Simple 5-segment LED VU meter circuit - NTE1866 perhaps?

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cantgetnosleep

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 30, 2005
Messages
46
Location
Texas
Hello all,

I'm looking to build a number of simple, 5-segment LED bar VU meters. I was looking at the NTE1866, but I haven't been able to find an application circuit for it.

I did find an application circuit for the AN6884 (in the datasheet), which is listed as a replacement part for the NTE1561--both of which look similar to the 1866, but I'm not sure if they're similar enough to use the same circuit.

Anybody have any experience with this IC? Or can anybody send me a link to a simple 5-segment, LED bar VU meter? This sounds like it should be easy to find, but all I'm getting is tons of 8 and 10 segment meters.

Thanks,

Andrew
 
My favourite is the Samsung KA2285 (AKA Rohm BA6154). Cheap as...err.....chips, and has the rectifier built in.
M
 
LM339 quad comparator gets you basic 4 (if they still make 339s). You have complete control over where the thresholds are (using resistor divider string) so you can have one be very low for signal present and another pretty high for peak overload.

JR
 
The KA2285 looks perfect but I can't find it on either digikey or mouser. In fact, neither of them list Samsung as a supplier. They do carry Rohm, but I couldn't find the BA6154. Am I doing something stupid, or is there another name for these chips? Or, what supplier do you use?

The LB1412 is for 12 LEDS, and because I'm trying to squeeze a number of stereo channels onto a PCB, I'd like to use a chip made for 5 LEDs because it will have a small footprint (same problem with the 3914/3915).
 
cantgetnosleep said:
The KA2285 looks perfect but I can't find it on either digikey or mouser. In fact, neither of them list Samsung as a supplier. They do carry Rohm, but I couldn't find the BA6154. Am I doing something stupid, or is there another name for these chips? Or, what supplier do you use?

These guys
http://pacificsemi.com/search.php
Have 58 pcs BA6154 in stock at 0.99c a pop.
As good as Mousey and Didgey are at industrial bits, they are crap at "consumer" type chips
(the kind of things you find in domestic gear). For those sort of chips you have to go to the
kind of outfits that sell to the service industry. For real customisability of break points, it's hard
to go past small PICs - they have inbuilt A->D converters and you can do what you want with
the outputs. An 8 pin 12F675 can drive 12 leds in dot (not bar) mode and you still have one pin
left over.
M
 
This outfit
http://www.matchaknob.com/index.php?p=product&id=5565&parent=6
Has KA2285s for 0.56c - they will even give you a 4c discount if you buy
more than 40 bits. They also get my "Best named electronic supplier" award :)
Google IS your friend.
M
 
Thanks again for the help. And google is my best friend (not trying to be sarcastic, just agreeing with you-haha). I searched for this part number for a while and all I found were endless data sheets and no suppliers. I appreciate the tips on the suppliers.

Andrew

PS - You a lucky b_stard for living in NZ. I spent three weeks there in a rental car driving around the south island hiking and camping and was completely ready to immigrate. It's a stunningly beautiful place and the people were very laid back and nice.
 
cantgetnosleep said:
The LB1412 is for 12 LEDS, and because I'm trying to squeeze a number of stereo channels onto a PCB, I'd like to use a chip made for 5 LEDs because it will have a small footprint (same problem with the 3914/3915).

Sorry my mistake the 5 segment one is the LB1443n
 
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