do-it-yourself

Battery Low Indicator

OVERVIEW ducing accurate time delays
The purpose of the Battery Low Indicator is to give a or oscillations (pulses). The
visual indication when a battery has been discharged below NE555 usually operates in two
a specific level. This is especially crucial for re-chargeable modes- mono-stable mode (for
batteries that should not be discharged below a certain producing a single pulse when
voltage level. This lower voltage limit depends upon the Fig. 3: Pin-out of a NE555
triggered) and the astable mode
Timer IC (for generating pulses or oscil-
lations, with the desired duty
cycle). The threshold (Pin6) and trigger (Pin2) level for
the NE555 are normally two-thirds and one-third, respec-
tively, of VCC. However, connecting the trigger input to the
threshold input causes the NE555 to run as a multi-vibrator.
Fig. 1: Block diagram of the Battery Low Indicator This is known as the astable mode of operation whereby
pulses or oscillations are generated, the frequency and duty
type of the battery. The Battery Low Indicator circuit can be cycle of which can be controlled independently with two
typically used for 12V batteries to give an indication of the external resistors and a single external capacitor.
battery voltage falling below the pre-set value. The indica- The Battery Low Indicator uses the reset function of the
tion is in the form of a flickering LED. NE555 to implement the visual indication mechanism. The
reset pin of NE555 is “active low” i.e. when the voltage on
COMPONENT DESCRIPTION this pin falls below 0.7V (approximately) it makes the out-
Dual Comparator IC LM319: put low too (0V), overriding all the other inputs. However,
The LM319 is a precision high-speed dual comparator when the reset pin is held high in the astable mode, the out-
fabricated on a single monolithic chip. It is designed to put (pin3) of the NE555 becomes high and oscillations are
operate over a wide generated at this pin which can be used to drive loudspeak-
range of supply volt- ers, motors, piezoelectric transducers, LEDs, etc.
ages down to a single
5 V logic supply and Zener Diode (for Voltage Reference):
ground. Although de- A Zener diode permits current not only in the forward
signed primarily for direction (like a normal diode) but also in the reverse direc-
applications requiring tion, if the voltage is larger than the breakdown voltage
operation from dig- known as “Zener knee voltage” or “Zener voltage”.
ital logic supplies, the Reverse-biased Zener diode will ex-
LM319 series are fully hibit a controlled breakdown and allow
specified for power the current to keep the voltage across
supplies up to ±15 V. the Zener diode at the Zener voltage.
Fig. 2: Pin-Out of the Dual Comparator
Of its two inde- For example, a diode with a Zener
IC LM319 pendent comparators, breakdown voltage of 3.2 V will exhibit
the Battery Low Indica- a voltage drop of 3.2 V if reverse bias
tor uses only one for comparing the battery voltage to the voltage applied across it is more than
reference voltage. The comparator being used in the circuit its Zener voltage. The Zener diode is
accepts inputs from pin4 (non-inverting) and pin5 (invert- therefore ideal for applications such as
Fig. 4: Orientation
ing) while the corresponding output is generated at pin12. and Representation of
the generation of a reference voltage
This comparator output (at pin12) is responsible for holding Zener Diode or as a voltage stabilizer for low-cur-
the reset pin of the NE555 timer IC either “high” or “low”, rent applications. When connected in
depending upon which the NE555 may or may not run as parallel with a variable voltage source so that it is reverse
a multi-vibrator. biased, a Zener diode conducts when the voltage reaches
the diode’s reverse breakdown voltage. From that point on,
Single Timer IC NE555: the relatively low impedance of the diode keeps the voltage
The NE555 is a precision timing circuit capable of pro- across the diode at that value.

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 do-it-yourself

5V Voltage Regulator IC 7805:

The 7805 is a three-terminal positive regula- Zener Diode (D1)
Resistors
tor with a fixed output voltage of 5V. The 7805 (R1-R8) Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
IC Sockets

employs internal current limiting, thermal shut

down and safe operating area protection, mak-
IC1 IC2
ing it essentially indestructible. If adequate heat Comparator Timer
sinking is provided, they can deliver over 1A
output current. In the Battery Low Indicator
circuit, both IC1 (dual comparator LM319) and
IC2 (NE555 timer) operate off regulated +5V DC Capacitors Red
(C5, C7) LED
Fig. 5: Pin- generated by voltage regulator IC 7805 (IC3).
out of 7805
Voltage
Regulator Single-pole double-throw (SPDT) toggle Voltage SPDT Toggle Preset
Regulator Switch (S1) Ceramic Capacitors (VR1)
switch: (IC3) (C2, C3, C4, C1 and C5)
A SPDT toggle switch may be used as a simple on-off
switch by connecting the COM termi- Component Identification
nal and either of the A or B terminals
shown in the diagram. The terminals A
and B are interchangeable, so switches
are usually not labeled. The terminal
which is connected in the circuitry
Fig. 6: SPDT Toggle
comes to be known as the “on” position
Switch Notations of the toggle switch. SPDT Toggle
(On/Off Switch)

Resistors:
The most basic role of resistors is current limiting i.e.
precisely controlling the quantity of electrical current that
is going to flow through a device or a conductor. Resistors
can also be used as voltage divider, in other words they
can be used to generate any voltage from an initial bigger
voltage by dividing it. They are also used as pull-up resis-
tors in electronic logic circuits to ensure that inputs to logic
systems settle at expected logic levels if external devices are
disconnected or high-impedance. They may also be used at
the interface between two different types of logic devices,
possibly operating at different power supply voltages.
Capacitors:
Capacitors store electric charge. They are used with re-
sistors in timing circuits because it takes time for a capacitor
to fill with charge. Capacitors are also used to smooth vary-
ing DC supplies by acting as a reservoir of charge. They are
also used in filter circuits because capacitors easily pass AC
(changing) signals but they block DC (constant) signals.
Note: Electrolytic capacitors are polarized and they must
be connected the correct way round, at least one of their
leads will be marked + or -. They are not damaged by heat
when soldering.
WORKING PRINCIPLE
The heart of the Battery Low Indicator circuit is the
dual comparator IC LM319 (denoted as IC1 here) which
compares the battery’s voltage to a reference voltage level.
Only one of the two independent comparators that are a
Connections
to battery
under test
Completed prototype after assembling the components and soldering
part of the LM319 is used in the circuit. The two inputs to
this comparator are:
1. Reference voltage which is applied to the non-
inverting input pin (4). It is held constant at approximately
1.2V by the Zener diode D1.
2. Battery’s voltage which is applied via a potential
divider arrangement built around resistors R2, R3 and pre-
set VR1 and fed to the inverting input pin (5).
The corresponding output is generated at pin12 of IC1.
Pre-set VR1 is very important as it sets the voltage level at
which a visual indication of the low battery level is gener-
ated. For example: If the battery under test is of 12V and an
indication is required as soon as the battery voltage falls
below 10.5V, the voltage at the inverting input (pin5 of IC1)
should be adjusted to 1.2V using preset VR1.
Initially, when the battery is fully charged, the volt-
age at the inverting input (pin5) of IC1 is higher than the
non-inverting input (pin4- voltage level held constant at
approximately 1.2V by D1). This causes the output at pin
12 of IC1 to remain low. The reset pin (pin4) of NE555 timer

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do-it-yourself

(IC2) is connected to the output pin of the joint still.

Parts List
IC1 and hence, a low gets applied to it • After all the components have
correspondingly. Since the reset pin is Semiconductors: been soldered, check the soldering
IC1 - LM319 Dual Comparator
“active low”, the NE555 is reset continu- IC2 - NE555 Multi-vibrator/Timer closely for any breaks. Inspect your
ously and oscillations are not generated IC3 - 7805 DC Voltage Regulator work carefully under a bright light. The
at its output (pin3). As a result, LED1 D1 - 2.2V Zener Diode solder joints should have a ‘shiny’ look
LED1 - Red LED
does not start blinking. about them. Check that there are no
Resistors (all ¼-watt, ±5% carbon unless
Considering the example values, stated otherwise): solder bridges between adjacent pads.
when the battery voltage falls below R1 - 470 kilo-ohm Connectivity in circuit can be tested by
10.5V, the voltage at the inverting in- R2, R5, R7 - 100 kilo-ohm the help of a multi-meter
R3 - 10 kilo-ohm
put (pin4) of IC1 becomes lower than
R4, R6 - 1 kilo-ohm
the non-inverting input (pin5) and the R8 - 470 ohm Precautions to be taken:
output at pin12 of IC1 goes high. This VR1 - 10 kilo-ohm Preset • Please note the connection of
applies a “high” to the connected reset Capacitors: jumper wires on the PCB. These are
C1, C6 - 0.01µF, Ceramic Disk
pin of IC2 (NE555 timer) and the astable denoted on the PCB with the letter “J”
C2, C3, C4 - 0.1µF, Ceramic Disk
multi-vibrator built around IC2 starts C5, C7 - 1µF, 10V electrolytic along straight lines indicating the drills
generating oscillations. LED1 is con- Miscellaneous: where they are to be soldered.
nected to the output pin (pin3) of IC2 S1- SPDT Toggle (On/Off) Switch • It is preferable to use multi-
and hence blinks to indicate that the bat- Printed Circuit Board (PCB) thread wires for the jumper links, rather
tery voltage is low and that the battery than single thread copper wires since
needs to be charged before further use. they tend to break upon soldering.
• Please note that the footprint of the SPDT toggle
ASSEMBLING THE KIT switch does not match the drills provided on the PCB. This
Preparing the soldering iron: is because such components are connected using wires and
• Place the soldering iron in its stand and plug in. only some of all the pins/legs of the relay/switch are to be
The iron will take a few minutes to reach its operating tem- soldered onto the PCB. Please refer to the previous compo-
perature of about 400°C. nent description to figure out these connections.
• Dampen the sponge in the stand. • Pay attention to the polarity of components like
• Wait a few minutes for the soldering iron to warm diodes and electrolytic capacitors before soldering.
up. You can check if it is ready by trying to melt a little sol- • The pins of the IC sockets may have to be adjusted
der on the tip. and bent in order to insert them into the drill-holes prior to
• Wipe the tip of the iron on the damp sponge. This soldering. The IC sockets and not the IC itself are soldered
will clean the tip. Melt a little solder on the tip of the iron. onto the PCB for easy testing and debugging.
• IC holders/sockets should be soldered with the
Soldering the components: notch at the correct end.
• Use the component overlay on the PCB to insert
the components and solder them in the following order: PRE-TEST
1. Resistors Do not insert the ICs into their sockets yet. First, note
2. Capacitors the polarity of the battery under test (also take note that
3. Zener Diode and LED the battery low indicator cannot be used for batteries with
4. Jumper Links output voltage greater than 14V). Next, connect this battery
5. IC Sockets under test to the circuit and measure the voltage across pin8
6. Variable Resistor (Pre-set) (+V cc) and pin1 (GND) on the socket of IC2 i.e. the NE555
7. Voltage Regulator IC timer. It should read approximately 5V. Similarly the volt-
8. SPDT Toggle Switch age across pin11 (+V cc) and pin3 (GND) of IC1 (comparator
• Hold the soldering iron like a pen, near the base LM319) should also be 5V. If these readings are ok then re-
of the handle. Touch the soldering iron onto the joint to be move the battery and insert the ICs. Take care to not to bend
made. Make sure it touches both the component lead and any of the IC pins while doing so. Accidentally applying a
the track. voltage to the circuit that is greater than the bearable limit
• Hold the tip there for a few seconds and feed a can burn the ICs or some other sensitive component.
little solder onto the joint. It should flow smoothly onto the
lead and track to form a volcano shape. Apply the solder to TESTING
the joint, not the iron. • Connect the battery once again so as to apply the
• Remove the solder, then the iron, while keeping battery voltage to the circuit.

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Fig. 7: Circuit Diagram of the Battery Low Indicator
• To perform a test on the battery low indication
mechanism, the circuit first needs to be calibrated so as to
set a voltage value at which it would indicate a low bat-
tery through the blinking LED. Connect a supply voltage
between 4 to 14V at which you want the battery low indica-
tion. For example this value is 9V. After the circuit has been
powered, check the voltage at pin4 (non-inverting input) of
IC1. This should be approximately 1.2 Volts.
• Next, check the voltage at pin5 (inverting input)
of IC1. This will usually be more than the voltage at pin4.
In this condition, the output pin (pin12) of IC1 is held low
at approximately 0.34V and the LED is not glowing/blink-
ing.
• While monitoring the voltage at pin5, rotate the
preset and note the voltage drop at this pin. As soon as
the voltage at pin5 falls below that at pin4 (approximately
1.2V), the LED will start to blink and the voltage at output
pin12 will go high. This output voltage level should ap-
proximately be equal to 4.95 Volts.
Leave the preset setting at this position. Now, the circuit
has been calibrated to indicate a battery “low” if its voltage
falls below 9V. Check by applying a battery of less than 9V
output. The LED should blink.
The circuit can be calibrated for any value between 4-
14V by following the above procedure.
TROUBLESHOOTING
If the circuit is not working as desired then proceed as
below:
do-it-yourself
• It is preferable to begin trouble-
shooting process from output stage
onwards and then proceed to the
input side. To begin, apply a “high”
(5V) to reset pin4 of the NE555 timer.
Since the reset pin is active low, this
should cause the output at pin3 to
oscillate and the LED should start
blinking. If this mechanism is working
as described then the circuit stages be-
yond IC2 are working fine. If not then
proceed with the next step.
• Next, check for the voltage
change at pin 12 of IC1. When Vpin4 <
Vpin5 of IC1, the output should be low
(approx. 0.34V). On the other hand,
when Vpin4> Vpin5 the output volt-
age should be high (approx. 4.95V). If
this kind of switching between volt-
age levels is taking place then your
IC is working. If voltage changes do not take place then
there may be problem in the IC. If the IC appears to have
heated then replace it. Check the soldering for any shorting
points.
• Check the polarity and connection of components
like diodes and capacitors. Also, verify whether all the re-
sistances being used are of the required value. Make sure
that you have the right components in the right place.
• Further, remove the IC from the IC socket and
check that no IC pins are bent up under the body of the
ICs. This can sometimes happen when inserting ICs into
sockets.
Once the circuit problem has been resolved your Battery
Low Indicator is ready to be installed and used.
TRY THIS OUT NEXT!
The Battery Low Indicator implemented here provides
a mechanism for visual indication only. The circuit can be
easily modified to include a piezoelectric buzzer to give
audible indication every time the battery voltage falls below
the set-level. Further, the voltage range can be increased by
incorporating a different Zener diode (with a greater break-
down voltage) and a large preset in place of VR1.
CONTACT DETAILS
For full range of available kits, take a look at our web-
site: www.kitnspares.com
Documented by Aditi Goswami
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