by the voltage obtained
from the junction of 100k resistor R1
and the collector of phototransistor T1.
100 JANUARY 2006 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
SANI TH
The non-inverting input of IC1 gets a
controlled voltage from potential di-
vider R2 and VR1.
In the presence of ambient light,
the phototransistor conducts and the
inverting input (pin 2) of IC1 gets a
lower voltage than its non-inverting
input (pin 3). This makes the output
of IC1 high, which is indicated by the
glowing of LED1.
When a shadow falls on the photo-
sensor, the output of IC1 goes low.
This low pulse triggers the monostable
(IC2) designed for a delay of 51 sec-
onds using R6 and C3. The output of
IC2 is used to light up LED2 and acti-
vate the alarm.
Slide switch S2 is used to select ei-
ther the buzzer or siren. When it is
towards left the buzzer beeps, and
when it is towards right IC UM3561
(IC3) activates to give a loud alarm
simulating a police siren. Resistor R8
CMYK
EO
and zener diode ZD1 provide 3.1V DC
to IC UM3561.
The circuit is easy to assemble as
it requires only a few low-cost com-
ponents. Enclose it in a cabinet with
the photo-sensor inside. Drill a 5mm
hole on the front panel of the cabinet
to let ambient light fall on the photo-
sensor.
Adjust potmeter VR1 (47k) until
LED2 stops glowing and the buzzer
stops beeping while LED1 glows. This
is the position of VR1 to be main-
tained for that particular
intensity of light. LED1 will continue
to glow even when a shadow is
detected.
The circuit is now ready to use.
To test it, move a paper in front of
the unit. If LED2 glows along with
the beep of the buzzer, it means that
the photo-sensor has detected a
shadow. z
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

IR BURGLAR DETERRENT
T.K. HAREENDRAN
T
hwart any burglary attempt us-
ing this infrared proximity de-
tector that triggers an alarm
Fig. 1: Circuit for IR burglar deterrent
Fig. 2: Pin configurations of UM3561 and TSOP1738
when the rays falling on its sensor are
interrupted.
The circuit of IR burglar deterrent
(shown in Fig. 1) comprises transmit-
ter and receiver-cum-alarm sections. It
works off 6V DC, 500mA uninter-
rupted supply and uses low-cost
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
readily-available electronic compo-
nents. LED2 is used for indicating
power-on.
The transmitter section is built
around timer 555 (IC1), while the re-
ceiver-cum-alarm section con-
sists of IR sensor TSOP1738,
dual precision monostable
multivibrator CD4538 and
three-siren sound generator IC
UM3561. Pin configurations of
UM3561 and TSOP1738 are
shown in Fig. 2.
The astable multivibrator
(IC1) oscillates at a frequency
of around 38 kHz, which is
transmitted by the infrared
LED (IR LED1). Resistor R2
limits the current across the IR
LED.
The transmitted IR signal directly
falls on IR sensor TSOP1738. When-
ever the IR signal is interrupted, its
output pin 3 goes low and IC2 is trig-
gered at pin 5 through transistor T2.
As a result, its output at pin 7 goes
low (for a preset time) to forward bias
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JANUARY 2006 101
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S.C. DW
IVEDI
siren-driver transistor T2. This condi-
tion is indicated by the glowing of
LED1. The time-out period can be in-
creased or decreased by changing the
value of capacitor C6.
Now siren-sound generator IC3 is
activated and its output signal is am-
plified by transistor T4 to produce a
sound resembling that of police siren.
Resistor R14 limits the loudspeaker
current.
The output tone of siren-sound
generator IC3 can be set by connect-
ing its pin 6 to either Vcc or GND.
When you connect pin 6 to Vcc IC3
produces the sound of fire-alarm si-
ren, but when you connect it to GND
it produces the sound of ambulance
siren.
Assemble the transmitter and re-
ceiver-cum-alarm circuits on two sepa-
rate general-purpose PCBs and house
in suitable cabinets. Mount the units
on the opposite sides of the entrance
gate such that IR rays from IR LED1
fall directly on the IR receiver module
(TSOP1738). z
circuit
ideas

Traffic Baton edi

s.c. dwiv
Ashok K. Doctor their hand signals may not be visible
at night, it is necessary to have some

I
n small towns, there are no traffic illuminated direction indicator.
lights and the police regulates the Here we present two circuits for other uses bright LEDs. Both the cir-
traffic with hand signals. Since the same. One uses 6V bulbs and the cuits operate off a 6V, 4.5Ah recharge-
able battery,
which is
clipped to
the police-
mans waist-
band.
Fig. 1
shows the
circuit of the
LED flasher.
It is wired
as an astable
multivibra-
tor. The on
time of the
LED cluster
is about 108
milliseconds
and off time
is around 105
milliseconds.
The frequen-
cy is around
Fig. 1: Circuit of LED flasher 5 Hz. A di-
ode is used
in series with the base of BD140 to
increase the forward voltage in order
to ensure that when BD139 conducts,
BD140 is cut-off. Select the LED which
consumes low current (20 mA or so)
but flashes bright.
Fig. 2 shows the circuit of the bulb
flasher. Timer NE555 is wired as an
astable multivibrator. The on period
of flashing bulb is around 344 milli-
seconds and off period is around 329
milliseconds. The frequency is around
1.5 Hz. Bulb-driver transistors 2N3053/
BD139 and 2N2905/BD140 are used to
light up the lamp. Two diodes are used
in series with the base of 2N2905 to
increase the forward voltage in order
to ensure that when BD139 is conduct-
ing, BD140 is cut-off. Slide switch S2 is
Fig. 2: Circuit of bulb flasher used to change the colour status of the

9 4 j a n ua ry 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m

Fig. 3: Traffic baton for LED flasher
Fig. 4: Traffic baton for bulb flasher
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
flashing bulb.
Assemble the LED flasher and
bulb flasher circuits on separate gen-
eral-purpose PCBs. Enclose the LED
flasher in a transparent acrylic pipe as
shown in Fig. 3. The bulb flasher can
be enclosed in another transparent
acrylic pipe as shown in Fig. 4. Slide
switches and red and green acrylic
sheets are used for appropriate colour
emissions. Now your traffic baton is
ready to use.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u j a n ua ry 2 0 0 9 9 5

Laser-guided Door Opener
T.K. Hareendran
T
his automatic door opener can
be made using readily available
components. The electromag-
netic relay at the output of this gadget
can be used to control the DC/AC
door-opener motor/solenoid of an
electromechanical door opener as-
sembly, with slight intervention in its
electrical wiring.
A laser diode (LED1) is used here
as the light transmitter. Alternatively,
you can use any available laser pointer.
The combination of resistor R1 and
diode D1 protects the laser diode
from over-current flow. By varying
muliturn trimpot VR1, you can adjust
the sensitivity. (Note that ambient light
reflections may slightly degrade the
performance of this unit.)
Initially, when the laser beam is
falling on photo-transistor T1, it con-
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
ducts to reverse-bias transistor T3 and
the input to the first gate (N1) of IC1
(CD4001) is low. The high output at
pin 3 of gate N1 forward biases the
LED-driver transistor (T4) and the
green standby LED (LED2) lights up
continuously. The rest of the circuit
remains in standby state.
When someone interrupts the
laser beam, photo-transistor T1 stops
conducting and transistor T3 becomes
forward-biased. This makes the output
of gate N1 go low. Thus LED-driver
transistor T4 becomes reverse-biased
and LED2 stops glowing. At the same
time, the low output of gate N1 makes
the output of N2 high. Instantly, this
high level at pin 4 of gate N2 triggers
the monostable multivibrator built
around the remaining two gates of IC1
(N3 and N4). Values of resistor R8 and
capacitor C1 determine the time period
of the monostable.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u j a n ua ry 2 0 0 9 9 7
circuit
ideas
s.c. dwiv
edi
The second monostable built
around IC2 (CD4538) is enabled by
the high-going pulse at its input pin
12 through the output of gate N4 of
the first monostable when the laser
beam is interrupted. As a result, relay
RL1 energises and the door-opener
motor starts operating. LED3 glows to
indicate that the door-opener motor is
getting the supply. At the same time,
piezobuzzer PZ1 sounds an alert.
Transistor T5, whose base is connected
to Q output (pin 10) of IC2, is used for
driving the relay. Transistor T6, whose
base is connected to Q output of IC2,
is used for driving the intermittent pi-
ezobuzzer. On time of relay RL1 can
be adjusted by varying trimpot VR2.
Resistor R9, variable resistor VR2 and
capacitor C3 decide the time period of
the second monostable and through it
circuit
ideas
on time of RL1. totransistor on opposite sides of the relay contacts is the one used in elec-
The circuit works off 12V DC doorframe and align them such that tromechanical door-opener assembly.
power supply. Assemble it on a gen- the light beam from the laser diode If you want to use a DC motor, replace
eral-purpose PCB. After construction, falls on the phototransistor directly. mains AC connection with a DC power
mount the laser diode and the pho- The motor connected to the pole of supply.

9 8 j a n ua ry 2 0 0 9 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 CCI IRRC UCIU
T II TD E IADS E A S
MOBILE CELLPHONE CHARGER
D. MOHAN KUMAR
C
harging of the cellphone battery is
a big problem while travelling as
power supply source is not gener-
ally accessible. If you keep your cellphone
switched on continuously, its battery will
go flat within five to six hours, making
the cellphone useless. A fully charged bat-
tery becomes necessary especially when
your distance from the nearest relay sta-
tion increases. Heres a simple charger that
replenishes the cellphone battery within
two to three hours.
Basically, the charger is a current-lim-
ited voltage source. Generally, cellphone
battery packs require 3.6-6V DC and 180-
200mA current for charging. These usually
contain three NiCd cells, each having 1.2V
rating. Current of 100mA is sufficient for
charging the cellphone battery at a slow
rate. A 12V battery containing eight pen
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MARCH 2004
SAN
I THE
O
cells gives sufficient
current (1.8A) to LED Status for Different Charging Conditions
charge the battery con- Load across the output Output frequency (at pin 3) LED1
nected across the out-
put terminals. The cir- No battery connected 765 kHz On
cuit also monitors the Charging battery 4.5 Hz Blinks
voltage level of the bat- Fully charged battery 0 Off
tery. It automatically
cuts off the charging process when its out- to take output pin 3 high. When the battery
put terminal voltage increases above the is fully charged, the output terminal voltage
predetermined voltage level. increases the voltage at pin 2 of IC1 above
Timer IC NE555 is used to charge and the trigger point threshold. This switches off
monitor the voltage level in the battery. the flip-flop and the output goes low to
Control voltage pin 5 of IC1 is provided terminate the charging process. Threshold
with a reference voltage of 5.6V by zener pin 6 of IC1 is referenced at 2/3Vcc set by
VR1. Transistor T1 is used to enhance the
charging current. Value of R3 is critical in
providing the required current for charging.
With the given value of 39-ohm the charg-
ing current is around 180 mA.
The circuit can be constructed on a
small general-purpose PCB. For calibration
of cut-off voltage level, use a variable DC
power source. Connect the output termi-
nals of the circuit to the variable power
supply set at 7V. Adjust VR1 in the middle
position and slowly adjust VR2 until LED1
goes off, indicating low output. LED1
should turn on when the voltage of the
variable power supply reduces below 5V.
Enclose the circuit in a small plastic case
and use suitable connector for connecting
diode ZD1. Threshold pin 6 is supplied to the cellphone battery.
with a voltage set by VR1 and trigger pin Note. At EFY lab, the circuit was tested
2 is supplied with a voltage set by VR2. with a Motorola make cellphone battery
When the discharged cellphone battery rated at 3.6V, 320 mAH. In place of 5.6V
is connected to the circuit, the voltage given zener, a 3.3V zener diode was used. The
to trigger pin 2 of IC1 is below 1/3Vcc and charging current measured was about 200
hence the flip-flop in the IC is switched on mA.The status of LED1 is shown in the table.
CIRCUIT IDEAS
SMART FOOT SWITCH
JAYAN A.R.
S
uch jobs as jewel cutting and polish-
ing require the workers to switch on/
off two electrical appliances one af-
ter another repeatedly for two different ser-
vices on the same workpiece. This is cum-
bersome as they need to fully concentrate
on delicate handwork on precious jewels.
Switching in such situations cannot be
done by hand, and doing it by foot using
ordinary switches is too tedious. This is
mainly because of the difficulty in sensing
and controlling the switch position by foot.
Ordinary pushbutton switches make or
break a contact momentarily, and they can-
not hold the keypress status. You need a
bistable multivibrator with two indepen-
dent trigger inputs to solve this problem.
Heres a smart foot switch based on
dual negative-edge triggered master slave
JK flip-flop IC 74LS76 (IC1). J1 and J2
inputs are conneted to 5V through resis-
tors R2 and R5 (each 10k), respectively.
K1 and K2 inputs are grounded. Preset
pins 2 and 7 are shorted and connected to
5V via resistor R7 (10k). Push-to-on switch
S3 connected to the preset inputs is also
grounded. Clock and clear inputs of the
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MARCH 2004
S.C.
DWI
VED
I
two flip-flops are cross-connected, i.e.
CLK1 (pin 1) is conneted to CLR2 (pin 8)
and CLR1 (pin 3) is connected to CLK2 (
pin 6). Clock input pins 1 and 6 are pulled
up high through resistors R1 and R4 (each
4.7k), respectively.
Push-to-on switches S1 and S2 are con-
nected between clock and ground of the
flip-flops. Switch S1 activates device 1,
while switch S2 activates device 2. Switch
S3 activates both device 1 and device 2
simultaneously. Device status is indicated
by LED1 and LED2. Glowing of LED1 and
LED2 indicates that device 1 and device 2,
respectively, are in on condition. The LEDs
are connected from +5V to Q1 (pin 14)
and Q2 (pin 10) of IC1 through resistors
R3 and R6, respectively.
Initially when the power supply is
switched on, Q1 and Q2 outputs of the JK
flip-flops are at low level (logic 0). When
switch S1 is pressed for the first time, the
high level (logic 1) present at J1 input is
transferred to Q1 output on the trailing
edge of clock (CLK1). The high level
(logic 1) at Q1 activates relay RL1 through
pin 16 of IC ULN2003 (IC2), turning on
device 1 via its normally-opened (N/O)
contacts. Clock CLK1 of flip-flop IC1(A) is
also connected to clear input CLR2 of
flip-flop IC1(B) so as to clear it asynchro-
nously. Switch debounces dont affect the
circuit as the same J1 state is being trans-
ferred to Q1 output on succeeding trailing
edges. At the same time, device 2 is
switched off.
When switch S2 is pressed, flip-flop
IC1(A) gets cleared via CLR1 and the high
state of J2 input of flip-flop IC1(B) is trans-
ferred to its Q2 output on the trailing edge
of clock (CLK2). This high level (logic1)
activates relay RL2 through pin 15 of IC2,
turning on device 2 via its N/O contacts.
At the same time, device 1 is switched off.
Now if you want to turn on both the
devices simultaniously, press switch S3
momentarily. Switch S3 provides ground
to preset inputs PRE1 and PRE2 of flip-
flops IC1(A) and IC1(B), making their Q1
and Q2 outputs high, which energises
both the relays turning on the two de-
vices. LEDs glow to indicate that both the
devices are on.
Place all the three switches (S1 through
S3) where you can easily press them by
foot when required. The LEDs can also be
mounted at a convenient location to know
whether the devices are turned on.
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

ELECTRONIC SECURITY SYSTEM S.C. DWI

VED
I

K. BHARATHAN output of
t h e

T
his reliable and easy-to-operate elec- Darlington
tronic security system can be used pair drives
in banks, factories, commercial es- the loud-
tablishments, houses, etc. speaker
The system comprises a monitoring sys- whose out-
tem and several sensing zones. Each sens- put volume
ing zone is provided with a closed-loop can be con-
switch known as sense switch. Sense trolled by
switches are fixed on the doors of premises potentiom-
under security and connected to the moni- eter VR1.
toring system. As long as the doors are Capacitor
closed, sense switches are also closed. The C1 serves
monitoring system can be installed at a as a filter
convenient central place for easy operation. capacitor.
Fig. 1 shows the monitoring circuit Y o u
only for zone 1 along with the common can alter
alarm circuit. For other zones, the the alarm
monitoring circuit is identical, with only sound as
the prefixes of components changing desired by
as per zone number. Encircled points A, changing
B, and C of each zone monitoring circuit the con-
need to be joined to the corresponding nections of
points of the alarm circuit (upper half IC1 as
of Fig. 1). shown in
When zone 1 sensing switch S11, zone the table.
on/off slide switch S12, and system on/off T h e
switch S1 are all on, pnp transistor T12 circuit con-
reverse biases to go in cut-off condition, tinues to
with its collector at around 0 volt. When sound the
the door fitted with sensor switch S11 is alarm until
opened, transistor T12 gets forward biased zone door Fig. 1: Monitoring circuit along with the alarm circuit
and it conducts. Its collector voltage goes
high, which forward biases transistor T10
via resistor R10 to turn it on. (Capacitor
C10 serves as a filter capacitor.) As a re-
sult, the collector voltage of transistor T10
falls to forward bias transistor T11, which
conducts and its collector voltage is sus-
tained at a high level. Under this latched
condition, sensor switch S11 and the state
of transistor T12 have no effect. In this
state, red LED11 of the zone remains lit.
Simultaneously, the high-level voltage
from the collector of transistor T11 via di-
ode D10 is applied to VDD pin 5 of siren
sound generator IC1 (UM3561) whose pin
2 is grounded. Resistor R3 connected across
pins 7 and 8 of IC1 determines the fre-
Fig. 2: Physical layout of sensors and monitoring/alarm system
quency of the in-built oscillator. As a re-
sult, IC1 starts generating the audio signal is closed (to close switch S11) and the The system operates off a 3V DC bat-
output at pin 3. The output voltage from reset switch is pressed momentarily (which tery or recharging battery with charging
IC1 is further amplified by Darlington pair causes transistor T10 to cut off, returning circuit or battery eliminator. If desired,
of transistors T1 and T2. The amplified the circuit to its initial state). more operating zones can be added.

MARCH 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

Alarm sound Circuit connections for respective ing to the zone glows to indicate that the
zones in closed door of the zone is open. The alarm and
IC pin 1 connected to IC pin 6 connected to position. Also the LED indication will continue even af-
Police siren NC NC keep zone slide ter that particular door with the sensing
Ambulance siren NC VDD switches S12, S22, switch is immediately closed, or even if
Fire engine Sound NC VSS S32, S42, etc in that switch is removed/damaged or con-
Machinegun sound VSS NC on position. This necting wire is cut open.
puts the system in Any particular zone in the monitoring
Note. NC indicates no connection
operation, guard- system can be put to operation or out of
ing all the zone operation by switching on or switching off
Initially keep the monitoring system doors. the corresponding slide switch in the moni-
switch S1 off. Keep all the zone doors fixed Now, if the door of a particular zone toring system.
with sensing switches S11, S21, S31, S41, is opened, the monitoring system sounds The circuit for monitoring four zones
etc closed. This keeps the sensing switches an audible alarm and the LED correspond- costs around Rs 400.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MARCH 2003

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

MULTI-SWITCH DOORBELL
WITH INDICATORS S.C.
DWI
VED
I

T.K. HAREENDRAN also pulled down by resistor R5. Clock in-

put (pin 5) of the quad D-latch is wired in

H
eres the circuit of a multi-switch normally low mode and hence all the four
input musical doorbell (shown in outputs (Q0 through Q3) have the same
Fig.1). The circuit is built around states as their corresponding data inputs.
the popular and less expensive quad As a result, LED1 through LED4 are in off Fig. 2: Suggested panel layout of musical
D-latch CD4042B (IC1). When switch S6 condition. doorbell
is pushed to on condition, the circuit gets There are four switches fitted at four
+9V and the four data inputs (D1 through different doors/gates outside the home and switch S1 at door 1), pins 2 and 4 of IC1
D4) of ICI are in low state because these a monitoring panel (as shown in Fig. 2) in go high.
are tied to ground via resistors R1 through the common room of the home. If any Simultaneously, pin 3 to IC1 (Q0 out-
R4. Polarity input (POL) pin 6 of IC1 is switch is pressed by a visitor (for example, put) goes low and LED1 starts glowing to
indicate that switch
S1 is pressed by
someone.
Next, output pin
13 of the dual 4-in-
put NOR gate (IC2,
here wired as a
single 4-input OR
gate) goes high to
forward bias buzzer-
driver transistor T1
via resistor R10.
The final result is
a soft and pleasing
musical bell, which
lasts until reset
switch S5 is pressed
by the owner. For
this latching arrange-
ment , output pin 13
of IC2 from the NOR
gate is fed back to
the clock input of
IC1.
The circuit costs
Fig. 1: Multi-switch doorbell with indicators around Rs 100.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU APRIL 2003

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

LEAD-ACID BATTERY CHARGER WITH SAN

I THE
O

VOLTAGE ANALYSER
D. MOHAN KUMAR The charger circuit consists of a stan- comprising resistors R1 through R5. Thus
dard step-down 12V AC (2-amp) trans- the voltage applied to any non-inverting

N
owadays maintenance-free lead-acid former and a bridge rectifier comprising input is the ratio of the resistance between
batteries are common in vehicles, diodes D1 through D4. Capacitor C1 that non-inverting terminal and ground to
inverters, and UPS systems. If the smoothes the AC ripples to provide a clean the total resistance (R1+R2+R3+R4+R5).
battery is left in a poor state of charge, its DC for charging the battery. The resistor chain provides a positive volt-
useful life is shortened. It also reduces the The battery voltage analyser circuit is age of above 5V to the non-inverting inputs
capacity and rechargeability of the battery. built around the popular quad op-amp of all op-amps when battery voltage is 12.5V
For older types of batteries, a hygrometer LM324 that has four separate op-amps (A or more. A reference voltage of 5V is ap-
can be used to check the specific gravity through D) with differential inputs. Op- plied to the inverting inputs of op-amps via
of the acid, which, in turn, indicates the amps have been used here as compara- 5V zener diode ZD1.
charge condition of the battery. However, tors. Switch S2 is a pushswitch, which is When the circuit is connected to the
you cannot use a hygrometer for sealed- pressed momentarily to check the battery battery and pushswitch S2 is pressed (with
type maintenance-free batteries. The only voltage level before charging the battery. S1 open), the battery voltage is sampled
way to know their charge level is by check- The non-inverting terminals of op-amps by the analyser circuit. If the supply volt-
ing their terminal voltage. A through D are connected to the positive age sample applied to the non-inverting
The circuit presented here can replen- supply rail via a potential divider chain input of an op-amp exceeds the reference
ish the charge in a battery within 6-8 hours. voltage applied
It also has a voltage analysing circuit for Battery voltage Status of LEDs Comments to the invert-
quick checking of voltage before start of Red Green Yellow Orange ing inputs, the
charging, since overcharging may damage output of the
the battery. The voltage analyser gives an <9.8V Off Off Off Off Buzzer off
op-amp goes
audio-visual indication of the battery volt- >9.8V On Off Off Off Danger level
high and the
age level and also warns about the critical 11.5V On On Off Off Low level
LED connected
voltage level at which the battery requires 12.0V On On On Off Normal level
at its output
immediate charging. 12.5V On On On On High level
lights up.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MARCH 2003


The different levels of battery voltages
are indicated by LED1 through LED4. All
the LEDs remain lit when the battery is
fully charged (above 12.5V). The buzzer
connected to the output of IC1 also sounds
(when S2 is pressed with S1 kept open) as
long as the voltage of battery is above
9.8V. If the voltage level goes below 9.8V,
the buzzer goes off, which indicates that
its time to replace the battery. The status
of LEDs for different battery voltages is
shown in the table.
The circuit can be assembled on a gen-
eral-purpose PCB or a veroboard. Use 4mm
CIRCUIT IDEAS
wire and crocodile clips to connect the
charger to the battery. A 2.5-amp fuse con-
nected to the output of the charger pro-
tects the analyser circuit against acciden-
tal polarity reversal.
The circuit costs around Rs 120 with
all accessories.
MARCH 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
 CIRCUIT IDEAS
TELEPHONE RECEIVER
S.K. ROUSHON
T
his simple telephone receiver with-
out a dialling section can be con-
nected in parallel to a telephone line.
It can be easily assembled on a small vero
board or a PCB. A geometry box made in
the shape of a telephone receiver will be
an excellent cabinet for it. No external
power supply is needed, which makes the
circuit handy.
The ringer section comprises R1, C1,
and a buzzer. If your telephone has a
loud ringer, this circuit can be avoided. A
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU SEPTEMBER 2003
S.C.
DWIV
EDI
bridge rectifier consisting of diodes D1
through D4 protects the circuit from any
polarity change in the telephone line. PNP
transistor MPS-A92 (T1) is the main inter-
face transistor. The output of T1 is regu-
lated by zener diode ZD and capacitor C2
to get 6.8V for powering the amplifier
section. This power is also used to bias
the transmitter section.
The transmitter section comprises tran-
sistor BC548 (T2) together with a few
discrete components and a condenser mi-
crophone. The transmit signal is fed to
the base of interface transistor T1. The
voice input for the amplifier comes di-
rectly from the positive end of the bridge
rectifier.
The amplifier section is built around
high-performance, low-wattage power am-
plifier IC LM386. This circuit is designed
as a high-gain amplifier. A small 8-ohm
speaker is good enough for the output.
After all soldering is done, adjust pre-
sets VR1 and VR2 to their middle position
and connect the circuit to the telephone
line in parallel. Adjust VR1 and VR2 for
optimum reception as well as transmis-
sion.
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

VOLTAGE-BASED CONTROLLER S.C.

DWI
VED
I

FOR SWITCHES
RAJ K. GORKHALI

H
eres a simple circuit for con-
trolling four switches from a dis-
tance through just a pair of
wires.
In the circuit, the inverting inputs
(pin 2) of operational amplifiers IC1
through IC4 are set to refrence voltages
of +12V, +9V, +6V, and +3V, respec-
tively, through a chain of four 1k resis-
tors (R1 through R4).
The reference voltage (VREF) can be
simply calculated by the following rela-
tionship:

Total applied voltageResistance

across reference voltage
VREF =
Total resistance

For example, reference voltage VREF3

is calculated as follows:

12V(R3+R4) 12V2k
VREF3 = VREF2 =
R1+R2+R3+R4 4k
VREF2 = 6V

The non-inverting inputs (pin 3) of

the four op-amps ( IC1 through IC4) are
tied together and connected to a pair of
wires that provide +3V to +12V input
voltage for controlling the switches.
Four 12V, 200-ohm, single-
changeover relays are connected to four
BC548 relay driver transistors (T1 through age input terminal; for example, relay RL4 connected to the terminals of the relays
T4) via resistors R5 through R8, respec- energises when controlling voltage input through the 220V AC, 50Hz mains.
tively. These relays energise depending on of +3V is available at non-inverting pin 3 This circuit, excluding relays, costs
the voltage present at the controlling volt- of IC4. Four electrical equipment can be around Rs 60.

JULY 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU


WASHING MACHINE
MOTOR CONTROLLER
SANTHOSH VASUDEVAN
W
ashing machines usually employ
a single-phase motor. In semi-
automatic washing machines, a
purely mechanical switch controls the tim-
ing and direction of the motor. These
switches are costly and wear out easily.
Heres a controller for single-phase
motors of washing machines (Fig. 1) that
Fig. 1: Circuit diagram of washing machine motor controller
Fig. 2: Direction of motor
S.C.
efficiently replaces its mechanical equiva- trolled as shown in Fig. 2. When switch
lent. Basically, a single-phase motor re-
quires a master timer, which decides the
time for which the motor should keep
rotating (washing time), and a spin direc-
tion controller, which stops the motor for
3 seconds after every 10 seconds and
then resumes rotation in opposite direc-
tion.
The direction of rotation can be con-
Fig. 3: Timing diagram for rotation of motor
CIRCUIT IDEAS
DWIV
EDI
S1 is in position A, coil L1 of the motor
receives the current directly, whereas coil
L2 receives the current with a phase shift
due to capacitor C. So the rotor rotates in
clockwise direction (see Fig. 2(a)). When
switch S1 is in position B, the reverse hap-
pens and the rotor rotates in anti-clock-
wise direction (see Fig. 2(b)). Thus switch
S1 can change the rotation direction.
The motor cannot be re-
versed instantly. It needs a
brief pause between switch-
ing directions, or else it may
get damaged. For this
purpose, another spin di-
rection control timer (IC2)
is employed. It is realised
with an IC 555. This timer
gives an alternate on and
off time duration of 10
seconds and 3 seconds, re-
spectively. So after every l0
seconds of running (either
in clockwise or anticlock-
wise direction), the motor
stops for a brief duration of
3 seconds. The values of
R3 and R4 are calculated
accordingly.
The master timer is
realised with monostable IC
555 (IC1) and its on time
is decided by the resistance
of 1-mega-ohm potmeter
VR. A 47-kilo-ohm resistor
is added in series so that
even when the VR knob is
in zero
resis-
tance po-
sition,
the net
series re-
sistance
is not
zero.
The
on-off
cycle in
the mas-
ter timer
should
SEPTEMBER 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
CIRCUIT IDEAS
go on only for the set time (here it is 18
minutes). Once the master timer goes off,
the cycle should stop. To achieve this,
the outputs of both the timers are con-
nected to NAND gate N1 (IC3), which
gives a low output only when both the
timers are giving high outputs.The output
pin 2 of N1 is connected to relay RL1 via
pnp transistor T1, so the relay energises
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU SEPTEMBER 2003
only when the output from NAND gate
N1 is low. As the mains 220V line is
taken through relay RL1, the motor turns
off during the 3-second off period after
the set time of 10 seconds is over. The
graph is shown in Fig. 3.
During on time of spin direction timer
IC2, the output of negative-edge triggerd
JK flip-flop at pin 2 goes low to energise
relay RL2 and washing machine motor
rotates in one direction. During the off
time of IC2, the output of N1 goes high
again to de-energise relay RL1, which
cuts off the mains supply to RL2 and the
motor stops rotating.
Floating point trouble may occur at trig-
ger pin 2 of IC1. Resistor R8 overcomes this
problem by holding pin 2 high.
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
AUTO TURN-OFF
BATTERY CHARGER
Y.M. ANANDAVARDHANA
T
his charger for series-connected
4-cell AA batteries automatically
disconnects from mains to stop
charging when the batteries are fully
charged. It can be used to charge par-
tially discharged cells as well.
The circuit is simple and can be
divided into AC-to-DC converter, relay
driver and charging sections.
In the AC-to-DC converter section,
transformer X1 steps down mains 230V
AC to 9V AC at 750 mA, which is rec-
tified by a full-wave rectifier compris-
ing diodes D1 through D4 and filtered
by capacitor C1. Regulator IC LM317
(IC1) provides the required 12V DC
charging voltage. When you press
switch S1 momentarily, the charger
starts operating and the power-on
LED1 glows to indicate that the
charger is on.
The relay driver section uses pnp
transistors T1, T2 and T3 (each BC558)
96 FEBRUARY 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
S.C. DW
IVEDI
to energise electromagnetic relay RL1.
Relay RL1 is connected to the collec-
tor of transistor T1. Transistor T1 is
driven by pnp transistor T2, which, in
turn, is driven by pnp transistor T3.
Resistor R4 (10-ohm, 0.5W) is con-
nected between the emitter and base
of transistor T3.
When a current of over 65 mA
flows through the 12V line, it causes a
voltage drop of about 650 mV across
resistor R4 to drive transistor T3 and
cut off transistor T2. This, in turn, turns
transistor T1 on to energise relay RL1.
Now even if the pushbutton is re-
leased, mains is still available to the
primary of the transformer through its
normally open (N/O) contacts.
In the charging section, regulator
IC1 is biased to give about 7.35V. Pre-
set VR1 is used for adjusting the bias
voltage. Diode D6 connected between
the output of IC1 and battery limits
the output voltage to about 6.7V,
which is used for charging the battery.
Pushing switch S1 latches relay
RL1 and the battery cells start charg-
ing. As the voltage per cell increases
beyond 1.3V, the voltage drop across
resistor R4 starts decreasing. When it
falls below 650 mV, transistor T3 cuts
off to drive transistor T2 and, in turn,
cuts off transistor T3. As a result, re-
lay RL1 de-energises to cut off the
charger and red LED1 turns off.
You may determine the charging
voltage depending on the NiCd cell
specifications by the manufacturer.
Here, weve set the charging voltage
at 7.35V for four 1.5V cells. Nowadays,
700mAH cells are available in the mar-
ket, which can be charged at 70 mA
for 10 hours. The open-circuit voltage
is about 1.3V.
The shut-off voltage point is deter-
mined by charging the four cells fully
(at 70 mA for 14 hours). After measur-
ing the output voltage, add the diode
drop (about 0.65V) and bias LM317 ac-
cordingly. z
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
ATMEL AVR ISP DONGLE
EFY LAB
A
tmels AVR microcontroller
chips are in-system program-
mable (ISP), i.e. these can be
programmed directly in the target cir-
cuit. A special programmer software
is used to download the program from
the PC into the AVRs flash memory.
Atmel offers a software package called
the Atmel AVR ISP that allows pro-
gramming of the AVR microcontrollers
in the circuit using a simple dongle. A
dongle is nothing but an adaptor cable
that connects the PCs parallel port
with the ISP pins of the AVR chip for
programming.
For programming, the four lines re-
quired from the AVR chip to the ISP
adaptor (dongle) are:
1. MOSI (Master Out, Slave In):
Data being transmitted to the AVR be-
ing programmed is sent on this pin
2. MISO (Master In, Slave Out):
Data received from the AVR being pro-
100 FEBRUARY 2005 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
grammed is sent on this pin
3. SCK (Shift Clock): Serial clock
generated by the programmer from the
PC.
4. RST (Reset): Reset (low pulse)
generated by the program. The AVR
is programmed while in reset state.
Heres a dongle circuit for in-sys-
tem programming of Atmels AVR chip
AT90S8515 using such software pack-
ages as Atmel ISP 2.65 and
PonyProg2000. Though not exactly the
same, a similar dongle circuit can be
found at the Website www.iready.org/
projects/uinternet/ispdongle.pdf.
The PCs parallel-port pins 4 and
5 drive buffer IC 74LS244 by enabling
its pins 19 and 1, respectively. A low
pulse on these pins will allow the
passing of the serial clock and data
during programming. MOSI, LED,
SCK and RST outputs are buffered
from the parallel ports pins 7, 8, 6
and 9, respectively. The MISO input
from the AVR is fed into pin 10 of the
SANI TH
EO
parallel port.
IC 74LS244 (IC1) acts as a buffer as
well as an isolator circuit when the
AVR is not in programming mode. In
idle mode, all the outputs are tristated
so as not to affect the operation of the
target system.
When the AVRs ISP mode is se-
lected, the lower half of IC 74LS244
is enabled, pulling the target systems
Reset line low. Once the target
system is in Reset mode, the SCK,
MISO and MOSI lines are no longer
loaded by the peripheral circuitry, if
any, on the target system. Now, it is
safe to enable the upper half of
74LS244, driving the MOSI, LED and
SCK lines of the dongle. The RST pin
becomes high after the AVR is pro-
grammed. Glowing of LED2 indicates
that the AVR is in programming mode.
There are two standard connectors
for in-system programming of Atmel
AVR microcontroller. One is the 10-
pin header (dual-in-line (DIL) connec-
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
CMYK
tor)) used on the Atmel STK kits. The
other is a 6-pin header (DIL connec-
tor) used in Atmel ISPs. The two loop-
back connections, pin 2-to-pin 12 and
pin 3-to-pin 11 of the parallel port, are
used to identify the dongle. With only
pin 2-to-pin 12 link, the dongle is
called STK300 or AVR ISP dongle.
With only pin 3-to-pin 11 link, the
dongle is called STK200 or old Kanda
ISP dongle. With both links in place,
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
the dongle is identified as a value-
added pack dongle.
Here, weve used an 8-pin single-in-
line (SIL) connector and an additional
6-pin SIL connector for the Atmel pro-
gramer circuit. With the buffer and the
40-pin ZIF socket in this circuit, it can be
used as a standalone programmer. The
6-pin SIL male connector is used for
connection between the dongle and the
AVR on the target board. Thus, another
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
6-line cable of about 30cm length is
required for connecting this ISP adap-
tor (dongle) to the target circuit.
If the AVR is not on the target cir-
cuit, you can insert the AVR into the
ZIF socket and program it. Regulated
5V DC is required for the AVR and
the associated dongle circuit, whose
terminals are also provided in connec-
tor CON4. LED1 is used as the power
indicator for the circuit. z
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU FEBRUARY 2005 101

ULTRA-BRIGHT LED LAMP
N.S. HARISANKAR VU3NSH
T
his ultra-bright white LED lamp
works on 230V AC with minimal
power consumption. It can be used
to illuminate VU meters, SWR meters, etc.
Ultra-bright LEDs available in the mar-
ket cost Rs 8 to 15. These LEDs emit a
1000-6000mCd bright white light like weld-
ing arc and work on 3 volts, 10 mA. Their
maximum voltage is 3.6 volts and the cur-
rent is 25 mA. Anti-static precautions
should be taken when handling the LEDs.
The LEDs in water-clear plastic package
Fig. 3: 46-LED combination
emit spotlight, while diffused type LEDs
have a wide-angle radiation pattern.
This circuit (Fig. 1) employs capaci-
tive reactance for limiting the current flow
through the LEDs on application of mains
voltage to the circuit. If we use only a
series resistor for limiting the current with
mains operation, the limiting resistor itself
will dissipate around 2 to 3 watts of power,
Fig. 1: The circuit of ultra-bright white LED
lamp
whereas no power is dissipated in a ca-
pacitor. The value of capacitor is calcu-
lated by using the following relationships:
XC = 1/(2fC) ohms (a) CFL round case, and thus it can be con-
XC = VRMS /I ohms (b) nected directly to AC bulb holder socket. A
where XC is capacitive reactance in ohms,
C is capacitance in farads, I is the current
through the LED in amperes, f is the mains
frequency in Hz, and Vrms is the input
mains voltage.
The 100-ohm, 2W series resistor avoids
heavy inrush current during transients.
MOV at the input prevents surges or spikes,
protecting the circuit. The 390-kilo-ohm,
-watt resistor acts as a bleeder to pro-
vide discharge path for capacitor Cx when
mains supply is disconnected. The zener
diode at the output section prevents ex-
cess reverse voltage levels appearing across
the LEDs during negative half cycles. Dur-
ing positive half cycle, the voltage across
LEDs is limited to zener voltage.
CIRCUIT IDEAS
S.C.
DWI
VED
I
Fig. 2: 16-LED combination
Use AC capacitors for Cx. Filter capaci-
tor C1 across the output provides flicker-
free light. The circuit can be enclosed in a
series combination of 16 LEDs (Fig. 2) gives
a luminance (lux) equivalent of a 12W
bulb. But if you have two series combina-
tions of 23 LEDs in parallel (total 46 LEDs
as shown in Fig. 3), it gives light equal to a
35W bulb. 15 LEDs are suitable for a table-
lamp light.
Diode D1 (1N4007) and capacitor C1
act as rectifying and smoothing elements
to provide DC voltage to the row of LEDs.
For a 16-LED row, use Cx of 0.22 F, 630V;
C1 of 22 F, 100V; and zener of 48V, 1W.
Similarly, for 23+23 LED combination use
Cx of 0.47 mF, 630V; C1 of 33 F, 150V;
and zener of 69V, 1W.
This circuit (inclusive of LEDs) costs
Rs 200 to Rs 400.
FEBRUARY 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

INTRUDER RADIO ALERT SYSTEM SUN

IL KU
MAR

DAVID NASH PIOUS

C
onsider a situation where a burglar
has entered your house and snapped
the telephone wires, leaving you
with no means of communication with the
outside world. In such an emergency, you
will find this intruder alarm to be very
handy. It transmits a prerecorded emer-
gency message repeatedly for reception by
an FM receiver.
The message containing address, geo-
graphical location, name, etc is recorded
onto a chip. The prerecorded message can
then be transmitted repeatedly with the
help of an FM transmitter, in the hope
that some noble soul will hear it and in-
form the police about the incident.
The circuit comprises a sound record-
ing-and-playback chip (UM5506BH). This
chip consists of a 96kbit SRAM and can
record up to six seconds of audio. (For
details, refer Mini Voice Processor circuit
published in April 2000 issue of EFY.) Af-
ter the required message has been re-
corded, it is passed to a low-power, VHF
FM transmitter wired around BC547 and
2N2369 transistors. The range of this trans- Fig. 2: Circuit diagram of intruder radio alert system

mitter is 60 to 100 The transmitted message can be heard over

metres using a 40-70cm the FM receiver.
long wire as an antenna. A possible modification, though it has
The major advantage legal complications, is to vary the coil in-
of this circuit is its low ductance such that the transmission is on
power consumption. The police band, thus alerting the police for
author operated it on 3V quick help. Even the need of repeatedly
button cells (Maxell CR pressing play button can be obviated by
2032, CR 2025, etc used configuring an astable multiviberator (us-
in digital diaries). To ing IC 555 timer) to trigger IC UM5506BH
transmit the prerecorded every six seconds so that the message is
message, the play but- played repeatedly.
Fig. 1: Block diagram of the intruder radio alert system ton is pressed repeatedly. This circuit costs around Rs 200.

DECEMBER 2002 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU


MICROMOTOR CONTROLLER
V. DAVID
U
sing this circuit, you can con-
trol the rotation of a DC
micromotor simply by press-
ing two push-to-on switches momen-
tarily.
The circuit is built around two
NE555 ICs (IC1 and IC2) and a quad-
NAND IC CD4011 (comprising NAND
gates N1 through N4). The NE555 ICs
(IC1 and IC2) are configured as invert-
ing buffers. IC CD4011 (IC3) NAND
gates are configured as bistable flip-
flop. The DC motor to be controlled is
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
connected between the outputs (pin 3)
of IC1 and IC2.
Closing switch S5 provides power
to the circuit. Now, when you press
switch S1 momentarily, pin 10 of IC3
goes high, while its pin 11 goes low.
Since pin 10 of IC3 is connected to reset
pin 4 of IC1 and IC2, the high output at
pin 10 of IC3 will enable IC1 and IC2
simultaneously. When switch S2 is
pressed, pin 10 of IC3 goes low, while
its pin 11 goes high. The low logic at
pin 10 disables both IC1 and IC2.
Switches S3 and S4 are used for
forward and reverse motion of the mo-
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
SUNIL K
UMAR
tor in conjunction with switch S1. If
you press switch S3 after pressing
switch S1, pin 3 of IC3 goes high, while
its pin 4 goes low. The motor now
starts rotating in the forward direction.
However, if you press switch S4 after
pressing switch S1, the motor will ro-
tate in reverse direction.
Note. The complete kit of this cir-
cuit can be obtained from
KitsnSpares, 303, Dohil Chambers, 46,
Nehru Place, New Delhi 110019;
Phone: 011-26430523, 26449577;
Website: www.kitsnspares.com;
E-mail: kits@efyindia.com. z
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU APRIL 2005 63
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

THREE-COLOUR DISPLAY USING S.C.

DWI
VED
I

BICOLOUR LEDs
PRIYANK MUDGAL

T
he circuit presented here uses
bicolour LEDs to generate a dis-
play in three colours, namely, red,
green, and yellowish green.
Transistors T1 through T20 form a grid
to which common-cathode bicolour LEDs
(LED1 through LED10) are connected.
Transistors T1 through T10 have their col-
lector terminals connected to the emitter
of transistor T21. Similarly, transistors T11
through T20 have their collector terminals
connected to the emitter of transistor T22.
The bases of each pair of transistors (i.e.
T1 and T11, T2 and T12,, T10 and T20)
are tied to outputs Q0, Q1,, Q9, respec-
tively, of IC1 (CD4017) through 10-kilo-
ohm resistors as shown in the figure. Posi-
tive supply to collectors of transistors T1
through T10 is controlled by transistor T21.
Similarly, positive supply to collectors of
transistors T11 through T20 is controlled
by transistor T22.
IC1 and IC2 are decade counters. Clock
pulse to IC1 is provided by the oscillator
circuit comprising NOR gates N1 and N2.
The outputs of IC1 advance sequentially
with each clock. (Any other source of
squarewave pulses also serves the pur-
pose.) IC2 is used to select the mode of
display. Clock input pin 14 of IC2 is con-
nected to Q9 output of IC1. Thus IC2 re-
ceives one pulse after every ten pulses re-
ceived by IC1.
When the circuit is switched on, Q0
output of IC2 is active high. Thus transis-
tor T21 gets forward biased via diode D3
and it conducts to extend positive supply
to transistors T1 through T10. Transistors
T1 through T10 are forward biased sequen-
tially by Q0 through Q9 outputs of IC1,
i.e. at a time only one of these ten transis-
tors is forward biased (on). Thus only red
LED parts of bicolour LEDs light up se- After completion of the third glowing Now both transistors T21 and T22 con-
quentially. (Transistor T22 is not conduct- sequence of red LEDs, when Q3 output of duct due to diodes D1 and D2. Thus both
ing at this moment.) IC2 goes high, transistor T21 stops con- red and green LEDs in bicolour LEDs (LED1
When red LED part of LED10 glows, ducting and T22 starts conducting with the through LED10) glow sequentially. The ef-
IC2 receives a clock pulse and its Q1 output next three sequences of green LEDs of fect of red and green LEDs glowing to-
goes high. Transistor T21 still conducts, as bicolour LEDs (LED1 through LED10) gether is a distinct yellowish orange colour.
it is forward biased through diode D6, and glowing sequentially. This sequence repeats four times.
next again via diode D5. Thus red LEDs After completion of three sequences of Thereafter, the whole sequence repeats,
complete two more glowing sequences. green LEDs, output Q6 of IC2 goes high. starting with red LEDs. Thus the bicolour-

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU FEBRUARY 2003

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

LED display shows three coloursred, green, by preset VR1. One can omit automatic 5, and 7 of IC2 with SPDT switches. (Thus
and yellowish greenone after the other. selection of different colours by omitting diodes D3-D12 are also omitted.)
The speed of display can be controlled IC2 and replacing connections to pins 3, This circuit costs around Rs 250.

FEBRUARY 2003 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

NUMBER GUESSING GAME .C. DWI

VED
I
S
PRIYANK MUDGAL

T
his number guessing game is quite
simple. In this game the player
thinks of any number between
1 and 99. Then he scans the eight groups
of numbers given in the eight boxes in the
table. Each group corresponds to a spe-
cific switch (indicated on the top of each
group) on an 8-way DIP switch. The per-
son scans the numbers in each box and
slides the switch corresponding to a box
to on position if he finds his number in
that box. After having scanned all the eight
boxes and switching on the relevant DIP
switches, he is required to press switch S9
Fig. 1: Number guessing game circuit
and the number thought of by the person
is displayed on the 7-segment displays. Af-
ter this, all switches on the 8-way DIP
switch need to be turned off to try display
of another number in a similar fashion.
The circuit (Fig. 1) comprises two BCD-
to-7-segment decoder/driver CD4511 ICs
(IC1 and IC2). IC1 generates the number
for tens position and IC2 generates the num-
ber for units position. Input pins 7, 1, 2,
and 6 of both the ICs are connected to ground
through 1-kilo-ohm resistors. The common-
cathode terminals of both the displays are
connected to push-to-on switch S9.
Fig. 2: Suggested case
Suppose you want to display 47. For
this, 4 is to be displayed in tens position
and 7 in units position. In order to gener-
ate 4 (binary 100) on the display (DIS1),
switch S2 is to be turned on. To display 7
(binary 111) on the display (DIS2),
switches S6, S7, and S8 are to be turned
on. Thus to generate 47, switches S2, S6,
S7, and S8 are to be turned on. The num-
ber 47 is placed in groups 6, 7, 8, and 2.
So when you spot 47 in these groups,
switch on the same combination of
switches. On depressing switch S9, 47 ap-
pears on the display. Other numbers can
be generated using the same procedure.
In order to make the circuit compact,
a DIP switch has been used here. As it
may be difficult to turn the small switches
on and off, you may use SPDT toggle
switches in place of the DIP switch. The
circuit can be placed inside a plastic case
with appropriate cuts made for displays
and switches (Fig. 2). A strip of paper con-
taining groups of numbers can be stuck
just under the 8-way DIP switch (or under
the row of SPDT switches used in place of
DIP switch). The proposed cabinet with
front-panel layout is shown in the figure.
This circuit smoothly runs on two pen
torch batteries. Thus current-limiting re-
sistors are not necessary for displays.
This circuit costs around Rs 100.

Eight Groups of Numbers and Their Respective Switches

Switch 1
80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89
90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99
Switch 5
8, 9, 18, 19, 28, 29, 38, 39
48, 49, 58, 59, 68, 69, 78, 79
88, 89, 98, 99
Switch 2
40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49
50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59
60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69
70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79
Switch 6
4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17, 24, 25, 26, 27
34, 35, 36, 37, 44, 45, 46, 47, 54, 55
56, 57, 64, 65, 66, 67, 74, 75, 76, 77
84, 85, 86, 87, 94, 95, 96, 97
Switch 3
20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39
60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69
70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79
Switch 7
2, 3, 6, 7, 12, 13, 16, 17, 22, 23, 26, 27
32, 33, 36, 37, 42, 43, 46, 47, 52, 53, 56,
57, 62, 63, 66, 67, 72, 73, 76, 77, 82,
83, 86, 87, 92, 93, 96, 97
Switch 4
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39
50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59
70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79
90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99
Switch 8
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19
21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 36, 39
41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59
61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79
81, 83, 85, 87, 89, 91, 92, 93, 95, 97, 99

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JANUARY 2003


SOLAR BUG
D. SOMNATH
H
ide this solar-powered circuit
suitably and see the reaction
of your friends to the chirpy
sound produced by it every few min-
utes. In all probability, it will coax
them to find out where the sound is
coming from.
The circuit runs off a miniature so-
lar power panel, which can be taken
out from an old calculator such as Citi-
zen CT-500. A panel giving 1.5V to
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
SANI TH
EO
small as 3 cm2.
If a digital voltmeter is connected
across capacitor C2, a slow build-up
of voltage can be observed when the
panel is exposed to light. Transistors
T1 and T2 form a relaxation oscillator.
When C1 charges to 0.6V, transistor
T1 conducts and the charge built up
in C2 is discharged through the
piezobuzzer to produce a short beep.
While testing the circuit, the value
of resistor R1 can be reduced to, say, 1
kilo-ohm. Use a good-quality buzzer
2.5V is required. Note that the circuit to ensure that the sound produced is
can work properly from a panel as loud enough. z
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU APRIL 2005 67
CMYK
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS

STRESS METER SANI TH

EO

D. MOHAN KUMAR cuit. The circuit is very sensitive and bar mode for each increment of 125
detects even a minute voltage varia- mV in the input.

T
his stress monitor lets you
assess your emotional pain. If
the stress is very high, it gives
visual indication through a light-emit-
ting diode (LED) display along with a
Fig. 1: Circuit of the stress meter
warning beep. The gadget is small
enough to be worn around the wrist.
The gadget is based on the prin-
ciple that the resistance of the skin var-
ies in accordance with your emotional
states. If the stress level is high the
skin offers less resistance, and if the
body is relaxed the skin resistance is
high. The low resistance of the skin
during high stress is due to an increase
in the blood supply to the skin. This
increases the permeability of the skin
and hence the conductivity for electric
current.
This property of the skin is used
here to measure the stress level. The
touch pads of the stress meter sense
the voltage variations across the touch
pads and convey the same to the cir-
tion across the touch pads.
The circuit comprises signal ampli-
fier and analogue display sections.
Voltage variations from the sensing
pads are amplified by transistor BC548
(T1), which is configured as a com-
mon-emitter amplifier. The base of T1
is connected to one of the touch pads
through resistor R1 and to the ground
rail through potmeter VR1. By vary-
ing VR1, the sensitivity of T1 can be
adjusted to the desired level. Diode D1
maintains proper biasing of T1 and ca-
pacitor C1 keeps the voltage from the
emitter of T1 steady.
The amplified signal from transis-
tor T1 is given to the input of IC
LM3915 (IC1) through VR2. IC
LM3915 is a monolithic integrated cir-
cuit that senses analogue voltage lev-
els at its pin 5 and displays them
through LEDs providing a logarith-
mic analogue display. It can drive up
to ten LEDs one by one in the dot/
Here, weve used only five LEDs
connected at pins 14 through 18 of IC1.
LED1 glows when input pin 5 of IC1
receives 150 mV. LED5 glows when
the voltage rises to 650 mV and LED5
flashes and
piezobuzzer PZ1
beeps when the
stress level is high.
Resistors R4
and R5 and capaci-
tor C2 form the
flashing elements.
Resistor R3 main-
Fig. 2: Display panel tains the LED cur-
rent at
around 20
mA. Ca-
pacitor C3
should be
p l a c e d
close to pin
Fig. 3: Self-locking straps 3 for proper
functioning
of the IC. Zener diode ZD1 in series
with resistor R6 provides regulated 5V
to the circuit.
The circuit can be assembled on a
small piece of perforated board. Use
transparent 3mm LEDs and a small
piezobuzzer for audio-visual indica-
tions. Enclose the circuit in a small
plastic case with touch pads on the
back side. Two self-locking straps can
be used to tie the unit around your
wrist.
After tying the unit around your
wrist (with touch pads in contact with
the skin), slowly vary VR1 until LED1
glows (assuming that you are in re-
laxed state). Adjust VR2 if the sensi-
tivity of IC1 is very high. The gadget
is now ready for use. z

WWW.EFYMAG.COM ELECTRONICS FOR YOU SEPTEMBER 2005 101

CMYK

LITTLE DOOR GUARD
T.K. HAREENDRAN
I
f some intruder tries to open the
door of your house, this circuit
sounds an alarm to alert you
against the attempted intrusion.
The circuit (Fig. 1) uses
readily available, low-cost compo-
nents. For compactness, an
alkaline 12V battery is used for
powering the unit. Input DC supply
is further regulated to a steady
DC voltage of 5V by 3-pin regulator
IC 7805 (IC2).
Assemble the unit on a general-
purpose PCB as shown in Fig. 4 and
mount the same on the door as shown
in Fig. 3. Now mount a piece of mir-
ror on the doorframe such that it is
Fig. 2: Pin configurations of UM3561 and transistors
2N5777 and BC547
Fig. 3: Back view of the door assembly
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Fig. 1: Circuit of the door guard
Fig. 4: Suggested enclosure with
major components layout
exactly aligned with the unit.
Pin configurations of IC
UM3561 and transistors
2N5777 and BC547 are
shown in Fig. 2.
Initially, when the
door is closed, the infrared
(IR) beam transmitted by
IR LED1 is reflected (by the
mirror) back to
phototransistor 2N5777 (T1).
The IR beam falling on
phototransistor T1 reverse bi-
ases npn transistor T2
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU SEPTEMBER 2005 103
CMYK
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
S.C. DW
IVEDI
and IC1 does not get
positive supply at its pin 5.
As a result, no tone is pro-
duced at its output pin 3
and the loudspeaker re-
mains silent. Resistor R1
limits the operating current
for the IR LED.
When the door is
opened, the absence of IR
rays at phototransistor T1
forward biases npn
transistor T2, which provides positive
supply to IC1. Now 3-siren
sound generator IC UM3561 (IC1) gets
power via resistor R5. The output
of IC1 at pin 3 is amplified by
Darlington-pair transistors T3 and T4
to produce the alert tone via the
loudspeaker.
Rotary switch S2 is used to select
the three preprogrammed tones of IC1.
IC1 produces fire engine, police and
ambulance siren sounds when its pin
6 is connected to point F, P or A, re-
spectively. z
 circuit
ideas
Smart Vibration Sensor
T.K. Hareendran
I
n this vibration sensor alarm cir-
cuit, initially, when power switch
S1 is flipped to on position, power
indicator LED1 lights up immediately.
IC LM555 (IC1), wired as a simple latch
circuit with control input, is powered
and R-C components R4 and C5 con-
nected at its reset pin 4 force the latch
to standby mode (with inactive low
output). The circuit is driven into sleep
mode.
As soon as vibration is detected,
MOSFET T1 is fired by the positive-
8 8 a p r i l 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
going pulse output from the vibra-
tion sensing mechanism built around
piezo-ceramic wafer and associated
components. As a result, control input
pins 2 and 6 of IC1 latch are grounded.
Output pin 3 of IC1 now goes high.
The positive supply from output pin 3
of IC1 is extended to three-tone siren
generator UM3561 (IC2) through R5,
D1 and R6. Components R6 and ZD1
stabilise the input power supply of IC2
to around 3.3V. Output signals from
IC2 are amplified by Darlington-pair
transistors T2 and T3 to produce alert
tone (police siren sound) via loud-
s.c. dwiv
edi
speaker LS1.
Reset switch S1 can be used to
switch off the alarm sound by resetting
the latch circuit. For safety, use key-lock
type switches for S1 and S2. A relay can
also be connected at the output socket
(SOC1) of the circuit to energise high-
power beacons, emergency sirens and
fence electrification units.
The circuit works off 9V DC. A
compact PP3-/6F22-type alkaline
battery can be used to power the
circuit.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 CIRCUIT IDEAS
CLAP SWITCH
MOHAMMAD USMAN QURESHI
H
eres a clap switch free from false
triggering. To turn on/off any ap
pliance, you just have to clap
twice. The cir-cuit changes its output state
only when you clap twice within the set
time period. Here, youve to clap within 3
seconds.
The clap sound sensed by condenser
microphone is amplified by transistor T1.
The amplified signal provides negative pulse
to pin 2 of IC1 and IC2, triggering both the
ICs. IC1, commonly used as a timer, is
wired here as a monostable multivibrator.
Trigging of IC1 causes pin 3 to go high and
it remains high for a certain time period
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MAY 2003
S.C.
DWI
VED
depending on the selected values of R7 and
C3. This on time (T) of IC1 can be calcu-
lated using the following relationship:
T=1.1R7.C3
seconds
where R7 is in ohms and C3 in microfar-
ads.
On first clap, output pin 3 of IC1 goes
high and remains in this standby position
for the preset time. Also, LED1 glows for
this period. The output of IC1 provides
supply voltage to IC2 at its pins 8 and 4.
Now IC2 is ready to receive the triggering
signal. Resistor R10 and capacitor C7 con-
nected to pin 4 of IC2 prevent false trig-
gering when IC1 provides the supply volt-
age to IC2 at first clap.
On second clap, a negative pulse trig-
gers IC2 and its output pin 3 goes high for
a time period depending on R9 and C5.
This provides a positive pulse at clock pin
14 of decade counter IC 4017 (IC3). De-
cade counter IC3 is wired here as a
bistable.
Each pulse applied at clock pin 14
changes the output state at pin 2 (Q1) of
IC3 because Q2 is connected to reset pin
15. The high output at pin 2 drives transis-
tor T2 and also energises relay RL1. LED2
indicates activation of relay RL1 and on/off
status of the appliance. A free-wheeling
diode (D1) prevents damage of T2 when
relay de-energises.
This circuit costs around Rs 80.

USB Power Booster
T.A. Babu
T
he USB serial bus can be con-
figured for connecting several
peripheral devices to a single
PC. It is more complex than RS232, but
faster and simpler for PC expansion.
Since a PC can supply only a lim-
ited power to the external devices con-
nected through its USB port, when too
many devices are connected simultane-
ously, there is a possibility of power
shortage. Therefore an external power
source has to be added to power the
external devices.
In USB, two different types of con-
nectors are used: type A and type B.
The circuit presented here is an add-
on unit, designed to add more power
to a USB supply line (type-A). When
Fig. 1: Circuit of the usb power booster
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
s.c. dwiv
edi
power signal from the PC (+5V) is re-
ceived through socket A, LED1 glows,
opto-diac IC1 conducts and TRIAC1 the rectified DC. Capacitor C3 at the
is triggered, resulting in availability output of the regulator bypasses the
of mains supply from the primary of ripples present in the rectified DC out-
transformer X1. Now transformer X1 put. LED1 indicates the status of the
delivers 12V at its secondary, which is USB power booster circuit.
rectified by a bridge rectifier compris- Assemble the circuit on a general-
ing diodes D1 through D4 and filtered purpose PCB and enclose in a suitable
by capacitor C2. cabinet. Bring out the +5V, ground
Regulator 7805 is used to stabilise and data points in the type-A socket.
Connect the
data cables
as assigned
in the cir-
cuit and the
USB power
booster is
ready to
Fig. 2: Pin configurations of moc3021, bt136 and 5v regulator 7805 function.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u a p r i l 2 0 0 8 8 7
 Colour Sensor
C
olour sensor is an interesting
project for hobbyists. The circuit
can sense eight colours, i.e. blue,
green and red (primary colours); magenta,
yellow and cyan (secondary colours); and
black and white. The circuit is based on
the fundamentals of optics and digital
electronics.
The object whose colour is required
to be detected should be placed in front
of the system. The light rays reflected
from the object will fall on the three
convex lenses which are fixed in front
of the three LDRs. The convex lenses
are used to converge light rays. This
helps to increase the sensitivity of
LDRs.
Blue, green and red glass plates
(filters) are fixed in front of LDR1, LDR2
and LDR3 respectively. When reflected
light rays from the object fall on the
gadget, the coloured filter glass plates
determine which of the LDRs would get
triggered. The circuit makes use of only
AND gates and NOT gates.
When a primary coloured light ray
falls on the system, the glass plate cor-
responding to that primary colour will
allow that specific light to pass through.
But the other two glass plates will not
allow any light to pass through. Thus 13
only one LDR will get triggered and the
gate output corresponding to that LDR
will become logic 1 to indicate which
colour it is.
Similarly, when a secondary coloured
light ray falls on the system, the two
primary glass plates corresponding to the
mixed colour will allow that light to pass
through while the remaining one will not
allow any light ray to pass through it. As
a result two of the LDRs get triggered and
the gate output corresponding to these 1. Potmeters VR1, VR2 and VR3 may The coloured glass filter should be fixed
will become logic 1 and indicate which be used to adjust the sensitivity of the in front of the LDR as shown in the
colour it is. LDRs. figure. Make three of that kind and
When all the LDRs get triggered or 2. Common ends of the LDRs should fix them in a suitable case. Adjust-
remain untriggered, you will observe be connected to positive supply. ments are critical and the gadget perform-
white and black light indications respec- 3. Use good quality light filters. ance would depend upon its proper fabri-
tively. Following points may be carefully The LDR is mounded in a tube, cation and use of correct filters as well as
noted: behind a lens, and aimed at the object. light conditions.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

 COMPUTERISED MORSE CODE
GENERATOR / TRANSMITTER
PUNERJOT SINGH MANGAT

T
he circuit given here can
be used to send telegraph-
ic messages via compu-
ter. The message data entered
through the computer keyboard is
converted to corresponding Morse
code and transmitted via the cir-
cuit attached to any IBM compat-
ible computers printer port.
Morse code pulses from the
computer appearing at pin 3
of the 25-pin parallel port are
routed to the base of transistor
T1(CL100) which in turn switches
on the audio frequency oscillator
built around IC1 (NE555) for the
duration of each pulse. The frequency of As stated earlier, this circuit is con- various characters appears under the
the oscillator can be varied by adjusting nected to the parallel port of the PC. Only function write(ch) of the program wherein
potmeters VR1 (20 kilo-ohm) and VR2 (50 pins 3 and 25 of the D connector are used. di represents a short duration pulse and
kilo-ohm). Pin 3 corresponding to data bit D1 of port da represents a long duration pulse. The
The audio output from pin 3 of IC 378(hex) carries the Morse Code data from program is interactive and permits varia-
(NE555) is connected to an FM transmit- the computer to the circuit while pin 25 tion of speed. The program can be modified
ter comprising transistor T2 (BF194B) and serves as common ground. to read and transmit the text files or one
the associated components. The frequency The circuit should be powered by +5 can even make a TSR (terminate and-stay-
of the transmitter can be changed with volts regulated power supply. It should resident) program.
the help of trimmer capacitor VC1 or by be fixed inside a metal box to reduce in- It is hoped that this circuit idea
changing the number of turns of coil L1. terference. would prove to be of great value to the
The FM modulated signal is coupled to The program, written in TURBO governments telecom department, defence
a short-wire antenna via capacitor C7. The PASCAL 7.0, accepts the message via services, coast guard, merchant navy and
signal can be received using any ready- the keyboard, converts it to correspond- amateur radio operators as well as all
made FM receiver tuned to the frequency ing Morse code and sends the code to pin those who make use of Morse code for
of the transmitter. 3 of the printer port. The Morse code of message transmission.

PROGRAM LISTING IN TURBO PASCAL 7.0

{$M $450,0,0} procedure di; START:
uses crt,dos: begin clrscr;
label port[$378]:=2; color(11,1);
main,endpro,output,message,startmessage, delay(pause); gotoxy(15,4);
speedselect,fileiput,dosshell port[$378]:=0; write(PUNJABl UNIVERSITY PATIALA-147002);
,start; delay(pause); gotoxy(1,7);
var end; color(10,3);
s:array [1..14] of string [76]: procedure da; gotoxy(10,18);
pause,x,y,i,b:integer; begin write(==========================);
sl:slring[l]: port[$378]:=2; gotoxy(10,19);
ch:char: delay(pause*3); write(Fl = Increase Speed );
procedure color{a,b:integer); port[$378]:=0; gotoxy(10,20);
begin delay(pause); write(F2 = Decrease Speed );
textcolor(a); end; gotoxy(10,21);
textbackground(b); begin write(F3 = Output to Device );
end; pause:=100; gotoxy(10,22);

190 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19

write(F4 = Message Input ); begin if ch=Y then begin da; di; da; da; end else
gotoxy(10,23); if y=1 then goto message; if ch==Z then begin da; da; di; di; end else
write(F5 = Dosshell y:=y-1; if ch=1' then begin di; da; da; da; da; end else
); x:=76; if ch=2' then begin di; di; da; da; da; end
gotoxy(10,24); end else
write(F6 = Quit ); else if ch=3' then begin di; di; di; da; da; end else
gotoxy(10,25); x:=x-1; if ch=4' then begin di; di; di; di; da; end else
write(==========================); delete(s[y],length(s[y]),1); if ch=5' then begin di; di; di; di; di; end else
color(14,1); gotoxy(x,y); if ch=6' then begin da; di; di; di; di; end else
gotoxy(25,2); write( ); if ch=7' then begin da; da; di; di; di; end else
write(PROGRAMMED BY); gotoxy(x,y); if ch=8' then begin da; da; da; di; di; end else
gotoxy(21,3); goto message: if ch=9' then begin da; da; da; da; di; end else
write(PUNERJOT SINGH MANGAT); end; if ch=0' then begin da; da; da; da; da; end else
color(10,3); if(x=76) and (y=14) then goto message; if ch=. then begin di; da; di; da; di; da; end else
gotoxy(26,17); write(ch); if ch=; then begin da; di; da; di; da; di; end else
write(CONTROLS ); s[y]:=(s[y]+ch); it ch=: then begin da; da; da; di; di; di; end else
gotoxy(35,19); goto message; if ch=, then begin da; da; di; di; da; da; end else
write(SPEED); end; if ch= then begin di; da; di; di; da; di; end else
color(10,3); OUTPUT: if ch=? then begin di; di; da; da; di; di; end else
gotoxy(35,20); begin if ch=- then begin da; di; di; di; di; da; end else
write(pause); gotoxy(2,25); if ch=_ then begin di; di; da; da; di; da; end else
MAIN: write( Sending output to the MorseDevice... if ch=/ then begin da; di; di; da; di; end else
window(1,1,80,25); Press any key to stop... ); if (ch=#39) or (ch=#96) then begin di; da; da;
gotoxy(2,25); color(12,1); da; da; di; end else
color(0,7); window(3,2,78,15); if (ch=() or (ch=))then begin da; di; da; da;
write(Waiting for the command... ); clrscr; di; da; end else
ch:=readkey; for i:= 1 to y do if ch= then delay(pause*6);
if ch=#0 then begin if key pressed then goto main;
begin for x:= 1 to length(s[i]) do end;
ch:=readkey; begin end;
if (ch=#59) or (ch=#60) then goto speedselect s1:=(copy(s[i],x,1)); goto main;
else ch:=upcase(s1[1]); end;
if ch=#61 then goto output else delay(pause*2); SPEEDSELECT;
if ch=#62 then goto startmessage else write(ch); begin
if ch=#63 then goto dosshell else if ch=A then begin di; da; end else if(ch=#59)and(pause>50) then pause: =
if ch=#64 then goto endpro; if ch=B then begin da; di; di; di; end else pause+2;
end; if ch=C then begin da; di; da; di; end else if(ch= =#60) and (pause < 190) then pause: =
goto main; if ch=D then begin da; di; di; end else pause - 2;
STARTMESSAGE: if ch=E then begin di; end else color(10,3);
begin if ch=F then begin di; di; da; di; end else gotoxy(35,20);
gotoxy(2,25); if ch=G then begin da; da; di; end else write1n(pause, );
write ( Enter the message and press ENTER if ch=H then begin di; di; di; di; end else goto main;
KEY...); if ch=I then begin di; di; end else end;
color(12,1); if ch=J then begin di; da; da; da; end else DOSSHELL:
window(3,2,78,15); if ch=K then begin da; di; da; end else begin
clrscr; if ch=L then begin di; da; di; di; end else color(7,0);
for x:= 1 to 14 do s[x]:= ; if ch=M then begin da; da; end else clrscr;
i:0;x:=1;y:=1;b:=0: if ch=N then begin da; di; end else write1n(Type EXIT to return to pro-
end: if ch=O then begin da; da; da; end else gramme...);
MESSAGE: if ch=P then begin di; da; da; di; end else swapvectors;
begin if ch=Q then begin da; da; di; da; end else exec(getenv(comspec),);
x:=wherex; if ch=R then begin di; da; di; end else swapvectors;
y:=wherey; if ch=S then begin di; di; di; end else goto start;
ch:=readkey; if ch=T then begin da; end else end;
if ch=#13 then goto main; if ch=U then begin di; di; da; end else ENDPRO:
if ch=#8 then if ch=V then begin di; di; di; da; end else color(7,0);
begin if ch=W then begin di; da; da; end else clrscr;
if x=1 then if ch=X then begin da; di; di; da; end else end.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19 191


CONDENSER MIC
AUDIO AMPLIFIER
D. PRABAKARAN
T
he compact, low-cost condenser
mic audio amplifier described here
provides good-quality audio of 0.5
watts at 4.5 volts. It can be used as part
of intercoms, walkie-talkies, low-power
CIRCUIT IDEAS
SUN
IL KU
MAR
transmitters, and packet radio receivers.
Transistors T1 and T2 form the mic
preamplifier. Resistor R1 provides the nec-
essary bias for the condenser mic while
preset VR1 functions as gain control for
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  DECEMBER 2001
varying its gain. In order to increase the
audio power, the low-level audio output
from the preamplifier stage is coupled via
coupling capacitor C7 to the audio power
amplifier built around BEL1895 IC.
BEL1895 is a monolithic audio power
amplifier IC designed specifically for sen-
sitive AM radio applications that delivers
1 watt into 4 ohms at 6V power supply
voltage. It exhibits low distortion and
noise and operates over 3V-9V supply volt-
age, which makes it ideal for battery op-
eration. A turn-on pop reduction circuit
prevents thud when the power
supply is switched on.
Coupling capacitor C7 deter-
mines low-frequency response of
the amplifier. Capacitor C9 acts
as the ripple-rejection filter. Ca-
pacitor C13 couples the output
available at pin 1 to the loud-
speaker. R15-C13 combination
acts as the damping circuit for
output oscillations. Capacitor C12
provides the boot strapping func-
tion.
This circuit is suitable for low-
power HAM radio transmitters to
supply the necessary audio power
for modulation. With simple modi-
fications it can also be used in
intercom circuits.
 Contactless AC Mains
Voltage Detector
T
his is a CMOS IC (CD4033) based
circuit which can be used to de-
tect presence of AC mains voltage
without any electrical contact with the
conductor carrying AC current/voltage.
Thus it can be used to detect mains AC
voltage without removing the insulation
from the conductor. Just take it in the vi-
cinity of the conductor and it would detect
presence of AC voltage.
If AC voltage is not present, the display
would randomly show any digit (0 through
9) permanently. If mains supply is avail-
able in the conductor, the electric field
would be induced into the sensing probe.
Since IC used is CMOS type, its input
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
impedance is extremely
high and thus the induced
voltage is sufficient to
clock the counter IC. Thus
display count advances
rapidly from 0 to 9 and then
repeats itself. This is the
indication for presence of
mains supply. Display stops
advancing when the unit is
taken away from the mains
carrying conductor.
For compactness, a
9-volt PP3 battery may
be used for supply to the
gadget.
 Cordless Phone
Backup
N
ormally the base of a cordless unit through diode D3. A green LED and the cost of the backup unit, including
phone has an adaptor and the is used to indicate the presence of AC the box and cells, would not exceed Rs
handset has Ni-Cd cells for its mains. 300. Hence the circuit is well worth the
operation. The base unit becomes in- Each Ni-Cd cell costs around Rs 34, investment.
operative in case of power
failure. Under such condi-
tions, it is better to provide a
backup using Ni-Cd cells exter-
nally. Here is a simple power
supply back-up circuit which
can be used with cordless
phone SANYO CLT-420 or
similar sets.
The working is simple.
When AC mains is present,
Ni-Cd cells are charged
through IC LM317L, which
is wired as a current source.
Also, diode D3 is reverse-bi-
ased, which keeps Ni-Cd cells
isolated from positive rail.
When AC mains goes off, the
Ni-Cd cells provide supply
to the cordless phone base

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

figure. The 1kHz signal can be further

CRYSTAL-CONTROLLED DWI
VED
I
divided using decade counters to gener-
ate the required time period.
EFY lab note. To generate required

TIME-BASE GENERATOR S.C. gate for use in a frequency counter circuit,

the final oscillator output needs to be fol-
lowed by a toggle flip-flop. For example, a
PRATAP CHANDRA SAHU 1kHz clock, when applied to a toggle flip-

A
digital frequency counter needs a
time-base generator to count the
frequency with high resolution.
Normally, a crystal-based oscillator with
divider IC chain or a similar circuit in the
form of an ASIC (application-specific IC)
is used for time-base generation. Here
weve presented a simple circuit for accu-
rate time-base generation using the readily
available 3.5795MHz crystal commonly
used in telecommunication equipment.
The 3.5795MHz crystal is used in con-
junction with a CD4060-based crystal os- Thus the crystal frequency is divided
cillator-cum-divider (IC1). The crystal fre- by 3584, giving the final output frequency flop, will generate gates with 1-sec on
quency is divided by 512 by IC1, which is of around 998.8 Hz. This frequency can period and 1-sec off period.
further divided by 7 by CD4017 (IC2). IC2 be trimmed to exactly 1 kHz with the help This circuit is estimated to cost below
is reset as soon as its Q7 output goes high. of trimmer capacitor VC1 as shown in the Rs 50.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MAY 2002

 DARKROOM TIMER
T
he timer circuit described here pro-
vides a pleasant musical tone in
your darkroom at 1-second inter-
vals. The circuit takes up very little space
and can be easily converted into a metro-
nome.
Unijunction transistor (UJT) T1 func-
tioning as a relaxation oscillator triggers
the phase-shift audio oscillator circuit
174 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22
built around transistor T2, turning it on sistor T2 is coupled to a small speaker
and off. As capacitor C1 is charged through a transistor-radio type output
through preset VR1 and resistor R1, the transformer.
emitter voltage of UJT rises toward the The 22-kilo-ohm value of resistor R3
supply voltage. represents a compromise between tone
When the emitter voltage becomes suf- duration and intensity. You can use re-
ficiently positive, the emitter becomes for- sistors having a value anywhere between
ward biased and discharges capacitor C1 10 kilo-ohms and 25 kilo-ohms for differ-
through the emitter-base 1 (B1) junction ent durations and intensities of the out-
and resistor R2. put signals.
The voltage drop Since the unijunction transistor is
across R2 forward functioning as the oscillator trigger,
biases transistor changing the values of one or more com-
T2 and turns it on. ponents in the UJT circuit will change
As capacitor C1 the rate of the tone burst. The tone fre-
becomes dis- quency can be varied by changing the
charged, the cur- value of any or more of capacitors C2
rent through re- through C4 and resistors R5 and R6 in
sistor R2 drops the phase-shift network.
and transistor T2 The primary winding of transformer
is cut off. X1 can be tuned for a slight increase in
A tone signal the output, using capacitor values between
is generated by 0.05 and 0.25 F for C5 by trial-and-error
transistor T2 and method. Tone pulses should begin about
R-C coupled ten seconds after the unit is turned on.
phase-shift oscilla- After a minute or so, adjust preset VR1
tor. Part of the sig- for 1-second beats by comparing the tim-
nal taken from the ing of the beats with the seconds needle
collector of tran- on your wristwatch.
 DIGITAL DICE WITH NUMERIC
DISPLAY
T
he circuit described here is that
of a digital dice with numeric dis-
play. Timer IC 555 wired as an
astable multivibrator produces pulses at
about 48 kHz rate. These pulses are fed
to pin 14 of the decade counter IC 7490.
The oscillator is activated by depression
of switch S1.
Using different connections tor pins 2,
3 (reset to zero inputs Ro(1) and Ro(2)) and
the binary output pins 12, 9, 8 and 11 of
IC7490, various count ranges can be set.
For the given circuit the count range is set
as 0 to 5 by connecting QB and QC outputs
to Ro(1) and Ro(2) inputs, respectively.
At the count of 6, QB and QC outputs
of IC2 go high and counter is reset. The
188 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19
binary output pins of the counter IC2 are
connected to corresponding input pins of
4-bit binary adder IC3 (7483) which is
wired to give binary output equal to bi-
nary input+1. Thus the output of the dice
ranges from 1 to 6. For obtaining other
dice ranges, reset pins 2 and 3 connections
may be made as per Table I.
The binary summation outputs from
IC 7483 are connected to IC4 (7447) which
is a BCD to 7-segment decoder/driver.
The output from IC4 is connected to a
7-segment common-anode LED display
(LTS542).
When switch S1 is depressed, the LED
(D1) glows and the number displayed at
the 7-segment display changes at a rate
TABLE I
Dice range Connect Connect
pin 2 to pin 3 to
1 to 2 pin 9 +5V
1 to 3 pin 9 pin 12
1 to 4 pin 8 +5V
1 to 5 pin 8 pin 12
1 to 6 pin 8 pin 9
1 to 8 pin 11 +5V
1 to 9 pin 11 pin 12
of about 48,000 times per second. As soon
as the switch is released, the last (latest)
number remains on display. Thus the
circuit performs the function of a random
number generator with the displayed
number lying within the selected (wired)
range.
 DIGITAL MAINS VOLTAGE INDICATOR
C
ontinuous monitoring of the mains
voltage is required in many ap-
plications such as manual volt-
age stabilisers and motor pumps. An ana-
logue voltmeter, though cheap, has many
disadvantages as it has moving parts and
is sensitive to vibrations. The solidstate
voltmeter circuit described here indicates
the mains voltage with a resolution that
is comparable to that of a general-pur-
pose analogue voltmeter. The status of
the mains voltage is available in the form
of an LED bar graph.
Presets VR1 through VR16 are used
to set the DC voltages corresponding to
the 16 voltage levels over the 50-250V
range as marked on LED1 through
LED16, respectively, in the figure. The
LED bar graph is multiplexed from the
bottom to the top with the help of ICs
CD4067B (16-channel multiplexer) and
CD4029B (counter). The counter clocked
by NE555 timer-based astable
multivibrator generates 4-bit binary ad-
dress for multiplexer-demultiplexer pair
of CD4067B and CD4514B.
The voltage from the wipers of pre-
sets are multiplexed by CD4067B and the
output from pin 1 of CD4067B is fed to
the non-inverting input of comparator A2
(half of op-amp LM358) after being buff-
ered by A1 (the other half of IC2). The
unregulated voltage sensed from rectifier
output is fed to the inverting input of
comparator A2.
The output of comparator A2 is low
until the sensed voltage is greater than
the reference input applied at the non-
inverting pins of comparator A2 via buffer
A1. When the sensed voltage goes below
the reference voltage, the output of com-
parator A2 goes high. The high output
from comparator A2 inhibits the decoder
(CD4514) that is used to decode the out-
put of IC4029 and drive the LEDs. This
ensures that the LEDs of the bar graph
are on up to the sensed voltage-level pro-
portional to the mains voltage.
The initial adjustment of each of the
presets can be done by feeding a known
AC voltage through an auto-transformer
and then adjusting the corresponding pre-
set to ensure that only those LEDs that
are up to the applied voltage glow.
(EFY note. It is advisable to use ad-
ditional transformer, rectifier, filter, and
regulator arrangements for obtaining a
regulated supply for the functioning of the
circuit so that performance of the circuit
is not affected even when the mains volt-
age falls as low as 50V or goes as high as
280V. During Lab testing regulated 12-
volt supply for circuit operation was used.)
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22
 Digital Switching System
T
his circuit can control any one out
of 16 devices with the help of two
push-to-on switches. An up/down
counter acts as a master-controller for the
system. A visual indication in the form of
LEDs is also available.
IC1 (74LS193) is a presettable up/
down counter. IC2 and IC3 (74LS154) (1
of 16 decoder/demultiplexer) perform dif-
ferent functions, i.e. IC2 is used to indicate
the channel number while IC3 switches on
the selected channel.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
Before using the circuit, press switch
S1 to reset the circuit. Now the circuit is
ready to receive the input clock. By press-
ing switch S2 once, the counter advances
by one count. Thus, each pressing of
switch S2 enables the counter to advance
by one count. Likewise, by pressing switch
S3 the counter counts downwards.
The counter provides BCD output.
This BCD output is used as address input
for IC2 and IC3 to switch one (desired
channel) out of sixteen channels by turn-
ing on the appropriate triac and the cor-
responding LED to indicate the selected
channel.
The outputs of IC3 are passed through
inverter gates (IC4 through IC6) because
IC3 provides negative going pulses while
for driving the triacs we need positive-go-
ing pulses. The high output of inverter
gates turn on the npn transistors to drive
the triacs. Diodes connected in series with
triac gates serve to provide unidirectional
current for the gate-drive.
 DIGITAL SPEEDOMETER
T
his instrument displays the speed
of the vehicle in kmph. An
opaque disc is mounted on the
spindle attached to the front wheel of
the vehicle. The disc has ten equidistant
holes on its periphery. On one side of
the disc an infrared LED is fixed and on
the opposite side of the disc, in line with
140 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19
NARENDRA WADHWANI
the IR LED, a phototransistor is
mounted. IC LM324 is wired as a
comparator.
When a hole appears between the
IR LED and phototransistor, the
phototransistor conducts. Hence the volt-
age at collector of the phototransistor
and inverting input of LM324 go low,
and thus output of LM324 becomes logic
high. So rotation of the speedometer
cable results in a pulse (square wave) at
the output of LM324. The frequency of
this waveform is proportional to the
speed.
Let N be the number of pulses in
time t seconds and numerically equal
to the number of kilometres per hour
(kmph). For a vehicle such as LML
Vespa, with a wheel circumference of
1.38 metres, and number of pulses equal
to 10 per revolution, we get the
relationship:
N pulses
= N kmph
t
Nx1000
= metres per second
3600x1.38
Nx1000x10
= pulses per second
3600x1.38
Therefore, time t in seconds
= 0.4968 second.
As shown in the timing diagram, at
t=0, output of astable flip-flop IC1(a) i.e.
556 goes low and triggers monostable
multivibrator IC1(b) i.e. 556. Pulse
width of monostable IC1(b) = 0.5068 sec.
For IC1(a), t(on) = 0.51 sec. and t(off)=
0.01 sec. The outputs of IC1(a) and
IC1(b), and the signal from the
transducer section are ANDed. The
number of pulses counted during the
gating period (0.4968 sec.) is the speed
N in kmph (kilometres per hour).
At the end of the gating period,
output B of monostable IC1(b) goes low
and B goes high. The rising edge of B is
used to enable the quad D flip-flops IC6
and IC7.
At this instant, i.e. at t=0.5068 sec.,
the number (speed) N will be latched
corresponding to the D flip-flops and
displayed. At t=0.52 sec., output of
astable flip-flop IC1(a) goes low and
remains low for 0.01 sec. This
waveform is inverted and applied to
the reset terminals of all counters (ac-
tive high).
Thus the counters are reset and

counting begins afresh at t=0.53 sec. up
to the time t=0.52+0.2068 sec. However
the D flip-flops are not enabled and the
previous speed is displayed. The
new speed is displayed at t=0.52 +
0.5068 sec. In this way the speed
will be updated every 0.52 sec.
This speedometer can measure
up to 99 kmph with a resolution of
1 kmph. The range can be increased
up to 999 kmph by adding another
stage consisting of one each of ICs
7490, 74175, 7447 and a 7-segment
display. The voltage supply required
for the operation of the circuit is
derived from the vehicle power
supply (12V).
The calculations shown above are for
LML Vespa and Kinetic Honda. The cal-
culations for using this speedometer for
Yamaha, whose circumference of wheel
= 1.8353m, can be obtained in a similar
fashion. The gating period will simply
vary in direct proportion to the wheel
diameter. It will be 0.6607 sec. for
Yamaha.
The same speedometer can be used
for other vehicles by making similar cal-
culations. In all the calculations it has
been assumed that the speedometer
cable makes one revolution for every
revolution of the wheel of the vehicles.
Note that on/off periods of the wave-
forms have to be precise. High quality
multiturn pots and low temperature co-
efficient components should be used in
the timer ICs.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19 141

DTMF PROXIMITY DETECTOR
K.S. SANKAR
A
DTMF-based IR transmitter and
receiver pair can be used to realise
a proximity detector. The circuit
presented here enables you to detect any
object capable of reflecting the IR beam
and moving in front of the IR LED photo-
detector pair up to a distance of about 12
cm from it.
The circuit uses the commonly avail-
able telephony ICs such as dial-tone gen-
erator 91214B/91215B (IC1) and DTMF
decoder CM8870 (IC2) in conjunction with
infrared LED (IR LED1), photodiode D1,
and other components as shown in the
figure. A properly regulated 5V DC power
supply is required for operation of the cir-
cuit.
The transmitter part is configured
around dialer IC1. Its row 1 (pin 15) and
CIRCUIT IDEAS
NA
ANJA
RUP
column 1 (pin 12) get connected together
via transistor T2 after a power-on delay
(determined by capacitor C1 and resis-
tors R1 and R16 in the base circuit of the
transistor) to generate DTMF tone (com-
bination of 697 Hz and 1209 Hz) corre-
sponding to keypad digit 1 continuously.
LED 2 is used to indicate the tone
output from IC3. This tone output is am-
plified by Darlington transistor pair of T3
and T4 to drive IR LED1 via variable re-
sistor VR1 in series with fixed 10-ohm
resistor R14. Thus IR LED1 produces
tone-modulated IR light. Variable resis-
tor VR1 controls the emission level to vary
the transmission range. LED 3 indicates
that transmission is taking place.
A part of modulated IR light signal
transmitted by IR LED1, after reflection
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  JUNE 2001
from an object, falls on photodetector di-
ode D1. (The photodetector is to be
shielded from direct IR light transmis-
sion path of IR LED1 by using any opaque
partition so that it receives only the re-
flected IR light.) On detection of the sig-
nal by photodetector, it is coupled to
DTMF decoder IC2 through emitter-fol-
lower transistor T1.
When the valid tone pair is detected
by the decoder, its StD pin 15 (shorted to
TOE pin 10) goes high. The detection of
the object in proximity of IR transmitter-
receiver combination is indicated by
LED1. The active-high logic output pulse
(terminated at connector CON1, in the
figure) can be used to switch on/off any
device (such as a siren via a latch and
relay driver) or it can be used to clock a
counter, etc.
This DTMF proximity detector finds
applications in burglar alarms, object
counter and tachometers, etc.
 ECONOMICAL PUMP CONTROLLER
T
he automatic pump controller quick response, no wear and tear, and cannot be used for purely non-conducting
eliminates the need for any no mechanical failures. The circuit fluids. For non-conducting fluids, some
manual switching of pumps in- diagram is shown in Fig.2. The device modifications need to be made in the fluid-
stalled for the purpose of pumping wa- performed satisfactorily on a test run level sensors. The circuit can however be
ter from a reservoir to an overhead tank in conjunction with a 0.5 HP motor kept intact.
(refer Fig.
1). It auto-
matically
switches on
the pump
when the
water level
in the tank
falls below
a certain
low level
L), provided
the water
level in the
reservoir
is above a
certain level
(R). Subse-
quently, as
the water
level in the
lank rises
to an upper
l e v e l ( M ) , Fig. 2: Circuit diagram of pump controller.
the pump is
switched off automatically. The pump and pump.
is turned on again only when the water The sensors used in the circuit can
level again falls below level L in the be any two conducting probes, preferably
tank, provided the level in the reser- resistant to electrolytic corrosion. For
voir is above R. This automated action instance, in the simplest case, a properly
continues. sealed audio jack can be used to work as
The circuit is designed to overlook the sensor.
the transient oscillations of the water The circuit can also be used as a
level which would otherwise cause the constant fluid level maintainer. For this
logic to change its state rapidly and purpose the probes M and L are brought
unnecessarily. The circuit uses a single very close to each other to ensure that the
CMOS chip (CD4001) for logic process- fluid level is maintained within the M and
ing. L levels.
No use of any moving electro- The advantage of this system is that
mechanical parts in the water-level it can be used in tanks/reservoirs of any
sensor has been made. This ensures capacity whatsoever. However, the circuit Fig. 1: Block diagram of pump controller.

184 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19

 Electrical Equipment Control
Using PC
P.V. Vinod Kumar

H
ere is a novel idea
for using the printer
port of a PC, for con-
trol application using soft-
ware and some interface
hardware. The interface cir-
cuit along with the given
software can be used with
the printer port of any PC for
controlling up to eight equip-
ment. for only one device, being controlled by
The interface circuit D0 bit at pin 2 of the 25-pin parallel port.
shown in the figure is drawn Identical circuits for the remaining data

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20 179

 Electronic card-
lock system
T
he circuit presented here can be on and other photo-transistors will as buffer with Schmitt trigger. All outputs
be used as a lock for important be in off state. When transistor T1 is (Q1 through Q7) of this IC are connected
electronic/electrical appliances. on, its collector voltage falls, making to IC2 (ULN2003) which is used as relay
When card is inserted inside its mecha- transistor T9 to cut-off. As a result, col- driver. IC2 consists of seven highcurrent
nism, depending upon the position of lector voltage of transistor T9 as also relay drivers having integral diodes. Ex-
punched hole on the card, a particu- pin 2 of IC1 go logic high. This causes ternal free-wheeling diodes are therefore
lar appliance would be
switched on.
The card is inserted just
like a floppy disk inside the
disk drive. This card should
be rectangular in shape
with only one punched hole
on it.
The circuit uses
eight photo-transistors
(T1 through T8). When
there is no card in the
lock, light from incandes-
cent lamp L1 (40-watt,
230V) falls on all the
photo- transistor detec-
tors. Transistor T8 is
used as enable detector
for IC1 (74LS244). When
light is incident on it, it
conducts and its collector
voltage goes low. This
makes transistor T16 to
cut-off, and its collector
voltage goes high. This logic high on pin 18 (output Q1) also to go high, not required.
its collector terminal will inhibit IC1 switching LED1 on. Simultaneously, When an input of this IC is made logic
as long as light is present on photo- output Q1 is connected to pin 1 of IC2 high, the corresponding output will go
transistor T8. (ULN2003) for driving the relay cor- logic low and relay connected to that pin
IC1 will get enabled only when the responding to appliance 1. Similarly, gets energised. This switches on a specific
card is completely inserted inside the if card for appliance 2 is inserted, only appliance and the corresponding LED.
lock mechanism. This arrangement en- output pin 16 (Q2) of IC1 will go high- Once a specific card is inserted to
sures that only the selected appliance is making LED2 on while at the same switch on a specific relay, that relay
switched on and prevents false operation time energising relay for appliance gets latched through its second pair of
of the system. 2 via ULN2003. The same is true for contacts. Thus even when the card is
You can make these cards using a other cases/appliances also. removed, the specific appliance remains
black, opaque plastic sheet. A small The time during which card is pres- on. The same holds true for all other re-
rectangular notch is made on this ent inside the mechanism, the system lays/appliances as well. The only way to
card to indicate proper direction for generates musical tone. This is achieved deenergise a latched relay after removal
insertion of the card. If an attempt with the help of diodes D1 through D7 of the corresponding card is to switch off
is made to insert the card wrongly, which provide a wired-OR connection at the corresponding switch (S1 through
it will not go completely inside the their common-cathode junction. When S7) which would cut-off the supply to the
mechanism and the system will not any of the outputs of IC1 is logic high, desired relay.
be enabled. the commoncathode junction of diodes The +5V and +12V supplies can be
When card for any appliance (say D1 through D7 also goes logic high, obtained with conventional arrangement
appliance 1) is completely inserted in enabling IC3 (UM66) to generate a mu- using a step-down transformer followed by
the mechanism, the light will fall only sical tone. rectifier, filter and regulator (using 7805
on photo-transistor T1. So only T1 will In this circuit IC1 (74LS244) is used and 7812 etc).

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22 13

14 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22
 Electronic Scoring Game
Y
ou can play this game alone
or with your friends. The
circuit comprises a timer IC,
two decade counters and a display
driver along with a 7-segment
display.
The game is simple. As stated
above, it is a scoring game and the
competitor who scores 100 points rap-
idly (in short steps) is the winner. For
scoring, one has the option of pressing
either switch S2 or S3. Switch S2,
when pressed, makes the counter
count in the forward direction, while
switch S3 helps to count downwards. Before Y, is summarised below: above and notes down his new score (say,
starting a fresh game, and for that matter 1. Player X starts by momentary X2). He adds up this score to his previous
even a fresh move, you must press switch pressing of reset switch S1 followed score. The same procedure is repeated by
S1 to reset the circuit. Thereafter, press any by pressing and releasing of either player Y in his turn.
of the two switches, i.e. S2 or S3. switch S2 or S3. Thereafter he presses 4. The game carries on until the score
On pressing switch S2 or S3, the switch S4 to read the display (score) attained by one of the two players totals
counters BCD outputs change very and notes down this number (say X1) up to or exceeds 100, to be declared as the
rapidly and when you release the switch, manually. winner.
the last number remains latched at the 2. Player Y also starts by momen- Several players can participate in this
output of IC2. The latched BCD number tary pressing of switch S1 followed game, with each getting a chance to score
is input to BCD to 7-segment decoder/ by pressing of switch S2 or S3 and during his own turn.
driver IC3 which drives a common- then notes down his score (say Y1), The circuit may be assembled
anode display DIS1. However, you can after pressing switch S4, exactly using a multipurpose board. Fix the
read this number only when you press in the same fashion as done by the first display (LEDs and 7-segment display)
switch S4. player. on top of the cabinet along with the
The sequence of operations for playing 3. Player X again presses switch S1 three switches. The supply voltage for the
the game between, say two players X and and repeats the steps shown in step 1 circuit is 5V.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

 Fastest Finger First Indicator
Q
uiz-type game shows are increas-
ingly becoming popular on tele-
vision these days. In such games,
fastest finger first indicators (FFFIs) are
used to test the players reaction time. The
players designated number is displayed
with an audio alarm when the player
presses his entry button.
The circuit presented here determines as
to which of the four contestants first pressed
the button and locks out the remaining three
entries. Simultaneously, an audio alarm and
the correct decimal number display of the cor-
responding contestant are activated.
When a contestant presses his switch,
the corresponding output of latch IC2
(7475) changes its logic state from 1 to 0.
p. rajesh bhat
The combinational circuitry comprising
dual 4-input NAND gates of IC3 (7420)
locks out subsequent entries by produc-
ing the appropriate latch-disable signal.
Priority encoder IC4 (74147) encodes
the active-low input condition into the
corresponding binary coded decimal (BCD)
number output. The outputs of IC4 after
inversion by inverter gates inside hex
inverter 74LS04 (IC5) are coupled to BCD-
to-7-segment decoder/display driver IC6
(7447). The output of IC6 drives common-
anode 7-segment LED display (DIS.1,
FND507 or LT542).
The audio alarm generator comprises
clock oscillator IC7 (555), whose output
drives a loudspeaker. The oscillator fre-
quency can be varied with the help of pre-
set VR1. Logic 0 state at one of the outputs
of IC2 produces logic 1 input condition at
pin 4 of IC7, thereby enabling the audio
oscillator.
IC7 needs +12V DC supply for suf-
ficient alarm level. The remaining circuit
operates on regulated +5V DC supply,
which is obtained using IC1 (7805).
Once the organiser identifies the con-
testant who pressed the switch first, he
disables the audio alarm and at the same
time forces the digital display to 0 by
pressing reset pushbutton S5.
With a slight modification, this
circuit can accommodate more than four
contestants.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22 179
 C I R C U I T I D E A S

TABLE I

UNIVERSAL HIGH-RESISTANCE Position 1 of Function Switch

Edc input Meter Current

VOLTMETER
5.00V 44 A
4.00V 34 A
I 3.00V 24 A
VED
DWI 2.00V 14 A
S.C. 1.00V 4 A
YOGESH KATARIA
TABLE II

T
he full-scale deflection of the uni- Calculate RI according to the applica-
versal high-input-resistance volt- tion from one of the following equations: Position 2 of Function Switch
meter circuit shown in the figure Erms input Meter Current
(a) DC voltmeter: RIA = full-scale EDC/IFS
5V 46 A
(b) RMS AC voltmeter (sine 4V 36 A
wave only): RIB = 0.9 full-scale 3V 26 A
ERMS/ IFS 2V 18 A
(c) Peak reading voltmeter 1V 10 A
(sine wave only): RIC = 0.636 full-
scale EPK/IFS TABLE III
(d) Peak-to-peak AC voltme- Position 3 of Function Switch
ter (sine wave only): RID = 0.318 EPk input Meter Current
full-scale EPK-TO-PK / IFS 5V peak 46 A
The term IFS in the above 4V peak 36 A
equations refers to meters full- 3V peak 26 A
2V peak 16 A
scale deflection current rating in 1V peak 6 A
amperes.
It must be noted that neither TABLE IV
meter resistance nor diode volt-
Position 4 of Function Switch
age drops affects meter current.
EPk-To-Pk Meter Current
Note: The results obtained
5V peak to peak 46 A
during practical testing of the cir- 4V peak to peak 36 A
depends on the function switch position cuit in EFY lab are tabulated in Tables I 3V peak to peak 26 A
as follows: through IV. 2V peak to peak 16 A
(a) 5V DC on position 1 A high-input-resistance op-amp, a 1V peak to peak 7 A
(b) 5V AC rms in position 2 bridge rectifier, a microammeter, and a
(c) 5V peak AC in position 3 few other discrete components are all that ing the value of the resistor connected be-
(d) 5V AC peak-to-peak in position 4 are required to realise this versatile cir- tween the inverting input terminal of the
The circuit is basically a voltage-to- cuit. This circuit can be used for mea- op-amp and ground. The voltage to be
current converter. The design procedure surement of DC, AC RMS, AC peak, or measured is connected to non-inverting in-
is as follows: AC peak-to-peak voltage by simply chang- put of the op-amp.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  FEBRUARY 2000

CIRCUIT IDEAS

FM BOOSTER SUN
IL KU
MAR

PRADEEP G.

H
ere is a low-cost circuit of an FM
booster that can be used to listen
to programmes from distant FM
stations clearly. The circuit comprises a
common-emitter tuned RF preamplifier
wired around VHF/UHF transistor
2SC2570. (Only C2570 is annotated on the
transistor body.)
Assemble the circuit on a good-quality
PCB (preferably, glass-epoxy). Adjust in-
put/output trimmers (VC1/VC2) for maxi-
mum gain.
Input coil L1 consists of four turns of
20SWG enamelled copper wire (slightly
space wound) over 5mm diameter former.
It is tapped at the first turn from ground
lead side. Coil L2 is similar to L1, but has
only three turns. Pin configuration of tran-
sistor 2SC2570 is shown in the figure.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU FEBRUARY 2002

 CCIIRRC UC IUT IITD EIADS E A S

minals of pnp transistor T1) develops

MUSIC-ON-HOLD FOR enough voltage to forward bias transistor

T1 and it starts conducting.

TELEPHONES S.C.
DWIV
EDI As a consequence, output voltage at
the collector of transistor T1 sustains for-
ward biasing of transistor T2, even if switch
S1 is released. This latching action keeps
SIBIN K. ZACHARIAH
both transistors T1 and T2 in conduction
as long as the output of the bridge rectifier

H
ere is a simple circuit for music- line voltage is more than 15 volts, i.e. is greater than 15 volts.
on-hold with automatic shut off fa- when the handset is placed on the cradle. If the handset is now lifted off-hook,
cility. During telephone conversa- Once the transistor pair of TI and T2 the rectifier output drops to about 9 volts
tion if you are reminded of some urgent starts conducting, melody generator IC1 and hence latching action ceases and the
work, momentarily push switch S1 until
red LED1 glows, keep the telephone hand-
set on the cradle, and attend to the work
on hand. A soft music is generated and
passed into the telephone lines while the
other-end subscriber holds. When you re-
turn, you can simply pick up the handset
again and continue with the conversation.
The glowing of LED1, while the music
is generated, indicates that the telephone
is in hold position. As soon as the handset
is picked up, LED1 is turned off and the
music stops.
Normally, the voltage across telephone
lines is about 50 volts. When we pick up gets the supply and is activated. The mu- circuit automatically switches off.
the receiver (handset), it drops to about 9 sic is coupled to the telephone lines via (EFY lab note. The value of resistor
volts. The minimum voltage required to capacitor C2, resistor R1, and the bridge R2 determines the current through resistor
activate this circuit is about 15 volts. If the rectifier. R1 to develop adequate voltage (greater
voltage is less than 15 volts, the circuit With the handset off-hook after a ring, than 0.65 volts) for conduction of transis-
automatically switches off. However, ini- momentary depression of switch S1 causes tor T1. Hence it may be test selected be-
tially both transistors T1 and T2 are cut off. forward biasing of transistor T2. Mean- tween 33 kilo-ohms and 100 kilo-ohms to
The transistor pair of T1 and T2 performs while, if the handset is placed on the obtain instant latching.)
switching and latching action when switch cradle, the current passing through R1 The total cost of this circuit is around
S1 is momentarily pressed, provided the (connected across the emitter and base ter- Rs 50.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU APRIL 2002

 FIRE ALARM
W
ith the onset of summer,
chances of fire accidents
increase. Such fire ac-
cidents can be prevented if timely
alarms are available. The circuit
presented here warns the user
against such fire accidents. The cir-
cuit should be placed in fire-prone
areas such as a kitchen.
Everyone is aware that when
anything catches fire, smoke is
produced. When this smoke passes
between a bulb and an LDR, the
amount of light falling on the LDR
decreases. This causes the resist-
ance of LDR to increase and the
voltage at pin 2 of IC 555 goes below
1/3 Vcc. thus triggering IC 555 which is ever, one may select a COB which generates as well as setting of preset VR1. Thus by
used here in bistable mode. As a result the sound such as aag lag gai hai. The signal placing the bulb and the LDR at appropri-
voltage of pin 3 goes high. This high volt- generated by COB is amplified by an audio ate distances, one may vary preset VR1 to
age (approximately +9V) completes the amplifier. In this circuit, the audio power get optimum sensitivity.
supply to the COB (chip-on-board). amplifier is wired around IC2 TDA 2002. Reset switch S1 is provided in the
Different COBs are available in the The sensitivity of the circuit depends circuit to switch off the alarm after the fire
market to generate different sounds. How- on the distance between bulb and LDR has been noticed by the user.

180 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19

 PROGRAMMABLE DOOR-BELL
WITH FLASHING LEDS
I
C1 (NE555) is used here as a clock
generator. It is configured as an
astable multivibrator whose frequency
can be adjusted with the help of potmeter
VR1. The clock pulses obtained from IC1
are fed to pin 14 of IC2 (CD4017) which is
a well-known decade counter.
Here LEDS have been connected in
a rather unusual way. The LEDs flash
sequentially from Q0 to Q9. Five presets
192 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19
of 100k each are connected to each pair
of LEDs.
IC3 here works as tune generator
and the Darlington pair comprising
transistors BC547B and SL100B is used
to amplify its output. The frequency of
IC3 is adjusted by potmeter VR2. Each
100k preset (VR3 through VR7) is ad-
justed for a different tune depending on
individual choice. The 10-LED display
is assembled in such a way that the
first vertical column has orange LED1
through LED5 and the second parallel
column has green LED10 through LED6,
as shown in the figure.
The circuit can be easily assembled on
a veroboard. Any well-filtered 9V, 250mA
DC power supply is suitable. Primary of
the supply transformer may be connected
to the bell AC outlet points.
 Frequency Measurements
Using PC
H
ere is a simple technique for along with its time-period and frequency given by UL=19xN5 Hz. Thus for MOD
measuring frequencies over components, its measurement precision 16 counters UL20 MHz, and for MOD
quite a wide frequency range and in percentage is also calculated and dis- 10 counters UL1.9 MHz. Care should
with acceptable accuracy limits using played. Number of data taken in 54.9 ms be taken to ensure that this upper limit
a PC. It follows the basic technique of is also displayed. is within the operating frequency range
measuring low frequencies, i.e. at low fre- As stated above, the lower starting of counter IC used. Precision of measure-
quency, period is measured for a complete range is about 19 Hz. Data is read for ment is a machine-dependent parameter.
wave and frequency is calculated from the approximately 54.9 ms. Thus, the lowest High-speed machines will have better
measured time-period. possible frequency that can be measured precision compared to others. Basi-
Cascaded binary counters are used is 1/.0549 Hz. Lower frequency range cally, precision depends directly upon
for converting the high-frequency signals depends only on the sampling time and the number of data read in a standard
into low-frequency signals. The parallel is practically fixed at 19 Hz (18.2 Hz, time. Precision of measurement varies
port of a computer is used for data input to be precise). Upper frequency range inversely as the value of MOD counter
from binary counters. This data is used depends on factors such as value of the used. Precision is high when MOD 10
for measuring time and calculating the MOD counter used and the operating counters are used in place of MOD 16
frequency of the signal. frequency range of the counter IC. If counters, but this will restrict the upper
The block diagram shows the basic MOD-N counter is used (where N is an limit of frequency measurement and
connections of the counters and parallel integer), upper limit (UL) of frequency is vice-versa.
port pin numbers on 25-pin D connector
of a PC (control register 379 Hex is used
for input). External hardware is used
only for converting the higher frequency
signals into low frequency signals. Thus,
the major role in frequency-measurement
is played by the software.
The PC generates a time-interrupt at
a frequency of 18.21 Hz, i.e. after every
54.92 millisecond. Software uses this
time-interrupt as a time-reference. The
control register of the PCs parallel port is
read and the data is stored continuously
in an array for approximately 54.9 ms
using a loop. This stored data is then ana-
lysed bit-wise. Initially, the higher-order
bit (MSB or the seventh-bit) of every ar-
ray element is scanned for the presence of
a complete square wave. If it is found, its
time period is measured and if not then
the second-highest order bit (sixth bit) is
scanned. This operation is performed till
the third bit and if no full square wave is
still found, an error message is generated
which indicates that either there is an
error in reading or the frequency signal
is lower than 19 Hz.
Lower three bits of the control regis-
ter are not used. When a wave is found,

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

 FLUID LEVEL DETECTOR
H
ere is a simple but versatile cir-
cuit of fluid level detector which
can be used for various applica-
tions at home and in industry.
Circuit is built around 2-input NAND
Schmitt trigger gates N1 and N2. Gate
N1 is configured as an oscillator operat-
ing at around 1 kHz frequency. When
the fluid level reaches the probes level,
the oscillations are coupled to the diode
detector stage comprising diodes D1 and
D2. capacitor C4 and resistor R2. The
positive voltage developed across ca-
pacitor C4 and resistor R2 combination
is applied to Schmitt NAND gate N2 be suitably interfaced to any external detector circuit. Since high frequency AC
which is used here as a buffer/driver. circuit for indication purposes or driving is used for the electrodes, there is no cor-
The output of gate N2 is connected to any load as desired. rosion of the electrodes which is normally
opto-coupler MCT2E. The output across Use of opto-coupler ensures complete observed with DC being applied to the
pins 4 and 5 of the opto-coupler can isolation of the load from the fluid level electrodes.

196 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19


GENERATION OF 1-SEC. PULSES
SPACED 5-SEC. APART
PRAVEEN SHANKER
T
his circuit using a dual-timer
NE556 can produce 1Hz pulses
spaced 5 seconds apart, either
manually or automatically. IC NE556
comprises two independent NE555 tim-
ers in a single package. It is used to
produce two separate pulses of differ-
ent pulse widths, where one pulse
initiates the activation of the second
pulse.
The first half of the NE556 is wired
for 5-second pulse output. When slide
switch S2 is in position a, the first timer
is set for manual operation, i.e. by press-
CIRCUIT IDEAS
RUP
ANJA
NA
ing switch S1 momentarily
you can generate a single pulse of 5-
second duration. When switch S2 is
kept in b position, i.e. pins 6 and 2 are
shorted, timer 1 in NE556 triggers by
itself.
The output of the first timer is con-
nected to trigger pin 8 of second timer,
which, in turn, is connected to a poten-
tial divider comprising resistors R4 and
R5. Resistor R1, preset VR1, resistor R2,
preset VR2, and capacitors C2 and C5
are the components determining time pe-
riod. Presets VR1 and VR2 permit trim-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  FEBRUARY 2001
ming of the 5-second and 1-second pulse
width of respective sections.
When switch S2 is in position a and
switch S1 is pressed momentarily, the out-
put at pin 5 goes high for about 5 sec-
onds. The trailing (falling) edge of this 5-
second pulse is used to trigger the second
timer via 0.1F capacitor C6. This action
results in momentarily pulling down of
pin 8 towards the ground potential, i.e.
low. (Otherwise pin 8 is at 1/2 Vcc and
triggers at/below 1/3 Vcc level.) When the
second timer is triggered at the trailing
edge of 5-second pulse, it generates a 1-
second wide pulse.
When switch S2 is on position b,
switch S1 is disconnected, while pin 6 is
connected to pin 2. When capacitor C is
charged, it is discharged through pin 2
until it reaches 1/3Vcc potential, at which
it is retriggered since trigger pin 6 is
also connected here. Thus timer 1 is
retriggered after every 5-second period
(corresponding to 0.2Hz frequency). The
second timer is triggered as before to
produce a 1-second pulse in synchro-
nism with the trailing edge of 5-sec-
ond pulse.
This circuit is important wherever
a pulse is needed at regular intervals;
for instance, in Versatile Digital Fre-
quency Counter Cum Clock construc-
tion project published in EFY Oct. 97,
one may use this circuit in place of
CD4060-based circuit. For the digital
clock function, however, pin 8 and 12
are to be shorted after removal of
0.1F capacitor and 10-kilo-ohm resis-
tors R4 and R5.
 Handy Zener Diode Tester
H
ere is a handy zener diode
tester which tests zener diodes
with breakdown voltages extend-
ing up to 120 volts. The main advantage
of this circuit is that it works with a volt-
age as low as 6V DC and consumes less
than 8 mA current.
The circuit can be fitted in a 9V battery
box. Two-third of the box may be used for
four 1.5V batteries and the remaining one-
third is sufficient for accommodating this
circuit. In this circuit a commonly available
transformer with 230V AC primary to 9-0-
9V, 500mA secondary is used in reverse to
achieve higher AC voltage across 230V AC
terminals.
Transistor T1 (BC547) is configured
as an oscillator and driver to obtain re-
quired AC voltage across transformers
230V AC terminals. This AC voltage is
converted to DC by diode D1 and filter
capacitor C2 and is used to test the zener
diodes. R3 is used as a series current
limiting resistor.
After assembling the circuit, check DC
voltage across points A and B without con-
necting any zener diode. Now switch S1
on. The DC voltage across A-B should vary
from 10V to 120V by adjusting potmeter
VR1 (10k). If every thing is all right, the
circuit is ready for use.
For testing a zener diode of un-
known value, connect it across points A
and B with cathode towards A. Adjust
potmeter VR1 so as to obtain the maxi-
mum DC voltage across A and B. Note
down this zener value corresponding
to DC voltage reading on the digital
multimeter.
When testing zener diode of value less
than 3.3V, the meter shows less voltage
instead of the actual zener value. However,
correct reading is obtained for zener diodes
of value above 5.8V with a tolerance of 10
per cent. In case zener diode shorts, the
multimeter shows 0 volts.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
 HOUSE SECURITY SYSTEM
H
ere is a low-cost, invisible laser
circuit to protect your house
from thieves or trespassers. A
laser pointer torch, which is easily avail-
able in the market, can be used to oper-
ate this device.
The block diagram of the unit shown
in Fig. 1 depicts the overall arrange-
ment for providing security to a house.
A laser torch powered by 3V power-
supply is used for generating a laser
beam. A combination of plain mirrors
MALAY BANERJEE
M1 through M6 is used to direct the
laser beam around the house to form a
net. The laser beam is directed to fi-
nally fall on an LDR that forms part of
the receiver unit as shown in Fig. 2.
Any interruption of the beam by a thief/
trespasser will result into energisation
of the alarm. The 3V power-supply cir-
cuit is a conventional full-wave recti-
fier-filter circuit. Any alarm unit that
operates on 230V AC can be connected
at the output.
The receiver
unit comprises
two identical
step-down transformers (X1 and X2), two
6V relays (RL1 and RL2), an LDR, a
transistor, and a few other passive com-
ponents. When switches S1 and S2 are
activated, transformer X1, followed by a
full-wave rectifier and smoothing capaci-
tor C1, drives relay RL1 through the
laser switch.
The laser beam should be aimed con-
tinuously on LDR. As long as the laser
beam falls on LDR, transistor T1 re-
mains forward biased and relay RL1 is
thus in de-energised condition. When a
person crosses the line of laser beam,
relay RL1 turns on and transformer X2
gets power supply and RL2
energises. In this condition,
the laser beam will have no
effect on LDR and the alarm
will continue to operate as long
as switch S2 is on.
When the torch is switched
on, the pointed laser beam is
reflected from a definite point/
place on the periphery of the
house. Making use of a set of
properly oriented mirrors
one can form an invisible net
of laser rays as shown in the
block diagram. The final ray
should fall on LDR of the
circuit.
Note. LDR should be kept
in a long pipe to protect it from
other sources of light, and
its total distance from the
source may be kept limited to
500 metres.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22 119
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

inverting pin is held at a reference volt-

IC Controlled age of approximately 6.9 volts which is

obtained using diode D5 (1N4148) and
6.2-volt zener D6. The inverting pin of
IC1 is connected to the positive termi-

Emergency Light nal of battery. Thus when mains

supply is present, IC1 comparator out-
put is high, unless battery voltage ex-
ceeds 6.9 volts. So transistor T1 is nor-

with Charger R. R
AINA
mally forward biased, which energises
relay RL1. In this state the battery re-
mains on charge via N/O contacts of
relay RL1 and current limiting resistor
R2. When battery voltage exceeds 6.9
A.P.S. DHILLON volts (overcharged condition), IC1 out-
put goes low and relay RL1 gets de-
energised, and thus stops further charg-
ing of battery.

T
he circuit shown here is that of Battery overcharge preventer circuit MOSFETs T3 and T4 may be
the IC controlled emergency is built around IC1 (LM308). Its non- mounted on suitable heat sinks.
light. Its main
features are: automatic
switching-on of the light
on mains failure and bat-
tery charger with over-
charge protection.
When mains is ab-
sent, relay RL2 is in de-
energised state, feeding
battery supply to in-
verter section via its N/
C contacts and switch
S1. The inverter section
comprises IC2 (NE555)
which is used in stable
mode to produce sharp
pulses at the rate of 50
Hz for driving the
MOSFETs. The output of
IC3 is fed to gate of
MOSFET (T4) directly
while it is applied to
MOSFET (T3) gate after
inversion by transistor
T2. Thus the power am-
plifier built around
MOSFETs T3 and T4
functions in push-pull
mode.
The output across
secondary of transformer
X2 can easily drive a
230-volt, 20-watt fluores-
cent tube. In case light
is not required to be on
during mains failure,
simply flip switch S1 to
off position.
 INTELLIGENT SWITCH
T
his intelligent switch circuit ena- remains de-en-
bles automatic, switching on of ergised. How-
an emergency light system during ever, during
darkness in the event of mains failure. darkness, pho-
The mains power failure condition to transistor
is detected by the section consisting is cut-off and
of mains step-down transformer X1 therefore tran-
followed by bridge rectifier comprising sistor T2 re-
diodes D1 through D4 and smoothing ceives forward
capacitor C1. If the mains is available base bias via
then it causes energisation of relay resistor R1
RL1 which has two sets of changeover (connected to
contacts. positive rail),
The light/darkness condition is de- as resistor R2
tected by the circuit comprising photo- is no more
transistor FPT100/2N5777 followed by grounded (via
Darlington pair comprising transistors photo-transis-
T2 and T3. However, this section will tor T1). As a
function only when mains supply is result, relay
not available (i.e. when relay RL1 is in RL2 gets en-
de-energised state) since battery supply ergised.
(negative lead) path gets completed via Thus it
lower N/C contact of relay RL1. would be ob-
During daylight, photo transistor served that
conducts and places transistor T2 base when mains is
near ground potential. Thus Darlington absent (relay RL1 de-energised) and it output path is complete. In any other
pair remains cut-off and relay RL2 is dark (relay RL2 energised), the switch condition switch output path would get
broken. The switch output terminals can
Period Conditions Switch status
be used (in series with supply) to control
a lighting system directly or indirectly
During daylight
[
(when mains is present
(when mains is absent) ] intelligent switch is off .
through another contactor/heavy-duty
relay depending upon the load.
During night darkness
[ (when mains is absent) ]
(when mains is present) intelligent switch is off .
intelligent switch is on.
The working of the intelligent switch
is summarised in the table.

200 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19


INVISIBLE BROKEN
WIRE DETECTOR
K. UDHAYA KUMARAN, VU3GTH
P
ortable loads such as video cam-
eras, halogen flood lights, elec-
trical irons, hand drillers, grind-
ers, and cutters are powered by connect-
ing long 2- or 3-core cables to the mains
plug. Due to prolonged usage, the power
cord wires are subjected to mechanical
strain and stress, which can lead to in-
ternal snapping of wires at any point. In
such a case most people go for replacing
the core/cable, as finding the exact loca-
tion of a broken wire is difficult. In 3-core
cables, it appears almost impossible to de-
tect a broken wire and the point of break
without physically disturbing all the three
wires that are concealed in a PVC jacket.
The circuit presented here can easily
and quickly detect a broken/faulty wire
and its breakage point in 1-core, 2-core,
and 3-core cables without physically dis-
turbing wires. It is built using hex in-
verter CMOS CD4069. Gates N3 and N4
are used as a pulse generator that oscil-
lates at around 1000 Hz in audio range.
CIRCUIT IDEAS
EDI
DWIV
S.C.
The frequency is determined by timing
components comprising resistors R3 and
R4, and capacitor C1. Gates N1 and N2
are used to sense the presence of 230V AC
field around the live wire and buffer weak
AC voltage picked from the test probe.
The voltage at output pin 10 of gate N2
can enable or inhibit the oscillator circuit.
When the test probe is away from any
high-voltage AC field, output pin 10 of
gate N2 remains low. As a result, diode
D3 conducts and inhibits
the oscillator circuit from
oscillating. Simulta-
neously, the output of gate
N3 at pin 6 goes low to
cut off transistor T1. As a
result, LED1 goes off.
When the test probe is
moved closer to 230V AC,
50Hz mains live wire, dur-
ing every positive half-
cycle, output pin 10 of gate
N2 goes high.
Thus during every
positive half-cycle of the
mains frequency, the os-
cillator circuit is allowed
to oscillate at around 1 kHz, making red
LED (LED1) to blink. (Due to the persis-
tence of vision, the LED appears to be
glowing continuously.) This type of blink-
ing reduces consumption of the current
from button cells used for power supply.
A 3V DC supply is sufficient for pow-
ering the whole circuit. AG13 or LR44
type button cells, which are also used in-
side laser pointers or in LED-based conti-
nuity testers, can be used for the circuit.
The circuit consumes 3 mA during the
sensing of AC mains voltage.
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  AUGUST 2001
For audio-visual indication, one may
use a small buzzer (usually built inside
quartz alarm time pieces) in parallel with
one small (3mm) LCD in place of LED1
and resistor R5. In such a case, the cur-
rent consumption of the circuit will be
around 7 mA. Alternatively, one may use
two 1.5V R6- or AA-type batteries. Using
this gadget, one can also quickly detect
fused small filament bulbs in serial loops
powered by 230V AC mains.
The whole circuit can be accommo-
dated in a small PVC pipe and used as a
handy broken-wire detector. Before detect-
ing broken faulty wires, take out any con-
nected load and find out the faulty wire
first by continuity method using any mul-
timeter or continuity tester. Then connect
230V AC mains live wire at one end of
the faulty wire, leaving the other end free.
Connect neutral terminal of the mains
AC to the remaining wires at one end.
However, if any of the remaining wires is
also found to be faulty, then both ends of
these wires are connected to neutral. For
single-wire testing, connecting neutral
only to the live wire at one end is suffi-
cient to detect the breakage point.
In this circuit, a 5cm (2-inch) long,
thick, single-strand wire is used as the
test probe. To detect the breakage point,
turn on switch S1 and slowly move the
test probe closer to the faulty wire, begin-
ning with the input point of the live wire
and proceeding towards its other end.
LED1 starts glowing during the presence
of AC voltage in faulty wire. When the
breakage point is reached, LED1 immedi-
ately extinguishes due to the non-avail-
ability of mains AC voltage. The point
where LED1 is turned off is the exact
broken-wire point.
While testing a broken 3-core rounded
cable wire, bend the probes edge in the
form of J to increase its sensitivity and
move the bent edge of the test probe closer
over the cable. During testing avoid any
strong electric field close to the circuit to
avoid false detection.
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

LASER TORCH-BASED VOICE

TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER
PRADEEP G.
SAN
I THE
O

U
sing this circuit you can communi-
cate with your neighbours
wirelessly. Instead of RF signals,
light from a laser torch is used as the
carrier in the circuit. The laser torch can
transmit light up to a distance of about 500
metres. The phototransistor of the receiver
must be accurately oriented towards the
laser beam from the torch. If there is any
obstruction in the path of the laser beam,
no sound will be heard from the receiver.
The transmitter circuit (Fig. 1) com-
prises condenser microphone transistor
amplifier BC548 (T1) followed by an op-
amp stage built around A741 (IC1). The
gain of the op-amp can be controlled with
the help of 1-mega-ohm potmeter VR1.
The AF output from IC1 is coupled to the
base of transistor BD139 (T2), which, in
turn, modulates the laser beam.
The transmitter uses 9V power sup-
ply. However, the 3-volt laser torch (after
removal of its battery) can be directly con-
nected to the circuitwith the body of
the torch connected to the emitter of
BD139 and the spring-loaded lead protrud-
ing from inside the torch to circuit ground.
The receiver circuit (Fig. 2) uses an
npn phototransistor as the light sensor that
is followed by a two-stage transistor
preamplifier and LM386-based audio
power amplifier. The receiver does not
need any complicated alignment. Just keep
the phototransistor oriented towards the
remote transmitters laser point and ad-
just the volume control for a clear sound.
To avoid 50Hz hum noise in the from AC light sources such as bulbs. cause any problem. But the sensor should
speaker, keep the phototransistor away The reflected sunlight, however, does not not directly face the sun.

JANUARY 2002 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

CIRCUIT IDEAS

MOBILE PHONE I THE

O
configuration and the positive DC supply
is directly connected to the chargers out-

BATTERY CHARGER SAN

put contact, while the negative terminal
is connected through current limiting re-
sistor R2.
T.K. HAREENDRAN LED2 works as a power indicator with
resistor R1 serving as the current limiter

M
obile phone chargers available in
the market are quite expensive.
The circuit presented here comes
as a low-cost alternative to charge mobile
telephones/battery packs with a rating of
7.2 volts, such as Nokia 6110/6150.
The 220-240V AC mains supply is
downconverted to 9V AC by transformer
X1. The transformer output is rectified by
diodes D1 through D4 wired in bridge
and LED3 indicates the charging status.
During the charging period, about 3 volts
drop occurs across resistor R2, which turns
on LED3 through resistor R3.
An external DC supply source (for in-
stance, from a vehicle battery) can also be
used to energise the charger, where resis-
tor R4, after polarity protection diode D5,
limits the input current to a safe value.
The 3-terminal positive voltage regulator
LM7806 (IC1) provides a constant voltage
output of 7.8V DC since LED1 connected
between the common terminal (pin 2) and
ground rail of IC1 raises the output volt-
age to 7.8V DC. LED1 also serves as a
power indicator for the external DC sup-
ply.
After constructing the circuit on a
veroboard, enclose it in a suitable cabinet.
A small heat sink is recommended for IC1.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU JANUARY 2002

 CIRCUIT IDEAS
Simple Low-Cost
Digital Code Lock
A. JEYABAL
M
any digital code lock circuits
have been published in this
magazine. In those circuits a
set of switches (conforming to code) are
pressed one by one within the specified
time to open the lock. In some other
circuits, custom-built ICs are used and
positive and negative logic pulses are
keyed in sequence as per the code by
two switches to open the lock.
A low-cost digital code lock circuit
is presented in this article. Here the
keying-in code is rather unique. Six
switches are to be pressed to open the
lock, but only two switches at a time.
Thus a total of three sets of switches
have to be pressed in a particular se-
quence. (Of these three sets, one set is
repeated.) The salient features of this
circuit are:
1. Use of 16 switches, which sug-
gests that there is a microprocessor in-
side.
2. Elimination of power amplifier
transistor to energise the relay.
3. Low cost and small PCB size.
NA
ANJA
RUP
An essential property of this elec-
tronic code lock is that it works in
monostable mode, i.e. once triggered,
the output becomes high and remains
so for a period of time, governed by the
timing components, before returing to
the quiescent low state. In this circuit,
timer IC 555 with 8 pins is used. The
IC is inexpensive and easily available.
Its pin 2 is the triggering input pin
which, when held below 1/3 of the sup-
ply voltage, drives the output to high
state. The threshold pin 6, when held
higher than 2/3 of the supply voltage,
drives the output to low state. By ap-
plying a low-going pulse to the reset
pin 4, the output at pin 3 can be
brought to the quiescent low level. Thus
the reset pin 4 should be held high for
normal operation of the IC.
Three sets of switches SA-SC, S1-
S8 and S3-S4 are pressed, in that or-
der, to open the lock. On pressing the
switches SA and SC simultaneously, ca-
pacitor C3 charges through the poten-
tial divider comprising resistors R3 and
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU n  JULY '99
R4, and on releasing these two switches,
capacitor C3 starts discharging through
resistor R4. Capacitor C3 and resistor
R4 are so selected that it takes about
five seconds to fully discharge C3.
Depressing switches S1 and S8 in
unison, within five seconds of releasing
the switches SA and SC, pulls pin 2 to
ground and IC 555 is triggered. The ca-
pacitor C1 starts charging through re-
sistor R1. As a result, the output (pin
3) goes high for five seconds (i.e. the
charging time T of the capacitor C1 to
the threshold voltage, which is calcu-
lated by the relation T=1.1 R1 x C1 sec-
onds).
Within these five seconds, switches
SA and SC are to be pressed momen-
tarily once again, followed by the de-
pression of last code-switch pair S3-S4.
These switches connect the relay to out-
put pin 3 and the relay is energised.
The contacts of the relay close and the
solenoid pulls in the latch (forming part
of a lock) and the lock opens. The re-
maining switches are connected between
reset pin 4 and ground. If any one of
these switches is pressed, the IC is re-
set and the output goes to its quiescent
low state. Possibilities of pressing these
reset switches are more when a code
breaker tries to open the lock.
LED D5 indicates the presence of
power supply while resistor R5 is a cur-
rent limiting resistor.
The given circuit can be recoded eas-
ily by rearranging connections to the
switches as desired by the user.
 CIRCUIT IDEAS
Electronic Jam
RAJESH K.P.
T
his jam circuit can be used in
quiz contests wherein any par-
ticipant who presses his button
(switch) before the other contestants,
gets the first chance to answer a ques-
tion. The circuit given here permits up
to eight contestants with each one al-
lotted a distinct number (1 to 8). The
display will show the number of the con-
testant pressing his button before the
others. Simultaneously, a buzzer will
also sound. Both, the display as well as
the buzzer have to be reset manually
using a common reset switch.
Initially, when reset switch S9 is mo-
mentarily pressed and released, all out-
puts of 74LS373 (IC1) transparent latch
go high since all the input data lines
are returned to Vcc via resistors R1
A.P.S
. DH
ILLO
N
through R8. All eight outputs of IC1
are connected to inputs of priority en-
coder 74LS147 (IC2) as well as 8-input
NAND gate 74LS30 (IC3). The output
of IC3 thus becomes logic 0 which, after
inversion by NAND gate N2, is applied
to latch-enable pin 11 of IC1. With all
input pins of IC2 being logic 1, its BCD
output is 0000, which is applied to 7-
segment decoder/driver 74LS47 (IC6) af-
ter inversion by hex inverter gates in-
side 74LS04 (IC5). Thus, on reset the
display shows 0.
When any one of the push-to-on
switchesS1 through S8is pressed,
the corresponding output line of IC1 is
latched at logic 0 level and the display
indicates the number associated with
the specific switch. At the same time,
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU n  JUNE '99
output pin 8 of IC3 becomes high, which
causes outputs of both gates N1 and
N2 to go to logic 0 state. Logic 0 output
of gate N2 inhibits IC1, and thus press-
ing of any other switch S1 through S8
has no effect. Thus, the contestant who
presses his switch first, jams the dis-
play to show only his number. In the
unlikely event of simultaneous press-
ing (within few nano-seconds difference)
of more than one switch, the higher
priority number (switch no.) will be
displayed. Simultaneously, the logic 0
output of gate N1 drives the buzzer via
pnp transistor BC158 (T1). The buzzer
as well the display can be reset (to
show 0) by momentary pressing of re-
set switch S9 so that next round may
start.
Lab Note: The original circuit sent
by the author has been modified as it
did not jam the display, and a higher
number switch (higher priority), even
when pressed later, was able to change
the displayed number.

Long-Range IR Transmitter
EFY Lab
M
ost of the IR remotes work re-
liably within a range of 5 me-
tres. The circuit complexity
increases if you design the IR transmit-
ter for reliable operation over a longer
range, say, 10 metres. To double the
range from 5 metres to 10 metres, you
need to increase the transmitted power
Fig. 1: Circuit of the long-range ir transmitter
four times.
If you wish
to realise a
highly direc-
tional IR beam
(very narrow
Fig. 2: Pin configurations
beam), you can
of bc547/557 and bS170 suitably use an
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
circuit
ideas
s.c. dwiv
edi
IR laser pointer as the IR signal source.
The laser pointer is readily available in
the market. However, with a very nar- duces the power loss that would result
row beam from the laser pointer, you if a transistor were used. To avoid any
have to take extra care, lest a small jerk dip during its on/off operations, a
to the gadget may change the beam 100F reservoir capacitor C2 is used
orientation and cause loss of contact. across the battery supply. Its advan-
Here is a simple circuit that will tage will be more obvious when the
give you a pretty long range. It uses IR transmitter is powered by ordinary
three infrared transmitting LEDs (IR1 batteries. Capacitor C2 supplies extra
charge during switch-
ing on operations.
As the MOSFET ex-
hibits large capacitance
across gate-source ter-
minals, a special drive
arrangement has been
made using npn-pnp
Darlington pair of
BC547 and BC557 (as
emitter followers), to
avoid distortion of the
gate drive input. Data
(CMOS-compatible) to
be transmitted is used
for modulating the 38
kHz frequency gener-
ated by CD4047 (IC1).
However, in the circuit
shown here, tactile
switch S1 has been
used for modulating
through IR3) in series to increase the and transmitting the IR signal.
radiated power. Further, to increase Assemble the circuit on a gen-
the directivity and so also the power eral-purpose PCB. Use switch S2 for
density, you may assemble the IR LEDs power on/off control. Commer-
inside the reflector of a torch. cially available IR receiver modules
For increasing the circuit efficiency, (e.g., TSOP1738) could be used for
a MOSFET (BS170) has been used, efficient reception of the transmitted
which acts as a switch and thus re- IR signals.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 8 1 0 9
 Long-range FM Transmitter
S
everal circuits for constructing FM
transmitters have been published
in EFY. The power output of most
of these circuits were very low because
no power amplifier stages were incorpo-
rated.
The transmitter circuit described here
has an extra RF power amplifier stage,
after the oscillator stage, to raise the
power output to 200-250 milliwatts. With
a good matching 50-ohm groundplane
antenna or multi-element Yagi antenna,
this transmitter can provide reasonably
good signal strength up to a distance of
about 2 kilometres.
The circuit built around transistor
T1 (BF494) is a basic low-power vari-
able-frequency VHF oscillator. A varicap an aluminium sheet. VR2 is used for power control. For hum-
diode circuit is included to change the fre- Coil winding details are given below: free operation, operate the transmitter
quency of the transmitter and to provide L1 4 turns of 20 SWG wire close on a 12V rechargeable battery pack of
frequency modulation by audio signals. wound over 8mm diameter plastic 10 x 1.2-volt Ni-Cd cells. Transistor T2
The output of the oscillator is about 50 former. must be mounted on a heat sink. Do
milliwatts. Transistor T2 (2N3866) forms L2 2 turns of 24 SWG wire near top not switch on the transmitter without
a VHF-class A power amplifier. It boosts end of L1. a matching antenna. Adjust both trim-
the oscillator signals power four to five (Note: No core (i.e. air core) is used for mers (VC1 and VC2) for maximum
times. Thus, 200-250 milliwatts of power the above coils) transmission power. Adjust potentiom-
is generated at the collector of transistor L3 7 turns of 24 SWG wire close eter VR1 to set the centre frequency
T2. wound with 3mm diameter air core. near 100 MHz.
For better results, assemble the circuit L4 7 turns of 24 SWG wire-wound on This transmitter should only be used
on a good-quality glass epoxy board and a ferrite bead (as choke) for educational purposes. Regular trans-
house the transmitter inside an alumini- Potentiometer VR1 is used to set the mission using such a transmitter without
um case. Shield the oscillator stage using centre frequency whereas potentiometer a licence is illegal in India.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

 LOW-COST PCO BILLING METER
T
he circuit presented here can be
used in PCOs for displaying the
actual bill. The comparative
disadvantages of the presented circuit are
as follows:
1. The calculator used along with this
circuit is required to be switched on
manually before making a call.
2. Certain manual entries have to be
made in the calculator; for example, for
a pulse rate of Rs 1.26, number 1.26 is
to be entered after switching on the
calculator followed by pressing of +
button twice. However, possibility exists
for automating these two functions by
using additional circuitry.
In telephony, on-hook condition is
represented by existance of 48V to 52V
across the line. Similarly, the off-hook
condition is represented by the line
voltage dropping to a level of 8V to 10V
(depending upon the length of the local
lead line (local loop) from telephone
exchange to the subscribers premises as
188 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21
well as upon the impedance of telephone
instrument). Handset is normally lifted
either for dialing or in response to a ring.
In the circuit shown in Fig. 1, when
the handset is off-hook, the optocoupler
MCT2E (IC1) conducts and forward
biases transistor T1, which, in turn,
forward biases transistor T2 and
energises relay RL1. In energised
condition of relay, the upper set of relay
contacts connects the positive supply rail
to PLL (phase-
locked loop) IC2
(LM567) pin 4,
while the lower set
of relay contacts
couples the positive
telephone lead to
input pin 3 of
LM567 via
capacitor C1 and
resistor R3.
The negative
telephone lead is
permanently
capacitively coupled to ground via
capacitor C2. As soon as call matures,
16kHz tone pulses would be pumped into
the telephone line by the telephone
exchange at suitable intervals. This
interval depends on the pulse rate of the
place called and also the time of the day
and whether its a working-day or
holiday. On receipt of 16kHz pulse,
output pin 8 of IC LM567 (which is tuned
for centre frequency of 16 kHz) goes low
for the duration of the pulse. The output
of IC2 is coupled via transistor T3 to
optocoupler IC3. The output of this
optocoupler is used to bridge the =
button on a calculator (such as Taksun
make), which has the effect of pressing
the = button of the calculator.
Considering that pulse rate for a
specific town/time/day happens to be Rs
1.26 per pulse, then before maturity of
the call one enters 1.26 followed by
pressing of + key twice. Now, if a total
of ten billing pulses have been received
from exchange for the duration of the call,
then on completion of the call, the
calculator display would show 12.60. The
telephone operator has to bill the
customer Rs 14.60 (Rs 12.60 towards call
charges plus Rs 2.00 towards service
charges).
For tuning of the PLL circuit around
IC2, lift the handset and inject 16kHz
tone across the line input points.
Tune IC2 to centre frequency of 16 kHz
with the help of preset VR1. Proper
tuning of the PLL will cause LED
(D6) to glow even with a very low-
amplitude 16kHz tone.
EFY Lab note. Arrangement used for
simulating a 16kHz pulsed tone is shown
in Fig. 2. Push-to-on switch is used for
generation of fixed-duration pulse for
modulating and switching on a 16kHz
oscillator.
For more details regarding pulse
rates, pulse codes, etc, readers are
advised to go through the tariff rates and
pulse code information given in the
beginning pages of telephone directories,
such as MTNL, Delhi directory, Vol. I.
 Low-cost Transistorised
Intercom
S
everal intercom circuits have ap-
peared in EFY using integrated
circuits. The circuit described here
uses three easily available transistors
only. Even a beginner can easily assemble
it on a piece of veroboard.
The circuit comprises a 3-stage resis-
tor-capacitor coupled amplifier. When
ring button S2 is pressed, the amplifier
circuit formed around transistors T1 and
T2 gets converted into an asymmetrical
astable multivib-rator generating ring
signals. These ring signals are amplified
by transistor T3 to drive the speaker of
earpiece.
Current consumption of this intercom
is 10 to 15 mA only. Thus a 9-volt PP3 required to be used. Output of one am-
plifier unit goes to speaker of the other
unit, and vice versa. For single-battery
operation, join corresponding supply
and ground terminals of both the units
together.
The complete circuit, along with
microphone and earpiece etc, can be
housed inside the plastic body of a toy
cellphone, which is easily available
in the market. Suggested cellphone
cabinet, with the position of switches,
battery would have a long life, when used For making a two-way intercom, two speakers and mike etc is shown.
in this circuit. identical units, as shown in figure, are

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

 Low Current, High
Voltage Power Supply
A
high voltage power supply is a
very useful source which can be Table
effectively used in many applica- Details of the Transformer Windings
tions like biasing of gas-discharge tubes Windings No. of Standard wire
and radiation detectors etc. Such a power turns gauge (SWG)
supply could also be used for protection of Primary 50 31
property by charging of fences. Here the Feedback 12 31
current requirement is of the order of a Secondary 1650 41
few microamps. In such an application,
high voltage would essentially exist be-
tween a live wire and ground. When this
live wire is touched, the discharge occurs
via body resistance and it gives a non-le-
thal but deterrent shock to an intruder.
The circuit is built around a transis-
torised blocking oscillator. An important
element in this circuit is the transformer.
It can be fabricated using easily available
ferrite core. Two E sections of the core
are joined face-to-face after the enamelled
copper wire wound on former is placed in
it. The details of the transformer windings
are given in the Table.
In this configuration, the primary wind-
ing and the feedback winding are arranged about 24V(p-p). This gets further ampli- adjusted by varying the supply voltage.
such that a sustained oscillations are en- fied due to the large step-up ratio of the The present configuration gives 2 kV for an
sured once the supply is switched on. The transformer and we get about 800V(p-p) input DC voltage of 15 V. Though higher
waveforms duty cycle is asymmetrical, but across the secondary. A simple series volt- voltages could be achieved by increas-
it is not very important in this application. age multiplier (known as Cockroft-Walton ing input supply, one word of caution is
Please note that if the oscillations do not oc- circuit) is used to boost up this voltage necessary: that the component ratings
cur at the switch-on time, the transformer in steps to give a final DC voltage of about have to be kept in mind. If the ratings
winding terminals of the feedback or the 2 kV. are exceeded then there will be electrical
primary winding (but not both) should be The output voltage, however, is not discharges and breakdowns, which will
reversed. very well regulated. But if there is a damage the device.
The primary oscillations amplitude is constant load, the final voltage can be

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

LUGGAGE SECURITY SYSTEM

DHURJATI SINHA EDI alarm sounds, connections to pin 1 and 6
DWIV
S.C. may be made as per the table.
Select 1 Select 2 Sound effect

W
hile travelling by a train or bus, sistor T1 gets forward biased to extend (Pin6) (Pin1)
we generally lock our luggage the positive supply to the alarm circuit. X X Police siren
using a chain-and-lock arrange- In idle mode, the power consumption of VDD X Fire-engine siren
ment. But, still we are under tension, ap- the circuit is minimum and thus it can be VSS X Ambulance siren
prehending that somebody may cut the used for hundreds of travel hours. - VDD Machine-gun sound
chain and steal our luggage. Here is a To enable generation of different Note: X = no connection; - = do not care
simple circuit to alarm you when
somebody tries to cut the chain.
Transistor T1 enables supply to
the sound generator chip when the
base current starts flowing through
it. When the wire (thin enameled
copper wire of 30 to 40 SWG, used
for winding transformers) loop
around the chain is broken by some-
body, the base of transistor T1,
which was earlier tied to positive
rail, gets opened. As a result, tran-

86
 MAGIC LIGHTS
T
he circuit as shown in the figure
employs 14 bi-colour (red and
green) LEDs having three termi-
nals each. Different dancing colour pat-
terns are produced using this circuit since
each LED can produce three different
colours. The middle terminal (pin 2) of the
LEDs is the common cathode pin which is
grounded. When a positive voltage is ap-
plied to pin 1, it emits red light. Similarly,
when positive voltage is applied to pin 3. it
emits green light. And when positive volt-
age is simultaneously applied to its pins 1
and 3, it emits amber light. The circuit can
be used for decorative lights.
IC1 (555) is used in astable mode to
generate clock signal for IC2 and IC3
(CD4518) which are dual BCD counters.
Both counters of each of these ICs have
been cascaded to obtain 8 outputs from
each. The outputs from IC2 and IC3 are
connected to IC4 through IC7 which are
BCD to 7-segment latch/decodor/driver
ICs. Thus we obtain a total of 14 seg-
ment outputs from each of the IC pairs
consisting of IC4 plus IC5 and IC6 plus
IC7. While outputs from former pair
are connected to pin No. 1 of all the
14 bi-colour LEDs via current limiting
resistors, the ouputs of the latter pair
are similarly connected to pin No.3 of
all the bi-colour LEDs to get a magical
dancing lights effect.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19 187
 Magnetic Proximity Switch
H
ere is an interesting circuit for a
magnetic proximity switch which
can be used in various applica-
tions.
The circuit, consists of a reed switch
at its heart. When a magnet is brought
in the vicinity of the sensor (reed switch),
its contacts close to control the rest
of the switching circuit. In place of the
reed switch, one may, as well, use a
general-purpose electromagnetic reed
relay (by making use of the reed switch
contacts) as the sensor, if required. These
tiny reed relays are easily available as
they are widely used in telecom products.
The reed switch or relay to be used with a consequence its output at pin 3 is used. Note that the flip-flop is wired
this circuit should be the normally open goes high for a short duration and in toggle mode with data input (pin 5)
type. supplies clock to the clock input connected to the Q (pin 2) output. On
When a magnet is brought/placed (pin 3) of IC2 (CD4013dual D-type receipt of clock pulse, the Q output at
in the vicinity of the sensor element flip-flop). LED D2 is used as a response pin 1 changes from low to high state and
for a moment, the contacts of the indicator. due to this the relay driver transistor
reed switch close to trigger timer This CMOS IC2 consists of two inde- T1 gets forward-biased. As a result the
IC1 wired in monostable mode. As pendent flip-flops though here only one relay RL1 is energised.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

CIRCUIT IDEAS

DING-DONG BELL SAN

I TH
EO
tary-pair, two-transistor amplifier is used
to amplify the sound to a fair level of
PRAVEEN SHANKER audiblity. You may either use a piezo
tweeter or an 8-ohm, 500mW speaker at

T
his simple and cost-effective door
bell circuit is based on IC 8021-2
from Formox Semiconductors
(Website address: fortech@mantramail. the output.
com). It is an 8-pin DIP IC whose only During the standby period, the IC con-
four pins, as shown in the circuit, have sumes nominal current of a few microam-
been used. peres only. Therefore switch S1 may be
The IC has an in-built kept closed. Each time switch S2 is
circuitry to produce ding- pressed, ding dong sound is produced
dong sound each time its twice. If you try to press switch S2 a sec-
pin 3 is pulled low. The ond time when the first ding dong sound
sound is stored in the IC is still being produed, it has no effect what-
as bits, as in a ROM. The ever and the two ding-dong bell sounds
sound output from the IC will be invariably produced.
cant however drive a The circuit costs no more than Rs 35
speaker directly, as this and the IC 8021-2 used in the circuit is
puts strain on the device. readily available for around Rs 15 in the
Therefore a complemen- market.

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU MARCH 2002

 C I R CC UI RICTU I IT DI ED EAASS

when it detects IR light, triggering the

IR REMOTE SWITCH DWIV
EDI
monostable (1-second) built around timer
NE555. The output of the mono toggles
K.S. SANKAR S.C. the J-K flip flop, whose Q output drives
the relay through SL100 npn transistor (T1).
LED2, LED3, and LED4 are used to

I
magine the convenience of selecting works up to a distance of about 10 metres. display the status of each output stage dur-
TV channels using your remote and The circuit is built around a 3-pin IR ing circuit operation. Back-EMF diode D5
then pointing the same remote to your IC receiver (Siemens SFH-506-38 or equiva- is used for protection. Transistor T1 is con-
switchboard to switch on/off the fan or lent) that can detect 38kHz burst frequency figured as an open-collector output device
the tubelight. Here is a simple circuit to generated by a TV remote. (This IR re- to drive the relay rated at 12V DC.
remotely switch on/off any electrical de- ceiver module has been covered earlier in The circuit draws the power from volt-
vice through a relay using the normal TV/ many projects published in EFY.) age regulator 7805. Capacitor C5 is sol-
VCR/VCP/VCD remote control unit. It The output pin of IR sensor goes low dered close to the IR sensors pins to avoid
noise and false
triggering. Ca-
pacitor C3 and
resistor R3 also
avoid false trig-
gering of
monostable
NE555. The
monostable acts
as a 1-second
hysterisis unit to
restrict the flip-
flop from getting
retriggered
within one sec-
ond. To activate
any other 12V
logic device, use
the output across
the relay coil ter-
minals.

MARCH 2002 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

Wiper Speed timing resistors R4 and R5 connected in

the circuit of timer IC3 which functions
in astable mode.

Controller Y. K
AT ARIA As presets VR1 through VR10 are
set for different values, different time
periods (or frequencies) for astable
multivibrator IC3 can be selected. The
PRADEEP G. output of IC3 is applied to pnp driver
transistor T1 (TIP32) for driving the fi-

A
continuously working wiper in for the decade counter (IC2) which ad- nal power transistor T2 (2N3055) which
a car may prove to be a nui- vances by one count on each successive in turn drives the wiper motor at the
sance, especially when it is not clock pulse or the push of switch S1. selected sweep speed. The power supply
raining heavily. By using the circuit de- Ten presets (VR1 through VR10), for the wiper motor as well as the circuit
scribed here one can vary sweeping rate set for different values by trial and er- is tapped from the vehicles battery it-
of the wiper from once a second to once ror, are used at the ten outputs of IC2. self. The duration of monostable
in ten seconds. But since only one output of IC2 is high multivibrator IC1 is set for a nearly one
The circuit comprises two timer at a time, only one preset (at selected second period.
NE555 ICs, one CD4017 decade counter, output) effectively comes in series with
one TIP32
driver tran-
sistor, a
2N3055
power tran-
sistor (or
TIP3055)
and a few
other dis-
crete compo-
nents.
Timer
IC1 is con-
figured as a
mono- stable
multivibrator
which pro-
duces a
pulse when
one presses
switch S1
momen-
tarily. This
pulse acts as
a clock pulse

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU n  MARCH '99

 Miniature Strobe Light
S
trobe lights are widely used by High voltage pulses induced in pri- neon lamp, it goes off and capacitor C3
disco lovers to create wonderful mary side are rectified by diode D1 and starts charging again. This cycle keeps on
visual effects in disco halls and rapidly charge reservoir capacitor C2 repeating for a short time, based on the
auditoria. The circuit of a battery oper- to nearly 300V DC. When switch S1 is reservoir capacitor C2s value.
ated portable miniature strobe light, released, capacitor C2 holds the voltage Precautions. The neon lamp flasher
which can be constructed using read- level for a finite period while capacitor section of this circuit carries danger-
ily available inexpensive components, is C3 charges slowly through resistor R3. ously high voltages. All precautions
described here. When voltage across capacitor C3 be- should therefore be taken for protec-
For convenience and simplicity, an comes high enough, neon strikes and the tion. Before any repair work, discharge
ordinary neon lamp is used here in place capacitor rapidly discharges through the capacitor C2 using a short length of
of the conventional Xenon tube. The whole lamp. When voltage across capacitor C3 wire with a 100k resistor connected
gadget can thus be easily accommodated in falls below the extinguishing potential of in series.
a small cabinet, such as a mains adaptor
cover, with a suitable reflector for neon
lamp to give a proper look. Since current
requirement of this circuit is very small, it
may be powered by two medium-size dry
cells (3V) or Ni-Cd cells (2.4V).
Transistors T1 and T2 in the
circuit form a complimentary-pair am-
plifier. When switch S1 is momentarily
depressed, the circuit oscillates because of
the positive feedback provided via resistor
R2 and capacitor C1 to the base of transis-
tor T1. The sharp pulses in the secondary
windings induce a high voltage in primary
windings of transformer X1, which in fact
is a line driver transformer (used in re-
verse) generally used in 36cm TV sets.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

 Musical Touch Bell
H
ere is a musical call bell that can
be operated by just bridging the
gap between the touchplates with
ones fingertips. Thus there is no need
for a mechanical on/off switch because
the touch-plates act as a switch. Other
features include low cost and low power
consumption. The bell can work on 1.5V
or 3V, using one or two pencil cells, and
can be used in homes and offices.
Two transistors are used for sensing
the finger touch and switching on a melody
IC. Transistor BC548 is npn type while
Readers comments:
The circuit starts ringing (without
touching the screw) when connected to
3V. On disconnecting points 1 and 2 (kept
open), I still received the ring. Why so?
A. Vaidhyanathan
Sukant Kumar Behara
transistor BC558 is pnp type.
The emitter of transistor BC548 is
shorted to the ground, while that of tran-
sistor BC558 is connected to the positive
terminal. The collector of transistor BC548 single pencil cell of 1.5V.
is connected to the base of BC558. The
base of BC548 is connected to the washer
(as shown in the figure). The collector of
BC558 is connected to pin 2 of musical IC
UM66, and pin 3 of IC UM66 is shorted
to the ground. The output from pin 1 is
connected to a transistor amplifier com-
prising BEL187 transistor for feeding the
Pollachi
The author, Sukant Kumar Behara,
replies:
You can rectify this snag by changing
transistor T1 (BC148) with a new one.
On touching the base of transistor T1, its
loudspeaker. One end of 2.2-ohm resistor
R1 is connected to the positive rail and the
other to a screw (as shown in the figure).
The complete circuit is connected to a
When the touch-plate gap is bridged
with a finger, the emitter-collector junc-
tion of transistor BC548 starts conduct-
ing. Simultaneously, the emitter-baser
junction of transistor BC558 also starts
conducting. As a result, the collector of
transistor BC558 is pulled towards the
positive rail, which thus activates melody
generator IC1 (UM66). The output of IC1
is amplified by transistor BEL187 and fed
to the speaker. So we hear a musical note
just by touching the touch points.
The washers inner diameter should
be 1 to 2 mm greater than that of the
screwhead. The washer could be fixed in
the position by using an adhesive, while
the screw can be easily driven in a wooden
piece used for mounting the touch-plate.
The use of brass washer and screw is rec-
ommended for easy solder-ability.
emitter-collector junction starts conduct-
ing. But youve mentioned that even with-
out touching the base of transistor T1, the
bell starts ringing, which means that the
emitter-collector junction of the transistor
has got shorted internally.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22
 PARALLEL TELEPHONE
WITH SECRECY
O
ften a need arises for connection disconnects you toggle switch at
of two telephone instruments in in the other your telephone end
parallel to one line. But it creates position of the to receive the call
quite a few problems in their proper switch. At any and have a
performance, such as over loading and one time, only conversation. As
overhearing of the conversation by an one telephone is soon as the position
undesired person. In order to eliminate all connected to the of the toggle switch
such problems and get a clear reception, a line. To receive is changed, the line
simple scheme is presented here (Fig. 1). a call at the gets transferred to
This system will enable the incoming instrument, the other telephone
ring to be heard at both the telephones. which is not instrument.
The DPDT switch, installed with each of connected to the Mount one
the parallel telephones, connects you to line, you just DPDT toggle
the line in one position of the switch and have to flip the switch, one
telephone ringer, and one
telephone terminal box on
two wooden electrical
switchboards, as shown in
Fig. 3. Interconnect the
boards using a 4-pair
telephone cable as per Fig.
1. The system is ready to
use. Ensure that the two
lower leads of switch S2
are connected to switch S1
after reversal, as shown in
the figure.
Lab. Note: The
external ringer for the
project as shown in Fig. 2,
was designed/fabricated
at EFY Lab.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21 181

circuit
ideas

PC Multimedia Speakers s.c. dwiv

edi

T.K. Hareendran
age down to 1.8 volts and minimum
output power of around 450 mW/

T
his circuit of multimedia speak- channel with 4-ohm loudspeaker at 5V limiter and capacitors C1
ers for PCs has single-chip- DC supply input. and C4 act as buffers.
based design, low-voltage pow- An ideal power amplifier can be Working of the cir-
er supply, compatibility with USB simply defined as a circuit that can cuit is simple. Audio
power, easy heat-sinking, low cost, deliver audio power into external loads Fig. 2: Pin signals from the PC au-
high flexibility and wide temperature without generating significant signal configuration dio socket/headphone
of TDA2822M
tolerance. distortion and without consuming socket are fed to the am-
At the heart of the circuit is IC excessive quiescent current. plifier circuit through components R2
TDA2822M. This IC is, in fact, mono- This circuit is powered by 5V DC and C2 (left channel), and R3 and C3
(right channel). Pot-
meter VR1 works as
the volume control-
ler for left (L) chan-
nel and potmeter
VR2 works for right
(R) channel. Pin 7 of
TDA2822M receives
the left-channel
sound signals and
pin 6 receives the
right-channel signals
through VR1 and
RIGHT VR2, respectively.
Amplified signals
for driving the left
and right loudspeak-
ers are available at
pins 1 and 3 of IC1,
respectively. Com-
ponents R5 and C8,
and R6 and C10 form
the traditional zobel
Fig. 1: Circuit for PC multimedia speaker network.
Assemble the cir-
lithic type in 8-lead mini DIP pack- supply available from the USB port cuit on a medium-size, general-purpose
age. It is intended for use as a dual of the PC. When power switch S1 is PCB and enclose in a suitable cabinet.
audio power amplifier in battery-pow- flipped to on position, 5V power It is advisable to use a socket for IC
ered sound players. Specifications of supply is extended to the circuit and TDA2822M. The external connections
TDA2822M are low quiescent current, power-indicator red LED1 lights up should be made using suitably screened
low crossover distortion, supply volt- instantly. Resistor R1 is a current surge wires for better result.

9 0 au g u s t 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 CIRCUIT
IDEAS
PC TEMPERATURE ALARM

RAJ K. GORKHALI
I
f your PC overheats, it could
damage its expensive components.
Heres a circuit that warns you of
your PC getting heated.
Todays computers contain most
of the circuitry on just a few chips
and reduced power consumption is
a byproduct of this LSI and VSLI
approach. Some PCs still have
power supplies that are capable of
supplying around 200W, but few
PCs actually consume power to this
extent.
On the other hand, apart from
some portable and small desktop com-
puters that use the latest micro-power
components, most PCs still consume
significant amount of power and gen-
erate certain amount of heat.
The temperature inside the aver-
age PC starts to rise well above the
ambient temperature soon after it is
switched on. Some of the larger inte-
grated circuits become quite hot and
if the temperature inside the PC rises
Fig. 1: Circuit for PC temperature alarm
92 SEPTEMBER 2007 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
too high, these devices may not be
able to dissipate heat fast enough.
This, in turn, could lead to failure of
devices and eventually of the PC.
Various means to combat overheat-
ing are available, ranging from simple
temperature alarms to devices like
temperature-activated fans to keep the
microprocessor cool.
Here is a temperature alarm that
activates an audio beeper if the tem-
perature inside the PC exceeds a pre-
set threshold. This temperature is user-
adjustable and can be anywhere be-
tween 0C and 100C.
The unit is in the form of a
small PC expansion card, which you
simply need to plug into any avail-
able slot of the host PC. It is powered
from the PC and consumes only about
12 mA.
The sensor (LM35) used here pro-
vides a substantial amount of on-chip
signal conditioning, including ampli-
fication, level shifting and phase in-
version. As a result, it provides an out-
put of 10 mV per degree centigrade
S.C. DW
IVEDI
rise in temperature. It caters to a tem-
perature measurement range of 0C to
100C, which corresponds to 0V to 1V
of voltage.
The voltage-detector stage com-
pares the output voltage of the tem-
perature sensor with the preset refer-
ence voltage. The output of the com-
parator goes high if the output po-
tential from the sensor exceeds the
reference voltage. When this happens,
the voltage comparator enables a low-
frequency oscillator, which, in turn,
activates the audio oscillator. The out-
put of the audio oscillator is connected
to a loudspeaker (LS1), which sounds
a simple beep-beep alarm. The ref-
erence voltage determines the tem-
perature at which the alarm is acti-
vated.
Fig. 1 shows the circuit of the PC
temperature alarm and Fig. 2 shows
the pin configuration of sensor LM35.
IC LM35 (IC1) is an easy-to-use
temperature sensor. It is basically a
three-terminal device (two supply
leads plus the output) that operates
WWW.EFYMAG.COM

over a wide supply range of 4 to 20V.
It consumes only 56 A at 5V and
generates insignificant heat.
IC2 is an operational amplifier used
here as a voltage comparator. VR1 pro-
vides a reference voltage that can be
set anywhere from 0V to approxi-
mately 1V, which matches the output
voltage range of IC1. This reference
voltage is applied to the inverting in-
put of IC2 and the output of IC1 is
coupled to the non-inverting input.
Consequently, the output of IC2 is low
if the output of IC1 is below the refer-
ence voltage, or high if the output of
IC1 exceeds the reference voltage.
The low-frequency oscillator IC3 is
a standard 555 astable multivibrator
circuit. It is gated via the reset input
at pin 4, which holds output pin 3 low
when IC3 is gated off (when the out-
put of IC2 is low). This prevents IC4
from oscillating. IC4 is another 555
WWW.EFYMAG.COM
astable multivibrator
circuit, gated via its
reset input. It has an
operating frequency
of approximately 2.5
kHz.
When IC3 is acti-
Fig. 2: Pin vated, its output pro-
details of LM35 vides a square wave
of 1 Hz. This is used
to trigger IC4, which gives an audio
output of 2.5 kHz in bursts. It is con-
nected to loudspeaker LS1 to generate
alarm.
The alarm circuit can be fitted into
any spare expansion slot of the PC, but
be careful to fit it the right way round.
Before setting VR1 to a suitable thresh-
old temperature, decide what that tem-
perature should be. The technical speci-
fication in your computers manual
might be of help here.
If we assume that the room tem-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU SEPTEMBER 2007 93
CIRCUIT
IDEAS
perature will not normally exceed
25oC, the temperature of the interior
of the computer would be up to 35oC.
Unless you have good reason to use a
different threshold temperature, VR1
should be set for a wiper potential of
350 mV.
Trial-and-error method can be
used in the absence of test equip-
ment to enable VR1, but it would be
a bit time-consuming. There is a
slight complication in that the
computers outer casing must be at
least partially removed to provide
access to VR1. Once VR1 has been
adjusted, the outer casing must be put
back into place so that the interior of
the computer can warm up in the
normal way. You must therefore al-
low time for the temperature inside
the computer to rise back to its nor-
mal operating level each time VR1 is
readjusted.

 PC-Based 7-Segment
Rolling Display
It
is very interesting and con
venient to be able to control
everything while sitting at
your PC terminal. Here, a simple
hardware circuit and software is
used to interface a 7-segment based
rolling display.
The printer port of a PC pro-
vides a set of points with some act-
ing as input lines and some others
as output lines. Some lines are open
collector type which can be used as
input lines. The circuit given here
can be used for interfacing with any
type of PCs printer port.
The 25-pin parallel port connec-
tor at the back of a PC is a combi-
nation of three ports. The address
varies from 378H-37AH. The 7 lines
of port 378H (pins 2 through 8) are
used in this circuit to output the
code for segment display through
IC1. The remaining one line of port
378H (pin 9) and four lines of port
37AH (pins 1, 14, 16, 17) are used
to enable the display digits (one a
time) through IC2.
The bits D0, D1 and D3 of port
37AH connected to pins 1, 14 and 17
of D connector are inverted by the
computer before application to the pins PC places the 7-segment code for the first over and over again. Because of this rep-
while data bit D2 is not inverted. There- digit/character on the data bus and ena- etition at a fairly high rate, there is an
fore to get a logic high at any of former bles only the first 7-segment display. After illusion that all the digits/characters are
three pins, we must send logic 0 output to delay of a few milliseconds, the 7-segment continuously being displayed. DISP1 is to
the corresponding pin of port 37AH. code for the digit/character is replaced by be physically placed as the least signifi-
Another important concept illustrated that of the next charter/digit, but this time cant digit.
by the project is the time division multi- only second display digit is enabled. IC1 (74LS244) is an octal buffer which
plexing. Note that all the five 7-segment After the display of all characters/ is primarily used to increase the driving
displays share a common data bus. The digits in this way, the cycle repeats itself capability. It has two groups of four buff-

P r o g r a m
/*DISP.C*** PC BASED ROLLING clrscr(); delay(300);
DISPLAY */ for(f=200;f<=500;f+=100)
/* P.R.DESHMUKH*/ { }
#include<stdio.h> sound(f );
#include<conio.h> delay(100); else
#include<dos.h> } {
#define PORTA 0x378 nosound(); outportb(PORTB,0x0b);
#define PORTB 0x37a while (!kbhit()) outportb(PORTA,m[j]);
void main() { outportb(PORTA ,(m[j] || ( 0x80)));
{ for (j=0;j<=4;j++) delay(300);
int dno[6]={0x0a,0x09,0x0f,0x03,0x80}; { }
/* code for hallo*/ outportb(PORTA,m[j]); }
int m[5]={0x76,0x77,0x38,0x38,0x3f }; if(j<=3) }
/*code for the selection of display*/ { }
int f,j; outportb(PORTB,dno[j]);

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

ers with non-inverted tri-state outputs.
The buffer is controlled by two active
low enable lines. IC2 (75492) can drive
a maximum of six 7-segment displays.
(For driving up to seven common-cathode
displays one may use ULN2003 described
in the previous circuit idea.)
The program for rolling display
is given in the listing DISP.C above.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
Whatever the message/characters to
be displayed (here five characters have
been displayed), these are separated
and stored in an array. Then these are
decoded.
Decoding software is very simple.
Just replace the desired character with
the binary equivalent of the display
code. The display code is a byte that
has the appropriate bits turned on. For
example, to display character L, the
segments to be turned on are f, e and
d. This is equivalent to 111000 binary
or 38 hex.
Please note that only limited char-
acters can be formed using 7-segment
display. Characters such as M, N and K
cannot be formed properly.
 PHONE BROADCASTER
H
ere is a simple yet very useful breakdown voltage (here 24V) and switch- tor T3 works as a common-emitter RF
circuit which can be used to ing voltage of the transistor T1 (0.7V). oscillator, with transistor T2 serving as
eavesdrop on a telephone con- Thus, if we adjust preset VR1 to get over an electronic on/off switch. The audio
versation. The circuit can also be used as 24.7 volts, it will cause the zener to signal available across the telephone lines
a wireless telephone amplifier. breakdown and transistor T1 to conduct. automatically modulates oscillator fre-
One important feature of this circuit As a result collector of transistor T1 will quency via transistor T2 along with its
is that the circuit derives its power di- get pulled towards negative supply, to cut series biasing resistor R3. The modu-
rectly from the active telephone lines, and off transistor T2. At this stage, if you lift lated RF signal is fed to the antenna. The
thus avoids use of any external battery the handset of the telephone, the line volt- telephone conversation can be heard on
or other power supplies. This not only age drops to about 11V and transistor T1 an FM receiver remotely when it is tuned
saves a lot of space but also money. It is cut off. As a result, transistor T2 gets to FM transmitter frequency.
consumes very low current from telephone forward biased through resistor R2, to pro- Lab Note: During testing of the cir-
lines without disturbing its performance. vide a DC path for transistor T3 used in cuit it was observed that the telephone
The circuit is very tiny and can be the following FM transmitter section. used was giving an engaged tone
built using a single-IC type veroboard that The low-power FM transmitter sec- when dialed by any subscriber. Addition
can be easily fitted inside a telephone tion comprises oscillator transistor T3, coil of resistor R5 and capacitor C6 was found
connection box of 3.75 cm x 5 cm. L1, and a few other components. Transis- necessary for rectification of the fault.
The circuit consists of two sec-
tions, namely, automatic switch-
ing section and FM transmitter
section.
Automatic switching section
comprises resistors R1 to R3,
preset VR1, transistors T1 and T2,
zener D2, and diode D1. Resistor
R1, along with preset VR1, works
as a voltage divider. When voltage
across the telephone lines is 48V
DC, the voltage available at wiper
of preset VR1 ranges from 0 to 32V
(adjustable). The switching voltage
of the circuit depends on zener

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21 167

 POWER-SUPPLY FAILURE ALARM
M
ost of the power-supply failure low via resistor R8, it conducts and be omitted from the circuit. Following
indicator circuits need a sepa- sounds the buzzer (alarm) to give a points may be noted:
rate power-supply for them- warning of the power-failure. 1. At a higher DC voltage level, tran-
selves. But the alarm circuit presented With the value of C3 as shown, a good- sistor T1 (BC558) may pass some collec-
here needs no additional supply source. It quality buzzer would sound for about a tor-to-emitter leakage current, causing a
employs an electrolytic capacitor to store minute. By increasing or decreasing the continuous murmuring sound from the
adequate charge, to feed power to the value of capacitor C3, this time can be buzzer. In that case, replace it with some
alarm circuit which sounds an alarm for altered to serve ones need. low-gain transistor.
a reasonable duration when the mains Assembly is quite easy. The values of 2. Piezo buzzer must be a continuous
supply fails. the components are not critical. If the tone version, with built-in oscillator.
During the presence of mains power alarm circuit is powered from any exter- To save space, one may use five small-
supply, the rectified mains voltage is nal DC power-supply source, the mains- sized 1000F capacitors (in parallel) in
stepped down to a required low level. A supply section up to points P and M can place of bulky high-value capacitor C3.
zener is used to limit the
filtered voltage to 15-volt level.
Mains presence is indicated by
an LED. The low-level DC is
used for charging capacitor C3
and reverse biasing switching
transistor T1. Thus, transistor
T1 remains cut-off as long as
the mains supply is present. As
soon as the mains power fails,
the charge stored in the capaci-
tor acts as a power-supply
source for transistor T1. Since,
in the absence of mains supply,
the base of transistor is pulled

182 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21

 PRECISION AMPLIFIER
WITH DIGITAL CONTROL
T
his circuit is similar to the pre-
ceding circuit of the attenuator.
Gain of up to 100 can be achieved
in this configuration, which is useful for
signal conditioning of low output of trans-
ducers in millivolt range.
The gain selection resistors R3 to R6
can be selected by the user and
can be anywhere from 1 kilo-ohm to 1
meg-ohm. Trimpots can be used for ob-
taining any value of gain required by the
user. The resistor values shown in the
circuit are for decade gains suitable for
an autoranging DPM.
Resistor R1 and capacitor C1 reduce
ripple in the input and also snub tran-
sients. Zeners Z1 and Z2 limit the input
to 4.7V, while the input current is lim-
ited by resistor R1. Capacitors C2 and
C3 are the power supply decoupling ca-
pacitors.
Op-amp IC1 is used to increase the
input impedance so that very low inputs
are not loaded on measurement. The user
can terminate the inputs with resistance
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22
of his choice (such as 10 meg-ohm or 1 trimpot between pins 1 and 8, and con-
meg-ohm) to avoid floating of the inputs necting wiper to +5V supply rails. For
when no measurement is being made. better performance, use ICL7650 (not pin-
compatible) in place of OP07 and use 7.5V
Truth Table (Control Input vs Gain) instead of 5V supply.
X,Y (On-switch (2) (1) Gain Eight steps for gain or attenuation
Pair) B A (Av.) can be added by using two CD4051 and
X0,Y0 0 0 1/10 pin 6 inhibit on CD4051/52. More steps
X1,Y1 0 1 1 can be added by cascading many CD4051,
X2,Y2 1 0 10
X3,Y3 1 1 100
or CD4052, or CD4053 ICs, as pin 6 works
like a chip select.
IC5 is used as an inverting buffer to Some extended applications of this cir-
restore polarity of the input while IC4 is cuit are given below.
used as buffer at the output of CD4052, 1. Error correction in transducer am-
because loading it by resistance of value plifiers by correcting gain.
less than 1 meg-ohm will cause an error. 2. Autoranging in DMM.
An alternative is to make R9=R10=1 meg- 3. Sensor selection or input type se-
ohm and do away with IC4, though this lection in process control.
may not be an ideal method. 4. Digitally preset power supplies or
Gains greater than 100 may not be electronic loads.
practical because even at gain value of 5. Programmable precision mV or mA
100 itself, a 100V offset will work out to sources.
be around 10 mV at the output (100V x 6. PC or microcontroller or micropro-
100). This can be trimmed using the offset cessor based instruments.
null option in the OP07, connecting a 7. Data loggers and scanners.
 PRECISION ATTENUATOR
WITH DIGITAL CONTROL
W
hen instruments are designed,
an analogue front-end is es-
sential. Further, as most equip-
ment have digital or microcontroller in-
terface, the analogue circuit needs to have
digital control/access.
The circuit of a programmable attenu-
ator with digital control is described here,
where digital control can be a remote dip
switch, or CMOS logic outputs of a de-
cade counter (having binary equivalent
weight of 1, 2, 4, and 8, respectively), or
I/O port of a microcontroller like 80C31.
The heart of this circuit is the popu-
lar OP07 op-amp with ultra-low offset in
the inverting configuration. A dual, 4-
channel CMOS analogue multiplexer
switch CD4052 enables the change in
gain. An innovative feature of the circuit
is that the on resistance (around 100
ohms) of CD4052 switch is bypassed so
that no error is introduced by its use.
Resistors R1 to R6 used in the circuit
should be of 0.1 per cent tolerance, 50
ppm (parts per million) if you use 3-
digit DPM, i.e. 1999 counts (approx. 11
bits). But for 4-digit DPM (approx. 14
bits), you may need to have trimpots (e.g.
replace 1k-ohm resistor R6 by a fixed 900-
ohm resistor in series with a 200-ohm
trimpot) to replace R3, R4, R5, and R6
gain selection resistors for proper calibra-
tion to required accuracy. However, for
testing or trials, use 1 per cent 100ppm
MFR resistors. The expected errors will
be around 1 per cent.
To keep parts count (hence cost) to a
minimum, the common or ground is
used as the positive input terminal and
one end of resistor R1 as the negative.
This is so because the op-amp inverts
the polarity as it is used in inverting
configuration. This does not matter as
the equipment will be isolated by the
power supply transformer and all polari-
ties are relative. In case you want the
common to be the negative, you will have
to add some stages (IC4 and IC5 circuitry
shown in precision amplifier circuit de-
scribed later).
The OP07 pinout is based on stan-
dard single op-amp 741. Any other
op-amp like CA3140, TLO71, or LF351
can be used but with offset errors in ex-
cess of 1 per cent, which is not tolerable
in precision instrumentation.
The OP07 has equivalent ICs like
A741 and LM607 having ultra-low off-
set voltage (<100V), low input bias
current (<10nA), and high input imped-
ance (>100M), which are the key require-
ments for a good instrumentation op-amp
for use with DC inputs.
The following design considerations
should be kept in mind:
(a) Input: 500V max
Since W resistors can withstand up
to 250V, resistors R1 and R2 in series are
used for 1 meg-ohm with 500V (max) in-
put limit. These resistors additionally
limit the input current as well. Diodes D1
and D2 clamp the voltage across input of
op-amp to 0.5V, thereby protecting the
Truth Table (Control input VS attenuation)
X,Y (ON-switch (2) (1) Gain
Pair) B A (Attenuation)
X0,Y0 0 0 1/1000
X1,Y1 0 1 1/100
X2,Y2 1 0 1/10
X3,Y3 1 1 1
op-amp.
(b) Output
The output can be connected to a 7107/
7135-based DPM or any other analogue-
to-digital converter or op-amp stage. Use
a buffer at the output if the output has to
be loaded by a load less than 1 meg-ohm.
Use an inverting buffer if input leads
have to have polarity where ground is the
inverting terminal. (For details, see next
circuit.)
(c) CD4052 CMOS switch
The on-resistance (100-ohm approx.)
comes in series with the op-amp output
source resistance, which produces no er-
ror at output.
Caution. The circuit does not isolate,
it only attenuates. When high voltage is
present at its input, do not touch any part
of the circuit.
(d) Digital control options
(i) A and B can be controlled by I/O
port of a microcontroller like 80C31 so
that the controller can control gain.
(ii) A and B can be given to counters
like 4029/4518 to scroll gain digitally.
(iii) A and B can be connected to DIP
switch.
(iv) A and B can be connected to a
thumbwheel switch.
Notes. 1. Digital input logic 0 is 0V
and logic 1 is 5V.
2. All resistors are metal film resis-
tors (MFR) with 1% tolerance, unless
specified otherwise.
3. C2 and C3 are ceramic disk capaci-
tors of 0.1F = 100nF value.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22
 PRECISION DIGITAL AC
POWER CONTROLLER
S
CRs and Triacs are
extensively used in
modern electronic power
controllersin which power is
controlled by means of phase
angle variation of the conduction
period. Controlling the phase
angle can be made simple and
easy if we set different firing
times corresponding to different
firing angles. The design given
here is a synchronised program-
mable timer which achieves this
objective.
The following equation for a
sinewave shows how firing time
and the phase angle are related
to each other:
= 2ft or t
Here, is the angle described
by a sinewave in time t (seconds),
while f is the frequency of
sinewave in Hz. Time period T
(in seconds) of a sinewave is
equal to the reciprocal of its
frequency, i.e. T = 1/f. set again instantly for the next delay time.
The above equation indicates that This arrangement helps the timer to be
if one divides the angle described set for every half of mains wavewhen
during one complete cycle of the the positive half of the mains waveform
sinewave (2 = 360o) into equal parts, starts building up, the timer is set for
then time period T of the wave will be that half and as it begins to cross zero, it
divided into identical equal parts. gets reset and set again for negative half,
Thus, it becomes fairly easy to set the when the negative half begins to build
different programmable timings up. The process is repeated. Here, instead
synchronised with the AC mains of using two zero crossing detectorsone
sinewave at zero crossing. The main for each half of mains wavea single de-
advantage of such an arrangement, tector is used to perform both the
as already mentioned earlier, is that functions. This is possible because the
only the firing time has to be sampling wave for negative half is in-
programmed to set different firing verted by the rectifier diode bridge.
angles. It is to be noted that the The 18V AC from power transformer
more precise the timer, the more is fed to the four diodes in bridge
precise will be the power being con- configuration, followed by the filter ca-
trolled. pacitor which is again followed by a three-
In this circuit, the time period terminal voltage regulator IC LM7812.
of mains waveform is divided into The voltage so obtained drives the cir-
20 equal parts. So, there is a time cuit. The unfiltered voltage is isolated
interval of 1 ms between two con- from the filter capacitor by a diode and is
secutive steps. The sampling volt- fed to zener diode D8, which acts as a
age is unfiltered full-wave and is clipper to clip voltage above 6 volts.
obtained from the diode bridge at This voltage is fed to the base of
the output of the power transistor T1, which is wired as zero cross-
transformer. The timer is reset at ing detector. When base voltage reaches
every zero crossing of full wave and the threshold, it conducts. It thus sup-

174 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21

plies a narrow positive pulse which resets
the timer at every zero crossing.
A 32.768kHz crystal is used
to get stable output of nearly
1 kHz (1,024Hz) frequency after
five stages of binary division by
an oscillator-cum-divider IC CD4060. The
32.768kHz crystal is used because it can
be found in unused quartz clocks and is
readily available in the market. But use
of a 1kHz crystal using a quad-NAND IC
CD4093 as clock generator, as shown in
Fig. 2, is better as it provides the exact
time interval required. In that case,
CD4060 oscillator/divider is not required.
The CD4017B counter-cum-decoder IC
then divides this 1kHz signal into ten equal
intervals, which are programmed via the
single-pole, 10-way rotary switch. Once
the delayed output reaches the desired
time interval, the corresponding output of
CD4017 inhibits the counter CD4017 (via
pole of rotary switch and diode D6) and
fires the Triac. Transistor T2 here acts as
a driver transistor. The reset pin of 4017
is connected to zero crossing detector out-
put to reset it at every zero crossing. (The
load-current waveforms for a few positions
of the rotary switch, as observed at EFY
Lab, are shown in Fig. 3.)
The circuit can be used as power con-
troller in lighting equipment, hot-air oven,
universal single-phase AC motor, heater, etc.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21 175
Precision 1Hz Clock Generator
using Chip-on-Board
U
sually the circuits for generation clock pulse has a very low amplitude Preset VR1
of 1Hz clock for applications in of the order of a few milli-volts which is offset null
digital clock and counter circuits cannot be used to drive the digital cir- control used to
make use of ICs in conjunction with cuits directly. This low-level voltage is adjust proper
a crystal and trimmer capacitors, etc. amplified several times by op-amp IC 1Hz pulse at the
However, similar or better accuracy can CA3140. output terminal
be achieved using a chip-on-board (COB) The op-amp CA3140 is connected in E. Connect one
device found inside a digital clock, which a non-inverting mode, and its gain is set LED in series
is readily available in the market for by resistors R4 and R3. Capacitor C2 with 220-ohm
Rs 15-20. This COB consists of IC, ca- reduces the AC gain and unwanted stray resistor between
pacitors and quartz crystal, etc which are pick-up and thus improves stability of the terminal E
mounted on its surface. It works on 1.4 the circuit. and ground and adjust preset VR1 till
volt DC source. This COB can be used to The input impedance of IC CA3140 the LED blinks once every second.
derive 1Hz clock. is very high and thus there is no drop When using the COB, affix the same
on a general-purpose
PCB using rubber
based adhesive and
solder the terminals
neatly using thin
single-strand wire.
Lab Note: The
COBs used in dif-
ferent watches
may differ some-
what in their
configuration.
But by trial-and-
error one can al-
ways find out the
appropriate points
corresponding to
Resistor R1, capacitor C3, diodes D1 at the input when 1Hz clock signal of points A, B, C and D. Figure of a sec-
and D2 shown in the circuit convert 5V low level is connected across its input ond COB used by EFY Lab is shown
DC into 1.4V DC. A Hz clock is avail- terminals from the COB. Amplified 1Hz alongside. The points A and B (on the
able at terminals A and B with a phase clock pulse is available at its output pin COB used by us) were observed to
difference of 90o. The two outputs, are 6, which is further amplified by transis- have complementary 1Hz outputs and
combined using capacitors C1 and C2 to tors T1 and T2 to drive the digital clocks hence anyone (only) could be used as
obtain a complete 1Hz clock. This 1Hz and timers. input to opamp CA3140.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

 Programmable LED Indicator
A
lthough IC CD4017 is a decade
counter, it can be used in a vari-
ety of ways. In this circuit it has
been used to program a bicolour LED
indicator in 10 different modes which
can be selected with a single push-button
switch.
IC3(555) is used in astable mode to
generate square wave and transistor T1
is used to obtain its complementary wave-
form. IC2 CD4081 is a quad 2-input AND
gate. These AND gates and the diode ma-
trix form the logical part of the circuit. IC4
(555) is configured as a monostable flip-
flop which provides a single clock pulse
to IC1 CD4017 for changing the mode by
depression of push-to-on switch S1. The
use of IC4 avoids switch debouncing prob-
lem which causes multiple makes/breaks.

TABLE I
Mode Operation
0 Off
1 Red ON
2 Green ON
3 Blinking Green-Yellow-Green-Yellow...
4 Blinking Red
5 Blinking Yellow
6 Blinking Green
7 Yellow ON
8 Blinking Red-Yellow-Red-Yellow...
9 Blinking Red-Green-Red-Green...

Switch S2 is included for resetting the
circuit. Instead of just one bicolour LED
you can use an array of bicolour LEDs in
conjunction with two driver transistors.
The bicolour (RED and GREEN) LED
has three legs. The middle terminal (pin2)
LED is the common cathode pin which is
grounded when a positive voltage is ap-
plied to pin1, it emits red light. Similarly,
when positive voltage is applied to pin3, it
emits green light. And when positive volt-
age is simultaneously applied to its pin1
and 3, it emits yellowish light.
Power supply used is +5V regulated.
Various modes of this circuit are sum-
merised in Table I.
Outputs of IC1 can also be selected
through a 10-way rotary switch connected
to Vcc. Now IC1 can be eliminated. Differ-
ent indications can be activated for differ-
ent functions of a device.
Construction is very easy and total cost
of this circuit is less than Rs 60. Current con-
sumption of the circuit is less than 100mA.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22 

 PROTECTION FOR YOUR
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
H
ere is a very low-cost circuit to
save your electrically operated
appliances, such as TV, tape
recorder, refrigerator, and other
instruments during sudden tripping and
resumption of mains supply. Appliances
like refrigerators and air-conditioners are
more prone to damage due to such
conditions.
The simple circuit given here switches
off the mains supply to the
load as soon as the power N (say, 1 to 5 milliseconds)
trips. The supply can be
resumed only by manual
intervention. Thus, the
supply may be switched on
only after it has stabilised.
The circuit comprises a
step-down transformer
followed by a full-wave
rectifier and smoothing
capacitor C1 which acts as P power
a supply source for relay
H
RL1. Initially, when the circuit is switched a parallel path for the supply to the
on, the power supply path to the step- transformer as well as the load.
down transformer X1 as well as the load is If there is any interruption in the power
incomplete, as the relay is in de-energised supply, the supply to the transformer is
state. To energise the relay, press switch not available and the relay de-energises.
S1 for a short duration. This completes Thus, once the supply is interrupted even
the path for the supply to transformer X1 for a brief period, the relay is de-energised
as also the load via closed contacts of switch and you have to press switch S1
S1. Meanwhile, the supply to relay becomes momentarily (when the supply resumes)
available and it gets energised to provide to make it available to the load.
Very-short-duration
interruptions or
fluctuations will not
affect the circuit because
of presence of large-
value capacitor which
has to discharge via the
relay coil. Thus the
circuit provides suitable
P
H
safety against erratic
supply
N conditions.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21 155
 RAMP CONTROLLED LIGHT
T
he circuit described here
can be used for control-
ling a decorative lamp
from zero intensity to maximum
intensity in a specified time.
Typical applications are for
controlling Christmas lamps and
serial lampsets etc. The bright-
ness of the lamps is controlled
by a continuously running ramp
voltage generated by a timer.
The circuit features a triac
(BT136) controlled by pulses
from a UJT (unijunction transis-
tor) relaxation oscillator. Pedes-
tal voltage control is employed
for controlling the firing angle.
Pedestal voltage is derived from
a ramp generator which sets the
time period of intensity control.
X1 secondary (sec. 2) pro-
vides the power supply for the
ramp generator section. The
555 timer circuit is configured
as astable multivibrator which
provides rectangular pulses
having required time period
which are converted to a positive going step-down transformer will serve the Transistor T2 controls the charging time
ramp by sweep generator transistor T1. purpose. However, it is advisable to of capacitor C5, thus providing the pedes-
This is coupled to the base of transistor have a higher voltage rating (9V or 12V) tal voltage control.
T2. The time period of control can be for X1 secondary (sec. 1) for extended The pulses generated by the UJT
altered by modifying the sweep generator control range. oscillator are coupled to the gate of triac
and 555 timer sections. Zener diode D12 generates the re- through a pulse transformer (X2). A ferrite
X1 is a step-down transformer hav- quired trapezoidal waveform for the UJT core transformer with 1:1 ratio can also be
ing two secondaries. Any centre-tapped oscillator from the bridge rectifier output. used for X2.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19 177


SOLIDSTATE SWITCH FOR
DC-OPERATED GADGETS
PRAVEEN SHANKER
T
his solidstate DC switch can be as-
sembled using just three transistors
and some passive components. It
can be used to switch on one gadget while
switching off the second gadget with mo-
mentary operation of switch. To reverse
the operation, you just have to momen-
tarily depress another switch.
The circuit operates over 6V-15V DC
supply voltage. It uses positive feedback
CIRCUIT IDEAS
Hence transistor T2 (pnp) also conducts.
The positive voltage available at the col-
S.C. DWIV
EDI
lector of transistor T2 is fed back to the
base of transistor T1 via resistor R3. Hence
a latch is formed and transistor T2 (as
also transistor T1) continues to conduct,
which activates gadget 1 and LED1 glows.
Conduction of transistor T2 causes its
from transistor T2 to transistor T1 to keep collector to be pulled towards positive rail.
this transistor pair in latched state (on/ Since the collector of T2 is connected to
off), while the state of the third transistor the base of pnp transistor T3, it causes
stage is the complement of transistor T2s transistor T3 to cut off, switching off the
conduction state. supply to gadget 2) as well as extinguish-
Initially when switch S3 is closed, both ing LED2. This status is maintained until
transistors T1 and T2 are off, as no for- switch S2 is momentarily pressed. Depres-
ward bias is available to these, while the sion of switch S2 effectively grounds the
base of transistor T3 is effectively grounded base of transistor T1, which cuts off and
via resistors R8 and R6 (shunted by the thus virtually opens the base-emitter cir-
load of the first cuit of transistor T2 and thus cutting it
gadget). As a re- off. This is the same condition as was ob-
sult, transistor T3 tained initially. This condition can be re-
is forward biased versed by momentarily pressing switch S1
and gadget 2 gets as explained earlier.
the supply. This EFY lab note. During testing, it was
is indicated by noticed that for proper operation of the
glowing of LED2. circuit, gadget 1 must draw a current of
When switch more than 100 mA (i.e. the resistance of
S1 is momentarily gadget 1 must be less than 220 ohms) to
depressed, T1 sustain the latched on state. But this stipu-
gets the base lation is not applicable for gadget 2. A
drive and it maximum current of 275 mA could be
grounds the base drawn by any gadget.
of transistor T2 The total cost of this circuit is around
via resistor R4. Rs 30.
APRIL 2002 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU
 Running Message Display
L
ight emitting diodes are advanta-
geous due to their smaller size,
low current consumption and
catchy colours they emit. Here is a run-
ning message display circuit wherein the
letters formed by LED arrangement light
up progressively. Once all the letters of
the message have been lit up, the circuit
gets reset.
The circuit is built around Johnson
decade counter CD4017BC (IC2). One of
the IC CD4017BEs features is its provi-
sion of ten fully decoded outputs, making
the IC ideal for use in a whole range of
sequencing operations. In the circuit
only one of the outputs remains high and
the other outputs switch to high state
successively on the arrival of each
clock pulse.
The timer NE555 (IC1) is wired as a
1Hz astable multivibrator which clocks
the IC2 for sequencing operations. On
reset, output pin 3 goes high and drives
transistor T7 to on state. The output of
transistor T7 is connected to letter W of
the LED word array (all LEDs of a letter
array are connected in parallel) and thus
letter W is illuminated. On arrival of
first clock pulse, pin 3 goes low and pin 2
goes high. Transistor T6 conducts and let-
ter E lights up. The preceding letter W
also remains lighted because of forward
biasing of transistor T7 via diode D21. In
a similar fashion, on the arrival of each
successive pulse, the other letters of the
display are also illuminated and finally
the complete word becomes visible. On the
following clock pulse, pin 6 goes to logic 1
and resets the circuit, and the sequence
repeats itself. The frequency of sequenc-
ing operations is controlled with the help
of potmeter VR1.
The display can be fixed on a
veroboard of suitable size and connected
to ground of a common supply (of 6V to
9V) while the anodes of LEDs are to be
connected to emitters of transistors T1
through T7 as shown in the circuit.
The above circuit is very versatile and
can be wired with a large number of LEDs
to make an LED fashion jewellery of any
design. With two circuits connected in a
similar manner, multiplexing of LEDs can
be done to give a moving display effect.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
circuit
ideas
Security System Switcher
T.K. Hareendran
A
n audio signal can be used as
a form of input to control any
security system. For example,
an automatic security camera can be
configured to respond to a knock on
the door. The circuit described here
allows the security system to automati-
Fig. 1: Security system switcher
+5V ADAPTOR
FOR POWER
CONNECTOR
SUPPLY
Fig. 2: Proposed cabinet
cally switch on when a master switch
is in on state. It uses a transducer to
detect intruders and a 5V regulated
DC power supply provides power to
the circuit.
As shown in Fig. 1, a condenser
microphone is connected to the input
1 4 0 J a n ua ry 2 0 1 0 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u
of small signal preamplifier built
around transistor T1. Biasing resistor
R1 determines to a large extent the
microphone sensitivity. A microphone
usually has an internal FET which
requires a bias voltage to operate. The
sound picked up by the microphone
is amplified and fed to input pin 2 of
IC1 (LMC555) wired in monostable
configuration.
IC2 (CD4538B) is a dual,
FOR
SECURITY precision monostable mul-
GADGET
tivibrator with independent
trigger and reset controls. The
output of IC1 is connected to
the first trigger input pin 4 of
IC2(A) through switch S1. If
an intruder opens or breaks
the door, IC1 is triggered by
sound signals; the timer out-
put pin 3 of IC1 goes high and
enables first monostable multi
vibrator IC2(A). IC2(A) pro-
vides a time period of around
5 to 125 seconds, which is adjusted
with preset VR1.
Another monostable multivibrator
IC2(B) also provides a time period of
around 25 to 600 seconds, which is
adjusted with preset VR2. The output
of IC2(B) is used to energise relay RL1.
edi
s.c. dwiv
Indicator LED1 is provided to display
the relay activity. Any AC/DC oper-
ated security gadget is activated or
deactivated through a security switch.
Thus, the security switch of the gadget
is connected in the n/o contacts of
the relay. you can also operate high-
power beacons, sirens or hooters in
place of the security switch for any
AC/DC operated security gadget.
Assemble the circuit on a gen-
eral-purpose PCB and enclose it in
a cabinet as shown in Fig. 2 along
with 5V adaptor for powering the
circuit. Connect the security switch
according to the circuit diagram and
use appropriate AC/DC power sup-
ply required to operate the security
gadget.
Warning! All relevant electrical
safety precautions should be taken
when connecting mains power supply
to the relay contacts. With the help
of single pole double throw (SPDT)
switch S1, internal or external trig-
ger input (active high signal) can be
selected.
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
 Self-switching Power Supply
O
ne of the main features of the which switches off the mains input to requirement (up to 30V maximum and
regulated power supply circuit primary of transformer X1. To resume the 1-ampere current rating). For drawing
being presented is that though power again, switch S1 should be pressed more than 300mA current, the regula-
fixed-voltage regulator LM7805 is used in momentarily. Higher the value of capaci- tor IC must be fitted with a small heat
the circuit, its output voltage is variable. tor C2, more will be the delay in switch- sink over a mica insulator.
This is achieved by connecting a potenti- ing off the power supply on disconnection When the transformers second-
ometer between common terminal of regu- of the load, and vice versa. ary voltage increases beyond 12
lator IC and ground. For every 100-ohm Though in the prototype a trans- v olt s (R MS), p ot ent iom et er V R 1
increment in the in-circuit value of the former with a secondary voltage of must be redimensioned. Also,
resistance of potentiometer VR1, the out- 12V-0V, 250mA was used, it can the relay voltage rating should be
put voltage increases by 1 volt. Thus, the nevertheless be changed as per users redetermined.
output varies from 3.7V to 8.7V (taking
into account 1.3-volt drop across diodes
D1 and D2).
Another important feature of the
supply is that it switches itself off when
no load is connected across its output
terminals. This is achieved with the help
of transistors T1 and T2, diodes D1 and
D2, and capacitor C2. When a load is con-
nected at the output, potential drop across
diodes D1 and D2 (approximately 1.3V) is
sufficient for transistors T2 and T1 to
conduct. As a result, the relay gets ener-
gised and remains in that state as long as
the load remains connected. At the same
time, capacitor C2 gets charged to around
7-8 volt potential through transistor T2.
But when the load is disconnected, tran-
sistor T2 is cut off. However, capacitor C2
is still charged and it starts discharging
through base of transistor T1. After some
time (which is basically determined by
value of C2), relay RL1 is de-energised,

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

SENSITIVE TEMPERATURE SWITCH
T
his temperature switch has a
high sensitivity and is quite re-
liable. Here, in place of a single
transistor, a Darlington pair has been
used for switching.
At normal room temperature germi-
num diode D1 (0A79 or equivalent) has
a back resistance value of about 10 kilo-
ohms. As a result Darlington pair, com-
prising transistors T1 and T2. conducts
and keeps the anode terminal of diode
D2 at ground potential. Consequently,
transistor T3 does not get base bias and
thus relay RL1 is not activated.
But when temperature increases. the
back resistance of diode D1 decreases
sharply, which results in
cutting off of Darlington pair
and forward biasing of tran-
sistor T3 via resistor R2 and
diode D2. As a result, relay
RL1 energises and switches
on the alarm. Potmeter VR1
may be adjusted for required
sensitivity.
This simple circuit can be
used as an overheat indicator,
fire alarm, or it can be used
in a constant temperature
circuit for switching on a fan
etc. The circuit can be easily sensor D1 must be of germanium type
assembled on a piece of veroboard. Diode and not silicon.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19 189
 CIRCUIT IDEAS
Charge Monitor for
12V Rechargeable
Lead-acid Battery
SIDDHARTH SINGH AND SRINIVAS REDDY PINGLE
A
battery is a vital element of any
battery-backed system. In many
cases the battery is more expen-
sive than the system it is backing up.
Hence we need to adopt all practical
measures to conserve battery life.
As per manufacturers data sheets,
a 12V rechargeable lead-acid battery
should be operated within 10.1V and
13.8V. When the battery charges higher
than 13.8V it is said to be overcharged,
and when it discharges below 10.1V it
can be deeply discharged. A single event
of overcharge or deep discharge can
bring down the charge-holding capacity
of a battery by 15 to 20 per cent.
It is therefore necessary for all con-
cerned to monitor the charge level of
NA
ANJA
RUP
their batteries continuously. But, in
practice, many of the battery users are
unable to do so because of non-avail-
ability of reasonably-priced monitoring
equipment. The circuit idea presented
here will fill this void by providing a
circuit for monitoring the charge level
of lead-acid batteries continuously. The
circuit possesses two vital features:
First, it reduces the requirement
of human attention by about 85 per cent.
Second, it is a highly accurate and
sophisticated method.
Input from the battery under test is
applied to LM3914 IC. This applied volt-
age is ranked anywhere between 0 and
10, depending upon its magnitude. The
lower reference voltage of 10.1V is ranked
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU n  SEPTEMBER '99
0 and the upper voltage of 13.8V is ranked
as 10. (Outputs 9 and 10 are logically
ORed in this circuit.) This calibration of
reference voltages is explained later.
IC 74LS147 is a decimal-to-BCD pri-
ority encoder which converts the output
of LM3914 into its BCD complement.
The true BCD is obtained by using the
hex inverter 74LS04. This BCD output
is displayed as a decimal digit after con-
version using IC5 (74LS247), which is a
BCD-to-seven-segment decoder/driver.
The seven-segment LED display (LTS-
542) is used because it is easy to read
compared to a bar graph or, for that
matter, an analogue meter. The charge
status of the battery can be quickly cal-
culated from the display. For instance,
if the display shows 4, it means that the
battery is charged to 40 per cent of its
maximum value of 13.8V.
The use of digital principles enables
us to employ a buzzer that sounds when-
ever there is an overcharge or deep dis-
charge, or there is a need to conserve
battery charge. A buzzer is wired in the
circuit such that it sounds whenever bat-
tery-charge falls to ten per cent. At this
point it is recommended that unneces-
sary load be switched off and the re-
maining charge be conserved for more
important purposes.
Another simple combinational logic

circuit can also be designed that will
sound the buzzer when the display
shows 9. Further charging should be
stopped at this point in order to pre-
vent overcharge.
The circuit is powered by the bat-
tery under test, via a voltage regulator
IC. The circuit takes about 100 mA for
its operation.
For calibrating the upper and lower
reference levels, a digital multimeter
and a variable regulated power supply
source are required. For calibrating the
lower reference voltage, follow the steps
given below:
Set the output of power supply
source to 10.1V.
Connect the power supply source
in place of the battery.
Now the display will show some
reading. At this point vary preset VR2
until the reading on the display just
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU n  SEPTEMBER '99
CIRCUIT IDEAS
changes from 1 to 0.
The higher reference voltage is cali-
brated similarly by setting the power
supply to 13.8V and varying preset VR1
until reading on the display just changes
from 8 to 9.
After the calibration is completed,
the circuit may be housed in a suitable
enclosure. The cost of all the compo-
nents, including the enclosure, would
be around Rs 200.
 INFRARED ELECTRONIC
SHOOTING GAME
J
ust trigger an infrared electronic
gun and there goes one invisible
bullet hitting the bulls eye, if timed
properly. The circuit is very simple, inex-
196 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19
T.K. HAREENDRAN
pensive and easy to construct. The game
offers hours of fun and excitement.
The target screen consists of a number
of LEDs moving rapidly in a circular fash-
ion. All the LEDs are red except onethe
real target located in centre of the screen
which is green. When a shot is fired by
triggering the gun, all LEDs go off except
one. If it happens to be the target (green
LED) then you have made a hit which is
indicated by lighting up of another green
LED accompanied by a pleasing musical
tone. After a short delay the game restarts
automatically.
Infrared gun (transmitter) for this
electronic game is built around IC1 timer
(NE555) wired as an astable multivibra-
tor with a centre frequency of about
35 kHz. The frequency is determined
by the timing components comprising
resistors R1 and R2 and capacitor C2.
When push-to-on trigger switch S1
is pressed, the astable multivibra-
tor starts modulating the infrared
beam with short pulses (See output
waveform). The whole circuit can be
enclosed in a toy gun for giving it a
professional look as illustrated in the
figure. The infrared LED has to be fit-
ted with a suitable reflector to ensure
good sensitivity.
When power switch S2 in the receiv-
er is turned on, astable multivibra-tor
wired around IC3 (NE555) generates
clock pulses which are fed to clock input
(pin 14) of decade counter IC4 (CD4017B).
This IC has ten outputs, and each
one goes high sequentially on the rising
edge of successive clock pulse. As a result,
LEDs connected to the output appear
to move from one to the other rapidly.
You would notice that only nine outputs
are used for driving LEDs. The tenth
output (Q9) at pin 11 is connected to reset
pin 15.
When gun is fired, infrared bursts are
received by the integrated infrared mod-
ule and its output at pin 2 goes low. The
resulting falling edge triggers monostable
IC2 and its output (pin 3) goes high.
This makes clock enable (CE) pin 13 of
IC4 to go high (normally held at a low
potential via resistor R8) and it starts
counting. When mono pulse ends, and
if the last lit LED happens to be the
target LED then both inputs of NAND
gate N1 become high. As a result, the
output of gate N2 also goes high. This
in turn switches on transistor T2;
thereby the HIT LED lights up and
the buzzer also sounds. At the end of
the mono pulse period (about 5 sees),
decided by resistor R5 and capacitor
C5, the mono IC2 is again ready to
receive another trigger pulse.
Assembly and component layout is
not very critical. The circuit may be as-
sembled on a veroboard using IC sockets.
A well regulated power supply is required
for powering the unit. In place of the IR
transmitter it is also possible to make
use of the remote control used for TVS or
VCPs/VCRs.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19 197
 short wave AM TRANSMITTER
T
he main feature of this transmit-
ter is that it is free from the LC
(inductor, capacitor) tuned circuit
and operates on a fixed frequency of 12
MHz which is extremely stable. An LC
based tuned circuit is inherently unstable
due to drift of resonant frequency on ac-
count of temperature and humidity varia-
tions. The circuit is very simple and uses
only a few components.
The figure shows the complete circuit
diagram of the transmitter. Resistors R1
and R2 are used for DC biasing of transis-
tor T1. The capacitor C1 provides coupling
between the condenser microphone and
the base of transistor T1. Similarly, resis-
tors R3, R4 and R5 provide DC biasing to
transistor T2.
The oscillator section is a combina-
tion of transistor T2, crystal XTAL, ca-
pacitor C2, C3 and resistors R3, R4 and
R5. The crystal is excited by a portion of
energy from the collector of transistor
T2 through the feedback capacitor C2.
The crystal vibrates at its fundamental
frequency and the oscillations occurring
due to the crystal are applied to the base
of transistor T2 across resistor R4. In
this way, continuous undamped oscilla-
tions are obtained. Any crystal having
RAJESH KAMBOJ
the frequency in
short wave range
can be substitut-
ed in this circuit,
although the op-
eration was test-
ed with a 12 MHz
crystal.
Transistor T1
serves three func-
tions:
1. It provides
the DC path for
extending +VCC
supply to transis-
tor T2.
2. It amplifies
the audio signals obtained from condenser loop antenna into space in the form of
microphone. electromagnetic waves. The antenna
3. It injects the audio signal into the can be tuned to a particular frequency
high frequency carrier signal for modula- varying trimmer C5 and also by chang-
tion. ing the length of ferrite rod into the
The condenser microphone converts coil.
the voice message into the electrical The transmitted signals can be re-
signal which is amplified by transistor ceived on any short wave receiver without
T1. This amplified audio signal modu- distortion and noise. The range of this
lates the carrier frequency generated by transmitter is 25 to 30 metres and can
transistor T2. The amplitude modulated be extended further if the length of the
output is obtained at the collector of antenna wire is suitably increased along
transistor T2 and is transmitted by a with proper matching.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19 179
 SHORTWAVE TRANSMITTER
T
his transmitter circuit operates in
shortwave HF band (6 MHz to 15
MHz), and can be used for short-
range communication and for educational
purposes.
The circuit consists of a mic ampli-
fier, a variable frequency oscillator, and
modulation amplifier stages. Transistor
T1 (BF195) is used as a simple RF oscil-
lator. Resistors R6 and R7 determine base
bias, while resistor R9 is used for stabil-
ity. Feedback is provided by 150pF ca-
pacitor C11 to sustain oscillations. The
primary of shortwave oscillator coil and
variable condenser VC1 (365pF, 1/2J
gang) form the frequency determining net-
work.
By varying the coil inductance or the
134 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 23
capacitance of gang condenser, the fre-
quency of oscillation can be changed. The
carrier RF signal from the oscillator is
inductively coupled through the second-
ary of transformer X1 to the next RF am-
plifier-cum-modulation stage built around
transistor T2 that is operated in class A
mode. Audio signal from the audio ampli-
fier built around IC BEL1895 is coupled
to the emitter of transistor 2N2222 (T2)
for RF modulation.
IC BEL1895 is a monolithic audio
power amplifier designed for sensitive AM
radio applications. It can deliver 1W power
to 4 ohms at 9V power supply, with low
distortion and noise characteristics. Since
the amplifiers voltage gain is of the order
of 600, the signal from condenser mic can
be directly connected to its input without
any amplification.
The transmitters stability is gov-
erned by the quality of the tuned circuit
components as well as the degree of regu-
lation of the supply voltage. A 9V regu-
lated power supply is required. RF out-
put to the aerial contains harmonics, be-
cause transistor T2 doesnt have tuned
coil in its collector circuit. However, for
short-range communication, this does not
create any problem. The harmonic con-
tent of the output may be reduced by
means of a high-Q L-C filter or resonant
L-C traps tuned to each of the
prominent harmonics. The power output
of this transmitter is about 100
milliwatts.
 Simple Analogue-to-
digital Converter
N
ormally analogue-to-digital con-
verter (ADC) needs interfacing
through a microprocessor to convert
analogue data into digital format. This re-
quires additional hardware and necessary
software, resulting in increased complexity
and hence the total cost.
The circuit of A-to-D converter shown
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
here is configured around ADC 0808,
avoiding the use of a microprocessor. The
ADC 0808 is an 8-bit A-to-D converter, hav-
ing data output lines D0-D7. It works on
the principle of successive approximation.
It has a total of eight analogue input chan-
nels, out of which any one can be selected
using address lines A, B and C. Here, in
this case, input channel IN0 is
selected by grounding A, B and
C address lines.
Usually the control signals
EOC (end of conversion), SC
(start conversion), ALE (ad-
dress latch enable) and OE
(output enable) are interfaced
by means of a microprocessor.
However, the circuit shown
here is built to operate in its
continuous mode without using
any microprocessor. There-
fore the input control signals
ALE and OE, being active-high,
are tied to Vcc (+5 volts). The
input control signal SC, being
active-low, initiates start of
conversion at falling edge of
the pulse, whereas the output
signal EOC becomes high after
completion of conversion (digiti-
sation). This EOC output is coupled to SC
input, where falling edge of EOC output
acts as SC input to direct the ADC to start
the next conversion.
As the conversion starts, EOC signal
goes high. At next clock pulse EOC output
again goes low, and hence SC is enabled
to start the next conversion. Thus, it
provides continuous 8-bit digital output
corresponding to instantaneous value
of analogue input. The maximum level
of analogue input voltage should be ap-
propriately scaled down below positive
reference (+5V) level.
The ADC 0808 IC requires clock
signal of typically 550 kHz, which can
be easily derived from an astable multi-
vibrator constructed using 7404 inverter
gates. In order to visualise the digital out-
put, the row of eight LEDs (LED1 through
LED8) have been used, wherein each LED
is connected to respective data output lines
D0 through D7. Since ADC works in the
continuous mode, it displays digital output
as soon as analogue input is applied. The
decimal equivalent digital output value D
for a given analogue input voltage Vin can
be calculated from the relationship
 SIMPLE ELECTRONIC
CODE LOCK
T
he circuit diagram of a simple elec- can be mounted on a keyboard panel, be connected in parallel with S10 and
tronic code lock is shown in fig- and any number or letter can be used to placed on the keyboard panel for more
ure. A 9-digit code number is used mark them. Switch S10 is also placed safety.
to operate the code lock. together with other switches so that any A 12V power supply is used for the
When power supply to the circuit is stranger trying to operate the lock fre- circuit. The circuit is very simple and can
turned on, a positive pulse is applied to quently presses the switch S10, thereby be easily assembled on a general-purpose
the RESET pin (pin 15) through capaci- resetting the circuit many times. Thus, PCB. The code number can be easily
tor C1. Thus, the first output terminal he is never able to turn the relay on. If changed by changing the connections to
Q1 (pin 3) of the decade counter IC (CD necessary, two or three switches can switches (S1 to S9).
4017) will be high and all other outputs
(Q2 to Q10) will be low. To shift the high
state from Q1 to Q2, a positive pulse must
be applied at the clock input terminal (pin
14) of IC1. This is possible only by press-
ing the push-to-on switch S1 momentarily.
On pressing switch S1, the high state
shifts from Q1 to Q2.
Now, to change the high state from
Q2 to Q3, apply another positive pulse at
pin 14, which is possible only by pressing
switch S2. Similarly, the high state can
be shifted up to the tenth output (Q10)
by pressing the switches S1 through S9
sequentially in that order. When Q10 (pin
11) is high, transistor T1 conducts and
energises relay RL1. The relay can be
used to switch on power to any electrical
appliance.
Diodes D1 through D9 are provided
to prevent damage/malfunctioning of the
IC when two switches corresponding to
high and low output terminals are
pressed simultaneously. Capacitor C2 and
resistor R3 are provided to prevent noise
during switching action.
Switch S10 is used to reset the
circuit manually. Switches S1 to S10

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21 169

 SIMPLE INTERCOM CIRCUIT
T
he circuit of a two-position in-
tercom is presented here. This
circuit is very simple yet it functions
quite satisfactorily. The circuit does not
involve any complicated switching. The
switches S1/S2 must be fixed in such a way
that when the handset is resting on the cra-
dle, the switch is OFF and when it is taken
off the cradle, the switch turns on.
Both the sets used are identical in
construction. When one set (say, party 1) is
switched on, the other sets (party 2s) bell
the two sets. Only three wires are required
to connect the two sets if separate battery
is used in each set. However, if the battery
is common for the two sets, it requires four
wires for interconnections.
The circuit can be easily assembled on

energises. When
party 2 turns on
his own set, his
bell automati-
cally stops and
he can talk to
party 1 via his
microphone.
One can sub-
stitute the BEL
1895 IC based
amplifier and
bell circuit with
any other low
power amplifier
and bell circuit. The a general-purpose PCB. Intercom cases are
block diagram clari- also available in the market which may be
fies the connection of used for giving it a professional outlook.

 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22

 simple sensitive remote
control tester
H
ere is a handy gadget for testing of
infrared (IR) based remote control
transmitters used for TVs and
VCRs etc. The IR signals from a remote
control transmitter are sensed by the IR
sensor module in the tester and its output
at pin 2 goes low. This in turn switches on
transistor T1 and causes LED1 to blink.
At the same time, the buzzer beeps at
the same rate as the incoming signals
from the remote control transmitter. The
pressing of different buttons on the remote
control will result in different pulse rates
which would change the rate at which the
LED blinks or the buzzer beeps.
When no signal is sensed by the sen-
sor module, output pin 2 of the sensor
goes high and, as a result, transistor T1 and electronic ballasts etc (which lie during his own turn. The circuit may be
switches off and hence LED1 and buzzer within the bandwidth of receiver circuit) assembled using a multipurpose board.
BZ1 go off. This circuit requires 5V regu- and repeats the steps shown in step 1 Fix the display (LEDs and 7-segment
lated power supply which can be obtained above and notes down his new score (say, display) on top of the cabinet along with
from 9V eliminator and connected to the X2). He adds up this score to his previous the three switches. The supply voltage for
circuit through a jack. score. The same procedure is repeated by the circuit is 5V. are effectively grounded
Capacitor C1 smoothes DC input while player Y in his turn. 4. The game carries and do not interfere with the functioning
capacitor C2 suppresses any spikes ap- on until the score attained by one of the of the circuit. The proposed layout of the
pearing in the input supply. two players totals up to or exceeds 100, to box containing the circuit is shown in the
Proper grounding of the metal case be declared as the winner. figure. The 9-volt DC supply from the
will ensure that the electromagnetic emis- Several players can participate in this eliminator can be fed into the jack using a
sions which are produced by tube-lights game, with each getting a chance to score banana-type plug.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22 15

 simple sensitive remote
control tester
H
ere is a handy gadget for testing of
infrared (IR) based remote control
transmitters used for TVs and
VCRs etc. The IR signals from a remote
control transmitter are sensed by the IR
sensor module in the tester and its output
at pin 2 goes low. This in turn switches on
transistor T1 and causes LED1 to blink.
At the same time, the buzzer beeps at
the same rate as the incoming signals
from the remote control transmitter. The
pressing of different buttons on the remote
control will result in different pulse rates
which would change the rate at which the
LED blinks or the buzzer beeps.
When no signal is sensed by the sen-
sor module, output pin 2 of the sensor
goes high and, as a result, transistor T1 and electronic ballasts etc (which lie during his own turn. The circuit may be
switches off and hence LED1 and buzzer within the bandwidth of receiver circuit) assembled using a multipurpose board.
BZ1 go off. This circuit requires 5V regu- and repeats the steps shown in step 1 Fix the display (LEDs and 7-segment
lated power supply which can be obtained above and notes down his new score (say, display) on top of the cabinet along with
from 9V eliminator and connected to the X2). He adds up this score to his previous the three switches. The supply voltage for
circuit through a jack. score. The same procedure is repeated by the circuit is 5V. are effectively grounded
Capacitor C1 smoothes DC input while player Y in his turn. 4. The game carries and do not interfere with the functioning
capacitor C2 suppresses any spikes ap- on until the score attained by one of the of the circuit. The proposed layout of the
pearing in the input supply. two players totals up to or exceeds 100, to box containing the circuit is shown in the
Proper grounding of the metal case be declared as the winner. figure. The 9-volt DC supply from the
will ensure that the electromagnetic emis- Several players can participate in this eliminator can be fed into the jack using a
sions which are produced by tube-lights game, with each getting a chance to score banana-type plug.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22 15


SIMPLE TELEPHONE
RING TONE GENERATOR
K. UDHAYA KUMARAN, VU3GTH
H
ere is a simple telephone ring
tone generator circuit designed
using only a few components. It
produces simulated telephone ring tone
and needs only DC voltage (4.5V DC to
12V DC). One may use this circuit in or-
dinary intercom or phone-type intercom.
The sound is quite loud when this circuit
is operated on +12V DC power supply.
However, the volume of ring sound is ad-
justable.
The commonly available 14-stage bi-
nary ripple counter with built-in oscilla-
CIRCUIT IDEAS
IL KU
MAR
SUN
tor (CMOS IC CD4060B) is used to gen-
erate three types of pulses, which are
available from pin 1 (O11), pin 3 (O13), and
pin 14 (O7), respectively. Preset VR1 is
adjusted to obtain 0.3125Hz pulses (1.6-
second low followed by 1.6-second high)
at pin 3 of IC1. At the same time, pulses
available from pin 1 will be of 1.25 Hz
(0.4-second low, 0.4-second high) and 20
Hz at pin 14. The three output pins of
IC1 are connected to base terminals of
transistors T1, T2, and T3 through resis-
tors R1, R2, and R3, respectively.
Transistors T1 through T3 are cas-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  JULY 2001
caded in such a way that the positive volt-
age available at the emitter of transistor
T1 is extended to the collector of transis-
tor T3 when the outputs of all the three
stages are low. As a result, transistors
T1 through T3 are forward biased for 0.4,
1.6, and 0.025 seconds, respectively and
reverse biased for similar durations.
Using a built-in oscillator-type piezo-
buzzer produces around 1kHz tone. In this
circuit, the piezo-buzzer is turned on and
off at 20 Hz for ring tone sound by tran-
sistor T3. 20Hz pulses are available at
the collector of transistor T3 for 0.4-sec-
ond duration. After a time interval of 0.4
second, 20Hz
pulses become
again avail-
able for an-
other 0.4-sec-
ond duration.
This is fol-
lowed by two
seconds of no-
sound inter-
val. Thereaf-
ter the pulse
pattern re-
peats itself.
Refer the figure that indicates wave-
forms available at various points includ-
ing the collector of transistor T3. Preset
VR2 can be used for adjusting the ampli-
tude of the ring tone.
 Sleep-switch cum
Wake-up Timer
H
ere is a sleep-switch circuit that IC7 pair provides tens output since IC6
can be easily converted into a clock input pin is connected to D output
wake-up timer. A dual-mode time pin of IC4.
setting makes the system versatile. The Rotary switches S2 and S3 can be set
circuit is low-cost and can function as a to select any time between either 0 to 99
precise timer. seconds or 0 to 99 minutes, depending
The heartbeat produced by IC1 is a upon the position of mode switch S1.
sharp 1Hz square wave signal having a Switches S2 and S3 could also be replaced
duty cycle of 50 per cent. This is achieved by thumb-wheel type switches or 10-posi-
by using a 4.194304MHz crystal in combi- tion DIP switches with one of their side
nation with discrete components around terminals shorted together to serve as a
it. The 1Hz output of IC1 is connected pole. Please note that IC5 and IC7 (74145)
to IC2 as well as one of the terminals of have active low outputs.
switch S1. IC2 is configured as divide- The outputs from switches S2 and S3
by-6 counter while IC3 further divides are input to a two-input OR gate inside IC8
the output of IC2 by ten to produce (7432) to obtain active low output on com-
one-minute output at its pin 12. This is pletion of the set time delay to deactivate
brought to the second terminal of two- relay RL1 through relay driver transistor
way switch S1 to help select either the T1 (normally conducting) when set time is
minutes or the seconds mode of opera- reached. When transistor T1 cuts off, its
tion for IC4. collector goes high to reset oscillator IC1,
The decade counter IC4 provides and thus count at output of IC4 and IC6
binary output as it counts up the input gets locked. For resetting or restarting,
pulses and IC5 decodes/converts them to the power supply to the circuit should be
1-of-10 outputs (units). Similarly, the IC6- switched off and then switched on again.
The BCD outputs of IC4 and IC6
are converted to seven-segment outputs
by IC9 and IC10 to drive the units and
tens displays respectively for indicating
elapsed time continuously. The relay
contacts (normally open and normally
closed) can be suitably used to energise
or de-energise an alarm after the preset
delay. It can thus be used as wake-up
alarm or sleep timer.
If you want to de-energise the relay,
say after 30 minutes, then set switch S1
to minutes mode, S2 to 0 and S3 to 3, and
then switch on the supply to the circuit.
After 30 minutes the outputs at poles of
switches S2 and S3 will go low and so also
the output of OR gate (IC8). As a result,
transistor T1 will be cut-off to de-energise
the relay.
One can easily add 0-99 hours capa-
bility by cascading two counters similar
to the minutes counter section comprising
IC2 and IC3. Input clock for hours counter
would be the minutes clock available at
pin 12 of IC3.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
 Smart Phone Light
The circuit shown here is used to
switch on a lamp when the tele-
phone rings, provided that the ambient
light is insufficient.
The circuit can be implemented using
just two ICs. A light dependent resistance
(LDR), with about 5 kilo-ohms resistance
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
in the ambient light and greather than
100 kilo-ohms in darkness, is at the heart
of the circuit.
The circuit is fully isolated from the
phone lines and it draws current only
when the phone rings. The lamp can be
battery powered to provide light during
power failure or load shedding also.
The light switches off automati-
cally after a programmable time period.
If required, the lamp lighting period can
be extended by simply pressing a pushbut-
ton switch (S1).
The first part of the circuit functions
as a ring detector. When telephone is on-
hook, around 48V DC is present across
the TIP and RING terminals. The diode
in the opto-coupler is off during this
condition and it draws practically no
current from the telephone lines. The opto-
coupler also isolates the circuit from the
telephone lines. Transistor in the opto-cou-
pler is normally off and a voltage of +5V
is present at the ring indicator line B.
When telephone rings, an AC voltage
of around 70-80V AC present across the
telephone lines turns on the diode inside
the opto-coupler (IC2), which in turn
switches on transistor inside the opto-
coupler. The voltage at its collector drops
to a low level during ringing to trigger IC3
74LS123(A) monostable flip-flop.
The other opto-coupler (IC1) is used
to detect the ambient light condition.
When there is sufficient light, LDR has
a low resistance of about 5 kilo-ohms and
the transistor inside the opto-coupler is
in on state. When there is insufficient
light available, the resistance of LDR
increases to a few mega-ohms and the
transistor switches to off state. Thus
the DC voltage present at the collector of
transistor of the opto-coupler is normally
low and it jumps to 5V when there is no
light or insufficient light.
The 74LS123 retriggerable monos-
table multivibrator IC is used to gener-
ate a programmable pulse-width. The
first monostable 74LS123(A) generates
a pulse from the trigger input avail-
able during ringing, provided its pin 2
input (marked B) is logic high (i.e.
during darkness). It remains high for
the programmed duration and
switches back to 0V at the end of the pulse
period.
This high-to-low transition (trail-
ing edge) is used to trigger the second
monostable flip-flop 74LS123(B) in the
same package. Output of the second
monostable is used to control a relay.
The lamp being controlled via the N/O
contacts of the relay gets switched on.
The on period can be extended by sim-
ply pressing pushbutton switch S1. If
nobody attends the phone, the light turns
off automatically after the specific time
period equal to the pulse-width of the
second flip-flop.
The light sensitivity of LDR
can be changed by changing re-
sistance R3 connected at collec-
tor of the transistor in light mon-
itor circuit. Similarly, switch-on
period of the lamp can be controlled by
changing capacitor C3s value in the
second 74123(B) monostable circuit.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
 SOLIDSTATE AUTO POWER-OFF
ON MAINS FAILURE
SUNISH ISAAC

A
good number of circuits which
turn off the power to the load on
mains failure have already ap-
peared in EFY. This circuit is different
because it consumes no power when the
load is off. Further, the circuit is com-
pletely solidstate as it does not use any
relay or other electromechanical devices.
Here resistor R1, diode D1, capacitor
C1 and zener D2 are used to develop a
mains-derived 9V DC supply which can
be fed to the triac gate. Switches S1 and
S2 are used to accomplish off and on
operations respectively.
When switch S2 is momentarily de-
pressed the neutral line gets extended
to MT1 of triac TR1. This in turn makes
the DC voltage available to the transis- resistor R3, i.e. there exists a mutual sym- the load. Since the rectifier circuit cannot
tor circuit. Capacitor C2 and resistor R5 biosis between transistors T1 and T2. As get neutral line when the triac is off, it
provide the initial base drive to transis- long as transistor T1 is on, it provides the consumes absolutely no power when the
tor T2 at power-on. By the time capaci- necessary gate current to the triac through load is off.
tor C2 is fully charged, transistor T1 is resistor R7. Capacitor C3 prevents false The idea can be suitably adopted for
driven into saturation via transistor T2 operation of the circuit. timer applications where the power to the
and resistor R3. The load can be switched off either by timer circuit needs to be turned off after
The collector of transistor T1 is con- pressing switch S1 or by turning off the the set time delay. An opto-coupler can
nected to the base of transistor T2 through power to the circuit. When switch S1 is replace switch S1 for using the output of
resistor R4, and collector of transistor T2 pressed, transistor T1 is no more in satu- a low-voltage control circuit for switch-
is connected to base of transistor T1 via ration and thus it turns off the triac and ing off.

196 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19

 Song Number Display
H
eres a circuit to display the song
number in an audio system for
quick reference to songs. It also
serves the purpose of an extra visual indi-
cator in modern audio systems.
When the power is switched on, the
power-on-reset circuit comprising 3.3k
resistor R20 and 1F, 25V capacitor C6
resets the counters, showing 00 in the dis-
play. One can also reset the display to zero
at any time by pressing reset switch S1.
When the first song starts playing, the
output pins of IC1 (KA2281) go low and
capacitor C5 starts charging. This forward
biases transistor T1 and hence the input
to IC3 at pin 1 goes to high state. As a
Prabhash K.P.
result, the output of the counter goes to
the next state, showing 01 on the display.
The counter remains in this state until the
song is completed.
During the time gap before the next song
starts playing, capacitor C5 discharges. After
discharging of capacitor C5, the input to IC3
becomes low again. When the song starts,
the process described above is repeated and
the display shows 02. You can adjust VR3 to
change the time gap setting. This must be set
such that the circuit doesnt respond to short
gaps, if any, within a song and responds only
to long gaps between different songs.
Transistor T2 helps in gap-delay ad-
justment. The intensity of LED11 dimin-
ishes when a song is completed and the
counter is ready to accept the next pulse.
Connect the input to the preamp
output or equaliser output of the audio
system. Adjust VR1 and VR2 to get the
correct audio-level indication. If you are
already using KA2281 for audio-level
indication, just connect diodes D1 and D2
as shown in this circuit.
Note that the counter counts the songs
by detecting the gaps. Therefore any long
gap within a song may cause false trig-
gering and the display will also be incre-
mented. However, as this is very unlikely
to happen, the circuit shows the correct
song number almost all the time.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 24 167

SPELLER EFFECT
SIGN DISPLAY
VIJAYA KUMAR P.
T
he circuit described here uses low-
cost and easily available IC
CD4017 to produce a speller type
light display. In such displays, each let-
ter of the sign sequentially lights up, one
after the other, until all letters are glow-
ing. After a few seconds, the letters switch
off and the cycle repeats. This circuit pro-
vides a maximum of nine channels and
therefore can be used to spell a word or
sign having up to nine characters.
Timer IC1 (555) is configured in
astable mode to produce clock signal for
triggering IC2 (CD4017). Speed of switch-
ing on the display can be controlled by
varying preset VR1.
CIRCUIT IDEAS
EDI
DWIV
S.C.
CD4017 is a decade counter having
ten outputs, of which one output is high
for each clock pulse. However, this pro-
duces running lights effect. To change this
sequence to get the speller effect, pnp
transistors T1 through T9 are wired as
shown in the figure. Nine triacs (triac 1
through triac 9) are used to drive 230V
bulbs. (In place of 230V bulbs, miniature
lamps connected in series in the form of
characters or letters can also be used, pro-
vided the voltage drop across the series
combination is 230 volts.)
When any of the outputs of IC2 goes
high, the corresponding transistor con-
nected to the output goes off. When Q0 is
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  NOVEMBER 2001
high, transistor T1 goes off and its out-
put at the collector goes low. Since the
emitter of transistor T2 is connected to
the collector of transistor T1, and collec-
tor and emitter terminals of transistors
T1 through T9 are connected in series,
all transistors next to transistor T1, i.e.
transistors T2 through T9, do not get sup-
ply and hence all their outputs go low.
Next, when Q1 output goes high, tran-
sistor T2 goes off. Thus outputs of tran-
sistors T2 through T9 remain low. Since
Q0 output at this instant is low, transis-
tor T1 is forward biased and its output
goes high to light up the first character.
Similarly, when Q2 output goes high,
Q0 and Q1 outputs are low and therefore
outputs of transistors T1 and T2 go high
to light up the first and second characters.
This process continues until all tran-
sistors turn on, making all the characters
to light up. The cycle repeats endlessly,
producing the speller type light effect.

Staircase Light With
Auto Switch-Off
Raj K. Gorkhali
W
e are all familiar with the
electrical wiring arrange-
ment that connects an elec-
trical bulb with two switches: one at
the bottom of a staircase and the other
at the top. Wiring is done such that
either of the two switches can be used
to switch the bulb on or off. In such a
wiring arrangement, while climbing
up the staircase which is in dark, the
switch located at the bottom of the
staircase is used to switch on the light.
After you have climbed the staircase,
you use the switch located there to
switch off the light.
The circuit presented here is an
electronic-cum-electrical arrangement
to get a similar facility as provided
by the hard-wired electrical system,
but you need to operate the switch
only once. Whereas in the hard-wired
arrangement if you forget to switch
off the light once you have traversed
the staircase, light would remain on,
wasting energy.
In this circuit also, we have two
w w w. e f y m ag . co m
micro-switchesone located at the top
and the other located at the bottom of
the staircasethat can be pushed and
released easily during climb-up from
the bottom of the staircase or climb-
down from the top of the staircase. With
every push and release of either of the
two switches, bulb L1 lights up for a
preset time period of, say, 40 seconds,
which is considered adequate for climb-
ing up or going down the staircase. The
bulb goes off automatically after the set
40 seconds. You can change this on
time by changing the values of resis-
tor R7 and/or capacitor C4 depending
upon your requirement.
Switches S1 and S2 are the two
micro-switches, which provide low in-
puts to the respective de-bouncing cir-
cuits. Each de-bouncing circuit is built
around two NAND gates connected
back to back. The de-bouncing circuits
ensure a clean, bounce-free pulse at the
output every time the micro-switch is
pressed and released. The outputs from
the two de-bouncing circuits are ORed
using diodes D1 and D2 (1N4001). So
every time you press and release either
circuit
ideas
s.c. dwiv
edi
of the micro-switches, you get a posi-
tive-going pulse at the junction of the
cathodes of diodes D1 and D2.
These pulses are used to trigger the
monostable circuit built around timer
IC2. On the trailing edge of the pulse,
the output of the monostable goes
high for a time period of 40 seconds.
This drives relay-driver transistor
2N2222 (T1) wired as a switch. Relay
RL1 gets energised and closes N/O
contacts of the relay, wired in series
with the mains and the bulb (L1). Bulb
L1 switches off when the relay gets
de-energised after 40-second pulse pe-
riod. Free-wheeling diode D4 (1N4001)
protects transistor T1 against transients
during relay switch-off operation.
The circuit operates off a 9V bat-
tery, which gets connected to the cir-
cuit through on/off switch S3. You
can also use regulated 9V power sup-
ply. Assemble the circuit on a general-
purpose PCB and house in a small box.
Connect micro-switches S1 and S2 near
top and bottom of the staircase through
flexible wires and bulb in the middle of
the staircase.
e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u M ay 2 0 0 8 7 1

STEREO TAPE HEAD PREAMPLIFIER
FOR PC SOUND CARD
T.K. HAREENDRAN
H
ere is a stereo tape head pream-
plifier circuit for your PC sound
card that can playback your
favourite audio cassette through the PC.
Audio signals from this circuit can be di-
rectly connected to the stereo-input (line-
input) socket of the PC sound card for
further processing.
The circuit is built around a popular
stereo head preamp IC LA3161. Weak
electrical signals from the playback heads
are fed to pins 1 and 8 of IC1 via DC
decoupling capacitors C1 and C6, respec-
tively. Components between pins 2 and 3
and pins 6 and 7 provide adequate
equalisation to the signals for a normal
tape playback.
CIRCUIT IDEAS
SUN
IL KU
MAR
The amplified and equalised signals
available at output pins 3 and 6 of IC1
are coupled to the inputs of line amplifier
circuit built around transistors T1 (via ca-
pacitor C5, potmeter VR1, resistor R8, and
capacitor C12) and T2 (via capacitor C10,
potmeter VR2, resistor R19, and capaci-
tor C16), respectively. Left and right play-
back levels can be adjusted by variable
resistors VR1 and VR2. The audio signals
are finally available at the negative ends
of capacitors C13 and C17.
The circuit wired around relay driver
transistor T3 serves as a simple source
selector. This is added deliberately to help
the user share the common PC sound card
line-input terminal for operating some
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  OCTOBER 2001
other audio device as well.
When the preamplifier is in off state,
switching relay RL1 is off and it allows
connection of external signals to the sound
card. When the preamplifier is turned on,
the relay is energised by transistor T3
after a short delay determined by the val-
ues of resistor R21 and capacitor C23. On
energisation, the relay contacts
changeover the signals to internal source,
i.e. the head preamplifier.
After constructing the whole circuit
on a veroboard, enclose it in a mini me-
tallic cabinet with level controls and sock-
ets at suitable points. Use a regulated
1A, 12V DC power supply for powering
the whole circuit including the tape deck
mechanism. (A 1A, 18V AC secondary
transformer with 4700F, 40V electrolytic
capacitor and 78M12 regulator is suffi-
cient.)
You can use any kind of tape deck
mechanism with this circuit. Use of good-
quality playback head and well-screened
wires are recommended.
 TELEPHONE CALL ME TER USING
CALCULATOR AND COB
I
n this circuit, a simple calculator, in
conjunction with a COB (chip-on-
board) from an analogue quartz clock,
is used to make a telephone call meter.
The calculator enables conversion of STD/
ISD calls to local call equivalents and al-
ways displays current local call-meter
reading.
The circuit is simple and presents an
elegant look, with feather-touch operation.
It consumes very low current and is fully
battery operated. The batteries used last
more than a year.
Another advantage of using this cir-
cuit is that it is compatible with any type
of pulse rate format, i.e. pulse rate in
whole number, or whole number with
decimal part. Recently, the telephone de-
partment announced changes in pulse
rate format, which included pulse rate
in whole number plus decimal part. In
such a case, this circuit proves very
handy.
To convert STD/ISD calls to local calls,
this circuit needs accurate 1Hz clock
pulses, generated by clock COB. This COB
is found inside analogue quartz wall
clocks or time-piece mechanisms. It
consists of IC, chip capacitors, and crystal
that one can retrieve from scrap quartz
clock mechanisms.
Normally, the COB inside clock
mechanism will be in good condition.
However, before using the COB, please
check its serviceability by applying
1.5V DC across terminals C and D, as
shown in the figure. Then check DC
voltage across terminals A and B;
these terminals in a clock are connected
to a coil. If the COB is in good condition,
the multimeter needle would deflect
forward and backward once every sec-
ond. In fact, 0.5Hz clock is available at
terminals A and B, with a phase
difference of 90o. The advantage of using
this COB is that it works on a 1.5V DC
source.
LOOKUP TABLE
Pulse rate (PR) 2 2.5 3 4
Pulse rate
eqlt. (PRE) 0.500 0.400 0.333 0.250 0.166 0.125 0.083 0.062 0.041 0.031 0.027 0.020
Note: Here PRE is shown up to three decimal places. In practice, one may use up to five
or six decimal places.
The clock pulses available from ter-
minal A and B are combined using a
bridge, comprising diodes D1 to D4, to
obtain 1Hz clock pulses. These clock
pulses are applied to the base of transis-
tor T1. The collector and emitter of tran-
sistor T1 are connected across calculators
= terminals.
The number of pulses forming an
equivalent call may be determined from
the latest telephone directory. However,
the pulse rate (PR) found in the directory
cannot be used directly in this circuit.
For compatibility with this circuit, the
pulse rate applicable for a particular
place/distance, based on time of the
day/holidays, is converted to pulse rate
equivalent (PRE) using the formula
PRE = 1/PR.
You may prepare a look-up table for
various pulse rates and their equivalents
(see Table). Suppose you are going to
make an STD call in pulse rate 4. Note
down from the table the pulse rate equiva-
lent for pulse rate 4, which is 0.25. Please
note that on maturity of a call in the
telephone exchange, the exchange call
meter immediately advances to one call
and it will be further incremented ac-
cording to pulse rate. So one call should
6 8 12 16 24 32 36 48
always be included before counting the
calls.
For making call in pulse rate 4, slide
switch S1 to off (pulse set position) and
press calculator buttons in the following
order: 1, +, 0.25, =. Here, 1 is initial
count, and 0.25 is PRE. Now calculator
displays 1.25. This call meter is now ready
to count. Now make the call, and as soon
as the call matures, immediately slide
switch S1 to on (start/standby position).
The COB starts generating clock
pulses of 1 Hz. Transistor T1 conducts
once every second, and thus = button in
calculator is activated electronically once
every second. The calculator display starts
from 1.25, advancing every second as
follows:
1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2.00, 2.25, 2.50, and so on.
After finishing the call, immediately
slide switch S1 to off position (pulse set
position) and note down the local call
meter reading from the calculator display.
If decimal value is more than or equal to
0.9, add another call to the whole num-
ber value. If decimal value is less than
0.9, neglect decimal value and note down
only whole numbers.
To store this local call meter reading
into calculator memory, press M+ but-
ton. Now local call meter reading is stored
in memory and is added to the previous
local call meter reading. For continuous
display of current local call meter read-
ing, press MRC button and slide switch
S1 to on (start/standby position). The cur-
rent local call meter reading will blink
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21 167
once every second.
In prototype circuit, the author used
TAKSUN calculator. The display height
was 1 cm. In this calculator, he
substituted the two button-type batteries
with two externally connected 1.5V R6
type batteries to run the calculator for
more than an year.
The power off button terminals were
made dummy by affixing cellotape on con-
tacts to avoid erasing of memory, should
someone accidentally press the power off
button. This calculator has auto off fa-
cility. Therefore, some button needs to be
pressed frequently to keep the calculator
on. So, in the idle condition, the = but-
168 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21
ton is activated electronically once every culator as terminals E and F. Affix COB
second by transistor T1, to keep the cal- on a general-purpose PCB and solder the
culator continuously on. remaining components neatly. For giv-
Useful hints. Solder the = button ing the unit an elegant look, purchase a
terminals by drilling small holes in its jewellery plastic box with flip-type cover
vicinity on PCB pattern using thin cop- (size 15cm x 15cm). Now fix the board,
per wire and solder it neatly, such that calculator, and batteries, along with
the = button could get activated elec- holder inside the jewellery box. Then
tronically as well as manually. Take mount the box on the wall and paste the
the copper wire through a hole to the look-up table inside the box cover in such
backside of the PCB, from where it is a way that on opening the box, it is vis-
taken out of the calculator as terminals ible on left side of the box.
G and H. Caution. The negative terminals of
At calculators battery terminals, sol- battery A and battery B are to be kept
der two wires to + and terminals. isolated from each other for proper opera-
These wires are also taken out from cal- tion of this circuit.
 Telephone Conversation
Recorder
T
his circuit enables automatic ensures that transistor T1 gets voltage of tor T1 is pulled to ground potential via
switching-on of the tape recorder proper polarity, irrespective of the polarity resistor R4 and thus is cut off. Thus, base
when the handset is lifted. The of the telephone lines. of transistor T2 gets forward biased via
tape recorder gets switched off when the During on-hook condition, the output resistor R5, which results in the energisa-
handset is replaced. The signals are suit- from the bridge (48V DC) passes through tion of relay RL1. The tape recorder is
ably attenuated to a level at which they 12V zener D5 and is applied to the base of switched 'on' and recording begins.
can be recorded using the 'MICIN' socket transistor T1 via the voltage divider com- The tape recorder should be kept
of the tape recorder. prising resistors R3 and R4. This switches loaded with a cassette and the record
Points X and Y in the circuit are con- on transistor T1 and its collector is pulled button of the tape recorder should re-
nected to the telephone lines. Resistors R1 low. This, in turn, causes transistor T2 to main pressed to enable it to record the
and R2 act as a voltage divider. The voltage cut off and relay RL1 is not energised. conversation as soon as the handset is
appearing across R2 is fed to the 'MIC-IN' When the telephone handset is lifted, lifted. Capacitor C2 ensures that the re-
socket of the tape recorder. The values of the voltage across points X and Y falls lay is not switched on-and-off repeatedly
R1 and R2 may be changed depending on below 12 volts and so zener diode D5 does when a number is being dialled in pulse
the input impedance of the tape recorder's not conduct. As a result, base of transis- dialling mode.
'MIC-IN' terminals. Capacitor
C1 is used for blocking the flow
of DC.
The second part of the circuit
controls relay RL1, which is used
to switch on/off the tape recorder.
A voltage of 48 volts appears
across the telephone lines in
on-hook condition. This voltage
drops to about 9 volts when the
handset is lifted. Diodes D1
through D4 constitute a bridge
rectifier/polarity guard. This

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21

 TELEPHONE LINE BASED AUDIO
MUTING AND LIGHT-ON CIRCUIT
V
ery often when enjoying music or relays will still remain energised because The timer IC2 (555) is configured in
watching TV at high audio level, of low-impedance DC path available monostable mode and connected between
we may not be able to hear a (via cradle switch and handset) for transistor T1 and relay units provides a
telephone ring and thus miss
an important incoming phone
call. To overcome this
situation, the circuit
presented here can be used.
The circuit would
automatically light a bulb on
arrival of a telephone ring and
simultaneously mute the
music system/TV audio for
the duration the telephone
handset is off-hook. Lighting
of the bulb would not only
indicate an incoming call but
also help in locating the
telephone during darkness.
On arrival of a ring, or
when the handset is off-
hook, the inbuilt transistor
of IC1 (opto-coupler)
conducts and capacitor C1
gets charged and, in turn,
transistor T1 gets forward
biased. As a result,
transistor T1 conducts,
causing energisation of
relays RL1, RL2, and RL3.
Diode D1 connected in anti-
parallel to inbuilt diode of
IC1, in shunt with resistor R1, provides the in-built diode of IC1. After completion holding time of around 0.5 minutes.
an easy path for AC current and helps of call when handset is placed back on Similarly, energisation of DPDT
in limiting the voltage across inbuilt its cradle, the low-impedance path relay RL3 opens the leads going to
diode to a safe value during the ringing. through handset is no more available the speakers and thus mutes both audio
(The RMS value of ring voltage lies and thus relays RL1 through RL3 are speakers. Use N/C contacts of relay
between 70 and 90 volts RMS.) Capacitor deactivated. RL3 in series with speakers of music
C1 maintains necessary voltage for As shown in the figure, the energised system and N/C contacts of RL2 in
continuously forward biasing transistor relay RL1 contacts switch on the light, series with TV speaker. Use N/O contact
T1 so that the relays are while energisation of relay RL2 causes the of relay RL1 in series with a bulb to
not de-energised during the negative path of TV speaker lead to be opened. (For get the visual indication of an incoming
half cycles and off-period of ring signal. dual-speaker TV, replace relay RL2 with a call as well as light during off-hook
Once the handset is picked up, the DPDT relay of 6V, 200 ohm.) period.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21 187

 TELEPHONE RINGER
USING TIMER ICs
U
sing modulated rectangular
waves of different time periods,
the circuit presented here pro-
duces ringing tones similar to those
produced by a telephone.
The circuit requires four astable
multivibrators for its working. Therefore
two 556 ICs are used here. The IC 556
contains two timers (similar to 555 ICs)
in a single package. One can also as-
semble this circuit using four separate
555 ICs. The first multivibrator produces
a rectangular waveform with 1-second
low duration and 2-second high such a value that two ringing tones are
duration. This waveform is used to con-
trol the next multivibrator that produces
another rectangular waveform.
A resistor R7 is used at the collector of
transistor T2 to prevent capacitor C3 from
fully discharging when transistor T2 is
conducting. Preset VR1 must be set at
heard in the loudspeaker in one second.
The remaining two multivibrators are used
to produce ringing tones correspond-
ing to the ringing pulses produced
by the preceding multivibrator
stages.
When switch S1 is closed, tran-
sistor T1 cuts off and thus the first
multivibrator starts generating
pulses. If this switch is placed in the
power supply path, one has to wait
for a longer time for the ringing to
start after the switch is closed. The
circuit used also has a provision for
applying a drive voltage to the circuit
to start the ringing.
Note that the circuit is not meant
for connection to the telephone lines.
Using appropriate drive circuitry at
the input (across switch S1) one can
use this circuit with intercoms, etc.
Since ringing pulses are generated
within the circuit, only a constant
voltage is to be sent to the called
party for ringing.
EFY Lab note. To resemble the
actual telephone ringing a 400 Hz
tone is switched on in the following
sequence: 400ms on, 200ms off,
400ms on and 2000ms off and then
repeat.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 21 203
 Telecom Headset
A
compact, inexpensive and
low component count
telecom head-set can be con-
structed using two readily available
transistors and a few other electron-
ic components. This circuit is very
useful for hands-free operation of
EPABX and pager communication.
Since the circuit draws very little
current, it is ideal for parallel opera-
tion with electronic telephone set.
Working of the circuit is simple
and straightforward. Resistor R1
and an ordinary neon glow-lamp
forms a complete visual ringer cir-
cuit. This simple arrangement does
not require a DC blocking capacitor
because, under idle conditions, the tel-
ephone line voltage is insufficient to ionise
the neon gas and thus the lamp does not
light. Only when the ring signal is being
received, it flashes at the ringing rate to
indicate an incoming call.
The bridge rectifier using diodes D1
through D4 acts as a polarity guard which lector of transistor T2 are
protects the electronic circuit from any coupled to dynamic receiver
reversal in the telephone line polarity. RT-200 (used as earpiece) via
Zener diode D5 at the output of this bridge capacitor C7.
rectifier is used for additional circuit A condenser micro-
protection. phone, connected as shown
Section comprising transistor T1, re- in the circuit, is used as
sistors R2, R3 and zener diode D6 forms a transmitter. Audio signals
constant voltage regulator that provides developed across the microphone are diode bridge.
a low voltage output of about 5 volts. coupled to the base of transistor T1 The whole circuit can be wired on a
Dial tone and speech signals from ex- via capacitor C3. Resistor R4 deter- very small PCB and housed in a medium
change are coupled to the audio ampli- mines the DC bias required for the size headphone, as shown in the illustra-
fier stage built around transistor T2 and microphone. After amplification by tion. For better results at low line cur-
related parts, i.e. resistors R7, R6 and transistor T1, the audio signals are rents, value of resistor R2 may be reduced
capacitor C5. Amplified signals from col- coupled to the telephone lines via the after testing.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

Telephone Number R. R
AINA

Display
BHASKAR BANERJEE

T
he given circuit, when connected
in parallel to a telephone, dis-
plays the number dialled from
the telephone set using the DTMF mode.
This circuit can also show the number
dialled from the phone of the called
party. This is particularly helpful for
receiving any number over the phone
lines.
The DTMF signalgenerated by the
phone on dialling a numberis decoded
by DTMF decoder CM8870P1 (IC1),
which converts the received DTMF sig-
nal into its equivalent BCD number that
corresponds to the dialled number. This
binary number is stored sequentially in
10 latches each time a number is dialled
from the phone. The first number is
stored in IC5A (1/2 of CD4508) while
the second number is stored in IC5B
and so on. The binary output from IC1
for digit 0 as decoded by IC1 is 10102
(=1010), and this cannot be displayed by
the seven-segment decoder, IC10. There-
fore the binary output of IC1 is passed
through a logic-circuit which converts
an input of 10102 into 00002 without
affecting the inputs 1 through 9. This
is accomplished by gates N13 through
N15 (IC11) and N1 (IC12).
The storing of numbers in respec-
tive latches is done by IC2 (4017). The
data valid output from pin 15 of IC1 is
used to clock IC2. The ten outputs of
IC2 are sequentially connected to the
store and clear inputs of all the latches,
except the last one, where the clear in-
put is tied to ground. When an output
pin of IC2 is high, the corresponding
latch is cleared of previous data and
kept ready for storing new data. Then,
on clocking IC2, the same pin becomes
low and the data present at the inputs
of that latch at that instant gets stored
and the next latch is cleared and kept
ready. The similar input and output pins
of all latches are connected together to

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU n  MAY '99


form two separate input and output
buses.
There is only one 7-segment decoder/
driver IC10 for all the ten displays. This
not only reduces size and cost but re-
duces power requirement too. The out-
put from a latch is available only when
its disable pins (3 and 15) are brought
low. This is done by IC3, IC12 and IC13.
IC3 is clocked by an astable
multivibrator IC4 (555). IC3 also drives
the displays by switching correspond-
ing transistors. When a latch is enabled,
its corresponding display is turned on
and the content of that latch, after de-
coding by IC10, gets displayed in the
corresponding display. For instance, con-
tents of IC5A are displayed on display
DIS1, that of IC5B on DIS2 and so for a 7-digit display, with S6 output at
on. The system should be connected to
the telephone lines via a DPDT switch
(not shown) for manual switching, oth-
erwise any circuit capable of sensing
handsets off-hook condition and thereby
switching relays, etc. can be used for
automatic switching. The power-supply
switch can also be replaced then. Such
circuits, under different captions, can
be found in EFYs back issues. Though
this circuit is capable of showing a maxi-
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU n  MAY '99
CIRCUIT IDEAS
mum of ten digits, one can reduce the
display digits as required. For doing
this, connect the reset pin of IC2, say,
pin 5.
The present circuit can be built on a
veroboard and housed in a suitable box.
The displays are common-cathode type.
To make the system compact, small, 7-
segment displays can be used but with
some extra cost. Also, different colour
displays can be used for the first three
or four digits to separate the exchange
code/STD code, etc. The circuit can be
suitably adopted for calling-line display.
 Teleremote
Control
H
ere is a teleremote cir-
cuit which enables
switching on and off of
appliances through telephone lines.
It can be used to switch appliances
from any distance, overcoming the
limited range of infrared and radio
remote controls.
The circuit can be used to
switch up to nine appliances (cor-
responding to the digits 1 through
9 of the telephone key-pad). The
DTMF signals on telephone instru-
ment are used as control signals.
The digit 0 in DTMF mode is used
to toggle between the appliance
mode and normal telephone op-
eration mode. Thus the telephone
can be used to switch on or switch
off the appliances also while being
used for normal conversation.
The circuit uses IC KT3170
(DTMF-to-BCD converter), 74154
(4-to-16-line demult-iplexer), and
five CD4013 (D flip-flop) ICs.
The working of the circuit is as
follows.
Once a call is established (af-
ter hearing ring-back tone), dial 0
in DTMF mode. IC1 decodes this
as 1010, which is further demulti-
plexed by IC2 as output O10 (at pin
11) of IC2 (74154). The active low
output of IC2, after inversion by
an inverter gate of IC3 (CD4049),
becomes logic 1. This is used to
toggle flip-flop-1 (F/F-1) and relay
RL1 is energised. Relay RL1 has
two changeover contacts, RL1(a)
and RL1(b). The energised RL1(a)
contacts provide a 220-ohm loop
across the telephone line while
RL1(b) contacts inject a 10kHz
tone on the line, which indicates
to the caller that appliance mode
has been selected. The 220-ohm
loop on telephone line disconnects
the ringer from the telephone line
in the exchange. The line is now
connected for appliance mode of
operation.
If digit 0 is not dialed (in

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

DTMF) after establishing the call, the
ring continues and the telephone can be
used for normal conversation. After selec-
tion of the appliance mode of operation, if
digit 1 is dialed, it is decoded by IC1 and
its output is 0001. This BCD code
is then demultiplexed by 4-to-16-line
demultiplexer IC2 whose correspond-
ing output, after inversion by a CD4049
inverter gate, goes to logic 1 state.
This pulse toggles the corresponding
flip-flop to alternate state. The flip-flop
output is used to drive a relay (RL2)
which can switch on or switch off the
appliance connected through its contacts.
By dialing other digits in a similar way,
other appliances can also be switched
on or off . mal calls.
Once the switching operation is over,
the 220-ohm loop resistance and 10kHz
tone needs to be removed from the tel-
ephone line. To achieve this, digit 0 (in
DTMF mode) is dialed again to toggle
flip-flop-1 to de-energise relay RL1, which
terminates the loop on line and the 10kHz
tone is also disconnected. The telephone
line is thus again set free to receive nor-
This circuit is to be connected in paral-
lel to the telephone instrument.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
 CIRCUIT IDEAS
Time Switch
AVNISH PUNDIR
T
his circuit is especially designed
for those who often need to wake
up early in the morning. Ordi-
nary alarms in electronic watches are
not loud enough and
very often they fail to
wake up. The switch
circuit described here
will come handy; it can
be used to switch on a
TV, radio or tape re-
corder etc, which will
not allow even the la-
ziest amongst us to ig-
nore their sound for too long. Besides,
this time switch can also be used to
switch on/off any other electric or elec-
tronic gadget at any time. What you
need is a simple analogue electronic
clock with alarm facility and a small
circuit to implement the time switch.
This time switch has two modes.
One is time-on mode and the other is
time-off mode. In time-on mode, you
set up the alarm in your clock as per
normal procedure and at the set time
this switch turns on the gadget con-
nected at the output socket-1. In time-
off mode, it turns your gadget off at the
set time. The optional output socket-2
is wired in such a way that when you
use this socket, the mode changes with-
Y. K
ATA
RIA
out having to flip the mode switch (i.e.
mode switch can be omitted).
Please refer to the back panel dia-
gram of a typical analogue clock and
the audio jack, to see how the existing
buzzer of
the clock is
required to
be wired to
the audio
output
from the
clock. This
will ensure that when plug is inserted
in the audio jack, the clocks buzzer will
remain off and not consume any power
unnecessarily.
The audio alarm output from the
clock is coupled to the AF detector built
around low-power switching transistor
T1. During alarm, the collector of tran-
sistor T1 will fluctuate around ground
level and Vcc. During absence of audio
alarm input, the collector of transistor
T1 is held at Vcc potential.
The next stage consists of an S-R
latch built around NAND gates N1 and
N2. Capacitor C2 and resistor R4 are
used for power-on-reset. On switching
the power supply, gate N2 output will
acquire logic 1 and that of gate N1 logic
0. This is the initial state, irrespective of
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU n  MARCH '99
the position of mode switch. At the time
of alarm, when point A connected to col-
lector of transistor T1 passes through
logic 0 state, the output logic state of
both the gates will toggle.
Assuming that mode switch is
flipped to Mode Off position at power-
on-reset (when point D is at logic 1),
initially diode D1 would be in blocking
state and transistor T2 would be for-
ward biased via resistor R5 and
diodes D2 and D3. As a result, the
relay is in energised state, which makes
output power available at output socket-
1 and cuts it off from socket-2. At alarm
time, the audio signal toggles logic
output states of both gates N1 and N2.
As a result, point D goes to logic 0
state. Diode D1 conducts, taking the
voltage at junction of diodes D1 and
D2 to near about 1 volt. Diode D3
ensures that its series combination with
diode D2 puts them in blocking mode.
Capacitor C3 meanwhile discharges
via resistor R6 and the voltage at base
of transistor T2 approaches towards
ground level, cutting off transistor
T2 and de-energising relay RL1. Now
the power at output socket-1 would be
cut off while it becomes available in
socket-2.
If the above operation is repeated
with switch S1 in Mode On, the power
would initially not be available in
socket-1 (but available in socket-2). But
after the alarm, the power would be-
come available in socket-1 and not in
socket-2.
 Tiny Dew Sensor
D
ew (condensed moisture) ad-
versely affects the normal per-
formance of sensitive electronic
devices. A low-cost circuit described here
can be used to switch off any gadget
automatically in case of excessive
humidity.
At the heart of the circuit is an
inexpensive (resistor type) dew sensor
element. Although dew sensor elements
are widely used in video cassette players
and recorders, these may not be easily
available in local market. However, the
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
same can be procured from authorised
service centres of reputed companies. The
author used the dew sensor for FUNAI
VCP model No. V.I.P. 3000A (Part No:
6808-08-04, reference no. 336) in his pro-
totype. In practice, it is observed that all
dew sensors available for video application
possess the same electrical characteristics
irrespective of their physical shape/size,
and hence are interchangeable and can be
used in this project.
The circuit is basically a switching
type circuit made with the help of a
popular dual op-amp IC LM358N which
is configured here as a comparator. (Note
that only one half of the IC is used here.)
Under normal conditions, resistance of
the dew sensor is low (1 kilo-ohm or so)
and thus the voltage at its non-inverting
terminal (pin 3) is low compared to that at
its inverting input (pin 2) terminal. The
corresponding output of the comparator
(at pin 1) is accordingly low and thus noth-
ing happens in the circuit.
When humidity exceeds 80 per cent,
the sensor resistance increases rapidly.
As a result, the non-inverting pin becomes
more positive than the inverting pin. This
pushes up the output of IC1 to a high
level. As a consequence, the LED inside
the opto-coupler is energised. At the same
time LED1 provides a visual indication.
The opto-coupler can be suitably inter-
faced to any electronic device for switching
purpose.
Circuit comprising diode D1, resistors
R8 and R6 and capacitor C1 forms a low-
voltage, low-current power supply unit.
This simple arrangement obviates the
requirement for a bulky and expensive
step-down transformer.
 TOUCH-SENSITIVE MUSICAL
BELL WITH TIMER
T
his circuit is built
around CMOS IC
CD4011 and pop-
ular melody generator
IC UM66. When touch
plates are bridged by
hand for a moment. the
circuit starts to generate
music. After a few sec-
onds the music automati-
cally stops.
Maximum supply
voltage for this circuit is
+5 volts. The IC UM66
can not operate beyond
3.3V voltage. IC 7805
regulator based power supply can be used ing values of capacitor C1 and resistor R2. 5-volt rail keep voltage applied to pin2 of
to power this circuit. Three silicon diodes connected in series UM66 below 3.2 volts because of the drop
Time delay can be changed by chang- between pin 2 of UM66 IC and positive of approximately 1.8 volts across them.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19 185

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

AUTOMATED TRAFFIC SIGNAL RUP

ANJA
NA

CONTROLLER
VIKRAM BANERJEE sity is high. This controller allows the pe- of 8 seconds each. For the left- and right-
MRINAL KANTI MANDAL destrians to safely cross the road during turning traffic and pedestrians crossing
DR ANIRUDHA GHOSAL certain periods. from north to south, south to north, east
3. The controller uses digital logic, to west, and west to east, only green and

T
his automated traffic signal control-
ler can be made by suitably pro-
gramming a GAL device. (For GAL
programming you may refer to the con-
which can be easily implemented by us- red signals are used.
ing logic gates. Table I shows the simultaneous states
4. The controller is a generalised one of the signals for all the traffic. Each row
and can be used for different roads with represents the status of a signal for 8

Fig. 1: Flow of traffic in all possible directions

TABLE I
Simultaneous States of Signals for All the Traffic
X Y Z B-C/B-G B-E D-E/D-A D-G F-G/F-C F-A H-A/H-E HC WALK WALK
Lt/Rt St Lt/Rt St Lt/Rt St Lt/Rt St (N-S)/(S-N) (E-W)/(W-E)
0 0 0 R R R R G G R R R R
0 0 1 R G R R R G R R G R
0 1 0 R G R R R Y R R G R
0 1 1 G Y R R R R R R R R
1 0 0 R R R R R R G G R R
1 0 1 R R R G R R R G R G
1 1 0 R R R G R R R Y R G
1 1 1 R R G Y R R R R R R

struction project published on page 52 in
EFYs September issue.) Its main features
are:
1. The controller assumes equal traffic
density on all the roads.
2. In most automated traffic signals the
free left-turn condition is provided through-
out the entire signal period, which poses
difficulties to the pedestrians in crossing
the road, especially when the traffic den-
slight modification.
5. The control can also be exercised
manually when desired.
The time period for which green, yel-
low, and red traffic signals remain on
(and then repeat) for the straight moving
traffic is divided into eight units of 8
seconds (or multiples thereof) each. Fig.
1 shows the flow of traffic in all permis-
sible directions during the eight time units
seconds. As can be observed from the
table, the ratio of green, yellow, and red
signals is 16:8:40 (=2:1:5) for the straight
moving traffic. For the turning traffic the
ratio of green and red signals is 8:56
(=1:7), while for pedestrians crossing the
road the ratio of green and red signals is
16:48 (=2:6).
In Table II (as well as Table I) X, Y,
and Z are used as binary variables to

NOVEMBER 2002 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

TABLE II depict the eight states of 8 trol output.

Boolean Functions for All the Signal Conditions seconds each. Letters A The circuit diagram for realising these
Signal Reference Boolean functions through H indicate the left Boolean functions is shown in Fig. 2.
and right halves of the roads Timer 555 (IC1) is wired as an astable
Green B-C(Lt)/B-G (Rt) XYZ
in four directions as shown multivibrator to generate clock signal for
Green B-E (St) XYZ+XYZ
in Fig. 1. Two letters with a the 4-bit counter 74160 (IC2). The time
Red B-E (St) X+YYZ dash in between indicate the duration of IC1 can be adjusted by vary-
Yellow B-E (St) XYZ direction of permissible ing the value of resistor R1, resistor R2,
Green D-E (Lt)/D-A (Rt) XYZ
movement from a road. or capacitor C2 of the clock circuit. The
Green D-G (St) XYZ+XYZ
Straight direction is indicated on time duration T is given by the fol-
Red D-G (St) X+XYZ
by St, while left and right lowing relationship:
Yellow D-G (St) XYZ
turns are indicated by Lt and T = 0.695C2(R1+R2)
Green F-G(Lt)/F-C (Rt) XYZ Rt, respectively. IC2 is wired as a 3-bit binary counter
Green F-A (St) XY The Boolean functions by connecting its Q3 output to reset pin 1
Red F-A (St) X+XYZ
for all the signal conditions via inverter N1. Binary outputs Q2, Q1,
Yellow F-A (St) XYZ
are shown in Table II. and Q0 form variables X, Y, and Z, re-
Green H-A (Lt)/H-E (Rt) XYZ
The left- and the right-turn spectively. These outputs, along with their
Green H-C (St) XY
signals for the traffic have complimentary outputs X, Y, and Z,
Red H-C (St) X+XYZ the same state, i.e. both are respectively, are used as inputs to the rest
Yellow H-C (St) XYZ red or green for the same of the logic circuit to realise various out-
Green Walk (N-S/S-N) XYZ+XYZ
duration, so their Boolean puts satisfying Table I.
Green Walk (E-W/W-E) XYZ+XYZ
functions are identical and You can simulate various traffic lights
Note. X, Y, and Z denote complements of variables X, Y,
they should be using green, yellow, and red LEDs and
and Z, respectively.
connected to the same con- feed the outputs of the circuit to respec-
tive LEDs via
current-limit-
ing resistors of
470 ohms each
to check the
working of the
circuit. Here,
for turning traf-
fic and pedes-
trians crossing
the road, only
green signal is
made avail-
able. It means
that for the re-
maining period
these signals
have to be
treated as red.
In practice,
the outputs of
Fig. 2 should
be connected
to solidstate re-
lays to operate
high-power
bulbs. Further,
if a particular
signal condi-
tion (such as
turning signal)
is not appli-
cable to a
given road, the
output of that
signal condi-
Fig. 2: The circuit diagram for traffic light signalling tion should be

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU NOVEMBER 2002

 CIRCUIT IDEAS

Table III connected by entering the binary value correspond-

Execution Results of Software Program to green ing to that particular state into the parallel
signal of input pins of the 3-bit counter. Similarly,
SIG-B SIG-D SIF-F SIG-H WALK(N-S) WALK(E-W)
the next the signal can be reset at any time by
GGRY GGRY GGRY GGRY GR GR state (refer providing logic 0 at the reset pin (pin 1)
0010 0100 1100 0010 01 01 Table I). of the counter using an external switch.
0100 0100 0100 0010 10 01 T h e A software program to verify the
0100 0100 0001 0010 10 01 traffic sig- functioning of the circuit using a PC
1001 0100 0010 0010 01 01 nals can is given below. (Source code and execut-
0010 0100 0010 1100 01 01 also be able file will be provided in the next
0010 1000 0010 0100 01 10 controlled months EFY-CD.) When executing the pro-
0010 1000 0010 0001 01 10 manually, gram, keep pressing Enter key to get the
0010 0011 0010 0010 01 01 if desired. next row of results. The test results on
Note. The first column under G (green) in each group of four signals indicates the Any signal execution of the program is shown in Table
turn signal, while the next three columns under GRY indicate signal for the straight state can be III.
traffic. established This circuit costs around Rs 125.

TRAFFIC.C

#include<stdio.h> c=(seq&1);b=(seq&2)>>1;a=(seq&4)>>2; walk_ns,stop_ns,

#include<conio.h> green_bl=and3(not(a),b,c); walk_ew,stop_ew);
#define TRUE 1 green_bs=or2(and3(not(a),b,not(c)),and3(not(a),not(b),c)); getch();
#define False 0 red_bs=or2(a,and3(not(a),not(b),not(c))); }
yellow_bs=and3(not(a),b,c); return;
int not(int x); green_dl=and3(a,b,c); }
int or2(int x,int y); green_ds=or2(and3(a,b,not(c)),and3(a,not(b),c)); int and2(int x,int y)
int or3(int x,int y,int z); red_ds=or2(not(a),and3(a,not(b),not(c))); {
int and2(int x,int y); yellow_ds=and3(a,b,c); return(x && y);
int and3(int x,int y,int z); green_fl=and3(not(a),not(b),not(c)); }
int main(void) green_fs=and2(not(a),not(b)); int and3(int x,int y,int z)
{ red_fs=or2(a,and3(not(a),b,c)); {
int a,b,c; yellow_fs=and3(not(a),b,not(c)); return(x && y && z);
int seq,green_bl,green_bs,red_bs,yellow_bs; green_hl=and3(a,not(b),not(c)); }
int green_dl,green_ds,red_ds,yellow_ds; green_hs=and2(a,not(b)); int or2(int x,int y)
int green_fl,green_fs,red_fs,yellow_fs; red_hs=or2(not(a),and3(a,b,c)); {
int green_hl,green_hs,red_hs,yellow_hs; yellow_hs=and3(a,b,not(c)); return(x || y);
int walk_ns,stop_ns; walk_ns=green_bs; }
int walk_ew,stop_ew; stop_ns=or3(and3(not(a),not(b),not(c)),and3(not(a),b,c),a); int or3(int x,int y,int z)
walk_ew=green_ds; {
clrscr(); stop_ew=or3(not(a),and3(a,b,c),and3(a,not(b),not(c))); return(x || y || z);
printf( SIG-B SIG-D SIF-F SIG-H printf(%d %d %d %d %d %d %d %d }
WALK(N-S) WALK(E-W)\n); %d %d %d %d %d %d %d %d %d %d int not(int x)
printf(G G R Y G G R Y G G R Y G G R Y %d %d\n, {
GR G R\n); green_bl,green_bs,red_bs,yellow_bs, return(!x);
green_dl,green_ds,red_ds,yellow_ds, }
for(seq=0;seq<8;seq++) green_fl,green_fs,red_fs,yellow_fs,
{ green_hl,green_hs,red_hs,yellow_hs,

NOVEMBER 2002 ELECTRONICS FOR YOU

 Ultra Low Drop Linear
Regulator
T
he circuit is a MOSFET based
linear voltage regulator with a
voltage drop of as low as 60 mV at 1
ampere. Drop of a fewer millivolts is pos-
sible with better MOSFETs having lower
RDS(on) resistance.
The circuit in Fig. 1 uses 15V-0-15V
secondary output from a step-down
transformer and employs an n-channel
MOSFET IRF540 to get the regulated
12V output from DC input, which could be
as low as 12.06V. The gate drive voltage
required for the MOSFET is generated
using a voltage doubler circuit consisting
of diodes D1 and D2 and capacitors C1 and
C4. To turn the MOSFET fully on, the gate
terminal should be around 10V above the
source terminal which is connected to the
output here. The voltage doubler feeds this
voltage to the gate through resistor R1.
Adjustable shunt regulator TL431 (IC2)
is used here as an error amplifier, and it
dynamically adjusts the gate voltage to
maintain the regulation at the output.
With adequate heatsink for the MOS-
FET, the circuit can provide up to 3A out-
put at slightly elevated minimum voltage
Fig. 1
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20
drop. Trimpot VR1 in the circuit is used triggered, pulling down the gate voltage
for fine adjustment of the output voltage. to ground, and thus limiting the output
Combination of capacitor C5 and resistor current. The circuit will remain latched
R2 provides error-amplifier compensa- in this state, and input voltage has to be
tion.
The circuit
is provided with
a short-circuit
crow-bar protec-
tion to guard
the components
against over-
stress during ac-
cidental short at
the output. This
crow-bar protec-
tion will work as
follows: Under
Fig. 2
normal working
conditions, the
voltage across capacitor C3 will be 6.3V switched off to reset the circuit.
and diode D5 will be in the off state since The circuit shown in Fig. 2 follows a
it will be reverse-biased with the output similar scheme. It can be utilised when
voltage of 12V. However, during output the regulator has to work from a DC rail
short-circuit condition, the output will in place of 15V-0-15V AC supply. The gate
momentarily drop, causing D5 to conduct voltage here is generated using an LM555
and the opto-triac MOC3011 (IC1) will get charge pump circuit as follows:
When 555 output is low,
capacitor C2 will get charged
through diode D1 to the input
voltage. In the next half cycle,
when the 555 output goes high,
capacitor C3 will get charged
to almost double the input
voltage. The rest of the circuit
works in a similar fashion as
the circuit of Fig. 1.
The above circuits will help
reduce power-loss by allowing
to keep input voltage range to
the regulator low during initial
design or even in existing cir-
cuits. This will keep the output
regulated with relatively low
input voltage compared to the
conventional regulators.
The minimum voltage drop
can be further reduced using
low R DS(on) MOSFETs or by
paralleling them.

UNDER-/OVER-VOLTAGE BEEP
FOR MANUAL STABILISER
K. UDHAYA KUMARAN
M
anual stabilisers are still popu-
lar because of their simple con-
struction, low cost, and high re-
liability due to the absence of any relays
while covering a wide range of mains AC
voltages compared to that handled by au-
tomatic voltage stabilisers. These are used
mostly in homes and in business centres
for loads such as lighting, TV, and fridge,
and in certain areas where the mains AC
voltage fluctuates between very low (dur-
ing peak hours) and abnormally high (dur-
ing non-peak hours).
Some manual stabilisers available in
the market incorporate the high-voltage
auto-cut-off facility to turn off the load
when the output voltage of manual
stabiliser exceeds a certain preset high
voltage limit. The output voltage may be-
come high due to the rise in AC mains
voltage or due to improper selection by
the rotary switch on manual stabiliser.
One of the major disadvantage of us-
ing a manual stabiliser in areas with a
wide range of voltage fluctuations is that
one has to keep a watch on the manual
stabilisers output voltage that is displayed
on a voltmeter and keep changing the
same using its rotary switch. Or else, the
output voltage may reach the preset auto-
cut-off limit to switch off the load without
the users knowledge. To turn on the load
again, one has to readjust the stabiliser
voltage using its rotary switch. Such op-
CIRCUIT IDEAS
IL KU
MAR
SUN
eration is very irritating and inconvenient
for the user.
This under-/over-voltage audio alarm
circuit designed as an add-on circuit for
the existing manual stabilisers overcomes
the above problem. Whenever the
stabilisers output voltage falls below a
preset low-level voltage or rises above a
preset high-level voltage, it produces dif-
ferent beep sounds for high and low volt-
age levelsshort-duration beeps with
short intervals between successive beeps
for high voltage level and slightly longer-
duration beeps with longer interval be-
tween successive beeps for low voltage
level. By using these two different types
of beep sounds one can readily readjust
the stabilisers AC voltage output with the
help of the rotary switch. There is no need
of frequently checking voltmeter reading.
It is advisable to preset the high-level
voltage 10V to 20V less than the required
high-voltage limit for auto-cut-off opera-
tion. Similarly, for low level one may pre-
set low-level AC voltage 20V to 30V above
minimum operating voltage for a given
load.
The primary winding terminals of
step-down transformer X1 are connected
to the output terminals of the manual
stabiliser. Thus, 9V DC available across
capacitor C1 will vary in accordance with
the voltage available at the output termi-
nals of the manual stabiliser, which is
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  MAY 2001
used to sense high or low voltage in this
circuit.
Transistor T1 in conjunction with ze-
ner diode ZD1 and preset VR1 is used to
sense and adjust the high-voltage level
for beep indication. Similarly, transistor
T2 along with zener ZD2 and preset VR2
is used to sense and adjust low voltage
level for beep indication.
When the DC voltage across capaci-
tor C1 rises above the preset high-level
voltage or falls below the preset low-level
voltage, the collector of transistor T2 be-
comes high due to non-conduction of tran-
sistor T2, in either case. However, if the
DC voltage sampled across C1 is within
the preset high- and low-level voltage,
transistor T2 conducts and its collector
voltage gets pulled to the ground level.
These changes in the collector voltage of
transistor T2 are used to start or stop
oscillations in the astable multivibrator
circuit that is built around transistors T3
and T4. The collector
of transistor T4 is con-
nected to the base of
buzzer driver transis-
tor T5 through resis-
tor R8. Thus when the
collector voltage of
transistor T4 goes
high, the buzzer
sounds. Preset VR3 is
used to control the
volume of buzzer
sound.
In normal condi-
tion, the DC voltage sampled across ca-
pacitor C1 is within the permissible win-
dow voltage zone. The base of transistor
T3 is pulled low due to conduction of di-
ode D2 and transistor T2. As a result,
capacitor C2 is discharged. The astable
multivibrator stops oscillating and tran-
sistor T4 starts conducting because tran-
sistor T3 is in cut-off state. No beep sound
is heard in the buzzer due to conduction
of transistor T4 and non-conduction of
transistor T5.
When the DC voltage across capaci-
tor C1 goes above or below the window
voltage level, transistor T2 is cut off. Its
collector voltage goes high and diode D2
stops conducting. Thus there is no dis-
charge path for capacitor C2 through di-
ode D2. The astable multivibrator starts

oscillating. The time period for which the
beep is heard and the time interval be-
tween two successive beeps are achieved
with the help of the DC supply voltage,
which is low during low-level voltage sam-
pling and high during high-level voltage
CIRCUIT IDEAS
sampling. The time taken for charging
capacitors C2 and C3 is less when the DC
voltage is high and slightly greater when
the DC voltage is low for astable
multivibrator operation. Thus during low-
level voltage sensing the buzzer beeps for
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  MAY 2001
longer duration with longer interval be-
tween successive beeps compared to that
during high-voltage level sensing.
This circuit can be added to any ex-
isting stabiliser (automatic or manual) or
UPS to monitor its performance.
 UPS FOR CORDLESS TELEPHONES
C
ordless telephones are very
popular nowadays. But they
have a major drawback, i.e. they
cannot be operated during power fail-
ure. Therefore usually another ordinary
telephone is connected in parallel to the
Fig. 1: Block diagram of UPS.
cordless telephone. This results in lack of
secrecy. UPS is a permanent solution to
this problem.
Fig. 2: Circuit diagram of UPS
Since the UPS is meant only for the
cordless telephone, its output power is
limited to around 1.5W. This is sufficient
to operate most cordless telephones. as
these employ only small capacity adapters
(usually 9V/12V, 500mA), to enable the
operation of the circuit and to charge the
battery present in the handset.
The UPS presently designed is of on-
line type. Here the inverter is on through-
182 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19
out, irrespective of the presence of the AC
mains. When the AC mains is present,
the same is converted into DC and fed to
the inverter. A part of the mains rectified
output is used to charge the battery. When
the mains power fails, the DC supply to
the inverter is from the battery and from
this is obtained AC at the inverter output.
This is shown in fig.1.
The circuit wired around IC CD4047
is an astable multivibrator operating at a
frequency of 50 Hz. The Q and Q outputs
of this multivibrator directly drive power
MOSFETS IRF540. The configuration used
is push-pull type. The inverter output is
filtered and the spikes are reduced using
MOV (metal oxide varistor). The inverter
transformer used is an ordinary 9V-0-9V,
1.5A mains transformer readily available
in the market. Two LEDS (D6 and D7) indi-
cate the presence of mains/battery.
The mains supply (when present) is
stepped down, rectified and filtered using
diodes D1 through D4 and capacitor C1. A
part of this supply is also used to charge
the battery. In place of a single 12V, 4Ah
Fig. 3: Proposed layout of front and rear panels.
battery, one may use two 6V, 4Ah batter-
ies (SUNCA or any other suitable brand).
The circuit can be easily assembled on
a general-purpose PCB and placed inside
a metal box. The two transformers may be
mounted on the chassis of the box. Also,
the two batteries can be mounted in the
box using supporting clamps. The front
and back panel designs are shown in the
Fig. 3.
The same circuit can deliver up to
100W, provided the inverter transformer
and charging transformer are replaced
with higher current rating transformers,
so that the system can be used for some
other applications as well.
 circuit
ideas

Versatile CMOS/TTL Logic

And Clock Probe s.c. dwiv
edi

EFY Lab point of the logic circuit. goes low only when logic input at the
Supply for the probe circuit is probe tip exceeds the biasing voltage

F
or fault diagnosis of any logic
circuit, you need a probe that can
test the logic level or existence of
clock activity. The circuit shown here
can be used to test CMOS and TTL
logic circuits for logic states and also
for the presence of clock activity from a
few hertz to more than 10 MHz, at any
taken from the circuit under test using
alligator clips. In the circuit, LM319
dual-comparator is connected as a
window detector. The non-invert-
ing pin of comparator N1 is biased
to nearly 2V when switch S1 is in
TTL position and 80 per cent of Vcc
in CMOS position. The output of N1
and, as a result, the red LED lights up
to indicate logic 1 state at the probe
tip.
Similarly, the inverting pin of
comparator N2 is biased at nearly 0.8V
(in TTL position of switch S1) and 20
per cent of Vcc (in CMOS position of
switch S1). Only when the input volt-

age at probe tip is less than the biasing

Test Results
voltage, will its output drop low to
Test Specified Observed Red Green Yellow Buzzer
light up the green LED to indicate logic
conditions level level LED LED LED sound
0 state.
TTL (5V) The probe tip is also connected to
Low <0.8V <0.8V Off On Off Off the input of CD4049 (N3) via capacitor
High >2V 2.1V On Off Off Off C1 to pass AC/clock signals. It simply
Clock TTL 1 Hz to 10 MHz Off Momentarily On for On for acts as a buffer and couples only the
compatible or even more on/off 3 seconds 3 seconds high-to-low going signals at the in-
CMOS (12V) put/output of the gate to the input of
Low <2.5V 2.35V Off On Off Off next gate N4.
High >9.5V >9.5V On Off Off Off The output of gate N4 is further
Clock CMOS 1 Hz to 10 MHz Off Momentarily On for On for coupled to gate N5, which is wired as a
compatible or even more on/off 3 seconds 3 seconds monostable. A positive feedback from

9 2 F e b r ua ry 2 0 0 8 e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u w w w. e f y m ag . co m

the output of gate N5 to the input of
gate N4 ensures that unless capacitor
C4 (0.47F) discharges sufficiently via
4.7-mega-ohm resistor, further clock
pulses at the input of N4 will have no
effect.
Gate N6 is used for driving a yel-
low LED (indicating oscillatory input
at probe tip), which will be switched
on for a brief period. The output of
gate N6 is further used to inhibit/en-
able the oscillator formed by gates N7
circuit
ideas
and N8. It briefly activates the buzzer
to beep during mono period, indicat-
ing oscillatory input at the probe tip.
Thus we have audio-visual indication
during clock/oscillatory input at the
probe tip.

w w w. e f y m ag . co m e l e c t ro n i c s f o r yo u F e b r ua ry 2 0 0 8 9 3
 CIRCUIT IDEAS

VERSATILE ZENER DIODE TESTER operation. In quick-test mode, you can

perform a rough check of zener diodes
breakdown voltage up to 47 volts. In qual-
ity-test mode, you can check dynamic im-
MAR
K. UDHAYA KUMARAN IL KU pedance characteristic for zener diodes
SUN
from 3.3V to 120V.
Commonly available step-down trans-

Z
ener diodes available in the mar- digital voltmeters, control systems, and formers X1 and X2 (230V AC primary to
ket are specified according to their precision power-supply circuits. However, 9V AC, 750 mA sec. each) are connected
breakdown voltage as well as tol- for a common hobbyist it is not necessary back-to-back as shown in the figure. A
erance. The tolerance may vary from 5 to check zener diodes critically, and only bridge rectifier followed by filter capaci-
per cent to 20 per cent. The circuit of a checking its dynamic impedance charac- tor C1 converts the output from X2 trans-
versatile zener diode tester presented here teristic is sufficient. former to DC. Neon lamp L1 indicates
enables you to verify the specified break- Dynamic impedance implies the de- the presence of higher DC voltage (220V
down voltage and tolerance values. In ad- gree of change in a zener diodes voltage approximately) across capacitor C1, which
dition, you can check the dynamic imped- with the change in current. Expressed in is used to test various zener diode values
ance of a zener diode. ohms, it equals the small change in zener from 3.3V to 120V.
The dynamic imped-
ance characteristics of a
zener diode determine
as to how well the ze-
ner diode regulates its
own breakdown voltage.
Thus this circuit can be
used to compare the dy-
namic impedance char-
acteristics of zener di-
odes from a lot and seg-
regate/categorise them
accordingly.
For full-fledged ze-
ner diode testing you
will have to refer to the manufacturers voltage divided by the corresponding An advantage of using this high-volt-
datasheet to check zener diode parameters change in zener current (centered around age circuit is that the current gets re-
such as zener voltage, power, and cur- the test current figure prescribed in stricted to a low value. It delivers only 3
rent (maximum/nominal) ratings. In ad- datasheets by manufacturers). From mA (approx.) when testing zener diodes
dition, temperature coefficient and dy- datasheets it is observed that test cur- with higher breakdown values (e.g. 120V
namic impedance have also to be checked rent value is high for low-voltage zener zener diode), but while testing zener di-
if zener diode is to be used for critical diodes and low for higher-voltage zener odes of low breakdown values, such as
functions such as voltage reference for diodes. However, the dynamic impedance 3.3V, it delivers a current slightly above
value will be low for low-voltage zener 20 mA. Such power-supply characteris-
TABLE I
Minimum and Maximum Test Current diodes and vice versa for higher-voltage tics suit our requirement, as stated ear-
Values zener diodes. lier. Since a small current is used for test-
Zener diode values IT(min) IT(max) To test 3.3V to 120V zener diodes by ing of zener diodes, there is no danger of
3.3V to 4.3V 10mA 15mA the practical dynamic impedance method, zener diodes getting damaged during test-
4.7V to 18V 5mA 10mA you need to have a variable voltage (0 to ing using the dynamic impedance method.
20V to 39V 2mA 4mA Before using the circuit, check DC volt-
above 120V) and current (1 mA to 150
Note: Zener diode power ratings are 250 mW, mA) supply source. Designing this type of age across test terminals A and B without
400 mW, and 500 mW.
power supply is quite complicated and is connecting any zener diode and then flip
TABLE II prone to damage if excess current is toggle switch S2 to quick-test position. DC
Minimum and Maximum Test Current drawn accidentally. voltage available across terminals A and
Values The zener diode tester circuit pre- B will be around 200V DC. Now put toggle
Zener diode values IT(min) IT(max) sented here has been designed consider- switch to quality-test position. DC voltage
3.3V to 12V 10mA 15mA ing the above factors. It is capable of test- can now be adjusted from 6V DC to 200V
13V to 27V 5mA 10mA ing zener diodes of breakdown voltage rat- DC (approx.) with the help of potentiom-
30V to 43V 2mA 5mA ings of upto 120V and wattage ratings of eter VR1. After these preliminary checks,
47V to 75V 1.5mA 3mA
250 mW, 400 mW, 500 mW, and 1W. the circuit is ready for operation.
82V to 120V 1mA 2mA
The circuit can be deployed in quick- To test zener diode by quick-test
Note: Zener diode power rating is 1 watt.
test mode as also in quality-test mode of method, connect zener diode across termi-

ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  JUNE 2001


nals A and B and flip switch S1 to on
position. Note down DC voltage in digital
multimeter M2, which is the rough break-
down voltage. In quick-test method you
can test zener diode values up to 47 volts
safely. For higher-value zener diodes you
will have to increase the value of resistor
R3 suitably. If zener diode presents a short,
digital multimeter M2 will read 0 volts.
To perform quality test on the same
zener diode, turn switch S1 off and re-
move zener diode from across terminals A
and B. Now turn switch S1 on and adjust
potentiometer VR1 to obtain DC voltage
(on digital multimeter) across terminals A
CIRCUIT IDEAS
and B equal to the one found during quick
test method. Now keep potentiometer VR2
in mid position and connect zener diode
across terminals A and B.
(Note. Before testing zener diode, re-
fer Table I and Table II for the minimum
test current (ITmin) and maximum test
current (ITmax) required for various ze-
ner diode values, depending upon their
wattage rating.)
Test current is adjusted using poten-
tiometer VR2 and measured using meter
M1 (A 0-25mA analogue milliampere
meter or a 0-20mA digital multimeter can
be used.)
ELECTRONICS FOR YOU  JUNE 2001
Now adjust potentiometer VR2 and
note down changes in zener voltage dur-
ing ITmin and ITmax conditions. If the re-
quired current is not available, increase
DC voltage by adjusting potentiometer
VR1 suitably. While changing test current
from ITmin to ITmax, the voltage variation
across zener diode should be less than 1
volt for lower-value zener diodes and a
few volts for higher-value zener diodes. A
voltage variation of more than this value
indicates that zener diode is not properly
regulating. When comparing zener diodes
of same values, the zeners showing less
voltage deviation would regulate better.
 WATCH-DOG FOR TELEPHONES
M
ost of the telephone security
devices available in market
are simple but quite expensive.
These devices provide blinking or beeping
type line-tap/misuse indications. Quite
often they do not offer guaranteed pro-
tection against unauthorised operation.
A very simple and unique circuit of a
telephone watch-dog to safeguard sub-
scriber telephone lines against any fraud
is described here.
This little circuit keeps continuous
watch over the telephone lines and sounds
184 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 19
an alarm in case of any misuse. In ad-
dition it transmits a loud tone through
the telephone lines to prevent further
misuse.
When switch S1 is turned on, the
normal (on-hook) telephone line voltage
at the output of bridge-rectifier diodes
D1 to D4 is approximately 48 volts,
which being well above the break-down
voltage of zener diode D5, the diode
conducts. As a result transistor T2 gets
forward biased. This effectively grounds
the base of transistor T1 which is thus
cut off and the remaining circuit does
not get any power supply. In this state,
only a small (negligible) current is taken
by the circuit, which will not affect the
telephone line condition. However, when
handset of any telephone connected to
the telephone lines is lifted (off-hook),
line voltage suddenly drops to about
10 volts. As a result, transistor T2
is switched off and transistor T1 gets
forward biased via resistor R1. Now, the
astable multivibrator built around timer
IC1 starts oscillating and the speaker
starts sounding. Output of
the astable multivibrator is
also connected to the base
of transistor T1 through ca-
pacitor C5. As a result, only
a loud (and irritating) tone
is heard in the ear-piece of
the unauthorised telephone
instrument.
This circuit can be con-
structed on a veroboard us-
ing easily available low-cost
components and it can be
connected to any telephone
line without the fear of mal-
functioning. No extra power
supply is required as it draws
power from the telephone line
for operation.
EFY Note: Please discon-
nect the gadget when you are
yourself using the telephone as
it cannot distinguish between
authorised and unauthorised
operation.
 Water Level
Indicator
With Alarm
Vijay D. Sathe

H
ere is a simple, versatile circuit
which indicates the level of
water in a tank. This circuit pro-
duces alarm when water level is below
the lowest level L1 and also when water
just touches the highest level L12. The
circuit is designed to display 12 differ-
ent levels. However, these display levels
can be increased or decreased depending
upon the level resolution required. This
can be done by increasing or decreasing
the number of level detector metal strips
(L1 through L12) and their associated
components.
In the circuit, diodes D1, D2 and D13
form half-wave rectifiers. The rectified
output is filtered using capacitors C1
through C3 respectively.
Initially, when water level is below
strip L1, the mains supply frequency
oscillations are not transferred to diode
D1. Thus its output is low and LED1 does
not glow. Also, since base voltage of tran-
sister T1 is low, it is in cut-off state and
its collector voltage is high, which enables
melody generating IC1 (UM66) and alarm
is sounded.
When water just touches level detector
strip L1, the supply frequency oscillations
are transferred to diode D1. It rectifies the
supply voltage and a positive DC voltage
develops across capacitor C1, which lights
up LED1. At the same time base voltage
for transistor T1 becomes high, which
makes it forward biased and its collector
voltage falls to near-ground potential.
This disables IC1 (UM66) and alarm is
inhibited.
Depending upon quantity of water
present in the tank, corresponding level
indicating LEDs glow. It thus displays
intermediate water levels in the tank in
bar-graph style.
When water in the tank just touches
the highest level detector strip L12, the
DC voltage is developed across capacitor
C2. This enables melody generating IC1
(UM66) and alarm is again sounded.

ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 20

 Water-Level Controller
joydeep kumar chakraborty

I
n most houses, water is first stored
in an underground tank (UGT) and
from there it is pumped up to the
overhead tank (OHT) located on the roof.
People generally switch on the pump when
their taps go dry and switch off the pump
when the overhead tank starts overflow-
ing. This results in the unnecessary wast-
age and sometimes non-availability of
water in the case of emergency.
The simple circuit presented here
makes this system automatic, i.e. it
switches on the pump when the water
level in the overhead tank goes low and
switches it off as soon as the water level
reaches a pre-determined level. It also
prevents dry run of the pump in case the
level in the underground tank goes below
the suction level.
In the figure, the common probes con-
necting the underground tank and the
overhead tank to +9V supply are marked
C. The other probe in underground tank,
which is slightly above the dry run level,
is marked S. The low-level and high-level
probes in the overhead tank are marked
L and H, respectively.
When there is enough water in the biased and starts
underground tank, probes C and S are conducting. This, in
connected through water. As a result, turn, reverse biases
transistor T1 gets forward biased and transistor T6, which
starts conducting. This, in turn, switches then cuts off. But
transistor T2 on. Initially, when the since transistor T6
overhead tank is empty, transistors T3 is bypassed through
and T5 are in cut-off state and hence pnp the relay contacts,
transistors T4 and T6 get forward biased the pump continues
via resistors R5 and R6, respectively. to run. The level of
As all series-connected transistors water continues to
T2, T4, and T6 are forward biased, they rise.
conduct to energise relay RL1 (which is When the water
also connected in series with transistors level touches probe
T2, T4, and T6). Thus the supply to the H, transistor T3 gets
pump motor gets completed via the lower forward biased and
set of relay contacts (assuming that switch starts conducting.
S2 is on) and the pump starts filling the This causes reverse
overhead tank. biasing of transistor
Once the relay has energised, tran- T4 and it gets cut off.
sistor T6 is bypassed via the upper set As a result, the relay
of contacts of the relay. As soon as the de-energises and the
water level touches probe L in the over- pump stops. Transis-
head tank, transistor T5 gets forward tors T4 and T6 will

158 ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22

be turned on again only when the water
level drops below the position of L probe.
Presets VR1, VR2, and VR3 are to
be adjusted in such a way that transis-
tors T1, T3, and T5 are turned on when
the water level touches probe pairs C-S,
C-H, and C-L, respectively. Resistor R4
ensures that transistor T2 is off in the
absence of any base voltage. Similarly,
resistors R5 and R6 ensure that transis-
tors T4 and T6 are on in the absence of
any base voltage. Switches S1 and S2 can
be used to switch on and switch off, respec-
tively, the pump manually.
You can make and install probes on
your own as per the requirement and
facilities available. However, we are de-
scribing here how the probes were made
for this prototype.
The author used a piece of non-
metallic conduit pipe (generally used for
domestic wiring) slightly longer than the
depth of the overhead tank. The common
wire C goes up to the end of the pipe
through the conduit. The wire for probes
L and H goes along with the conduit from
the outside and enters the conduit through
two small holes bored into it as shown
in Fig. 2.
Care has to be taken to ensure that
probes H and L do not touch wire C directly.
Insulation of wires is to be removed from the
points shown. The same arrangement can be
followed for the underground tank also. To
avoid any false triggering due to interfer-
ence, a shielded wire may be used.
ELECTRONICS PROJECTS Vol. 22 159