Pulse Generator And Signal Tracer

Dual-purpose test-instrument, Very simple circuitry, 1.5V Battery-operated

This simple circuit generates narrow pulses at about 700-800Hz frequency. The pulses, containing harmonics up to the MHz region, can be injected into audio or radio-frequency stages of amplifiers, receivers and the like for testing purposes. A high-pitched tone can be heard from the speaker of the device under test when all is working properly. The clip must be connected to the ground of the device under test, touching with the probe the different stages of the circuit, starting from the last stage and going up towards the first. When the tone is no longer heard, the defective stage has been found.

Connecting an earclip or headphone to J1, the circuit will automatically change into a two-stage amplifier and any audio signal coming from the device under test and picked-up by the probe will be heard through the headphones. The testing of a circuit should be made in the reverse manner, i.e. starting from the first stage and going down until the last stage. When nothing is heard, the defective stage has been found.

Circuit diagram:

Pulse Generator And Signal Tracer Circuit Diagram

Parts:
R1________________1M 1/4W Resistor
R2,R4_____________2K7 1/4W Resistors
R3________________150K 1/4W Resistor
C1________________2n2 630V Ceramic or Polyester Capacitor (See Notes)
C2,C3_____________4n7 63V Ceramic or Polyester Capacitors
D1_______________1N4148 75V 150mA Diode
Q1_______________BC547 45V 100mA NPN Transistor
Q2_______________BC557 45V 100mA PNP Transistor
SW1______________SPST miniature Slider Switch (See Notes)
J1_______________Stereo switched 3mm. Jack socket (See Notes)
Probe____________Metal Probe 3 to 5 cm. long
Clip______________Miniature Crocodile Clip
B1_______________1.5V Battery (AA or AAA cell etc.)Circuit operation:Q1 & Q2 form a complementary astable multivibrator, whose operating frequency is set mainly by R3, C2 & C3 values. Output pulses are taken at Q2 Collector and applied to the probe by means of decoupling capacitor C1. D1 provides a symmetrical shape for the output waveform. If an earclip or headphone jack is plugged into J1, the connection from Q2 Collector and C1 - C2 is broken by the switch incorporated into J1: in this case the circuit becomes a two-stage amplifier.Notes:

• If you intend to use the circuit to test valve operated devices C1 must be a 630V type. Working with low voltage supply transistor devices the voltage of C1 can be lowered to 63 or 100V.
• If instead of a short probe, you intend to connect the circuit to the device under test by means of a piece of wire longer than a few centimeters, a small ceramic capacitor (470 to 1000pF) should be added in parallel to D1 to prevent unwanted RF oscillation.
• Current drawing when in Pulse-Generator mode is about 60µA and 1.2mA when in Signal-Tracer mode operation. Therefore SW1 can be omitted, provided that the earclip or headphones are unplugged when the circuit is unused.
• J1 is a stereo switched jack socket wired to obtain a series connection of the two earpieces forming a stereo headphone. In this manner the circuit is loaded with a higher impedance and sensitivity will be improved.
• Therefore, the higher the load impedance the more sensitive the Signal-Tracer. In any case, common 32 Ohm impedance mini-headphones suitable for walkman sets will work fine.
• A crystal (high impedance) earpiece is a good solution, provided you substitute J1 with a mono switched jack socket.
• The entire circuit can be easily fitted into a pen-like enclosure, with the probe protruding like a nib

Cross Linking With Two Patch Cables

In networks, the supremacy of coax cable is a thing of the past. Nowadays, Ethernet connections are made using UTP cables. The BNC plug has yielded to the 8-way RJ45 plug. Previously, coax cables were daisy-chained from computer to computer and terminated at the two ends using 50-_ resistors, but modern networks use central ‘socket boxes’ (switches and/or hubs) to interconnect everything. The connections between the hubs and the computers are made using patch cables having the same sequence of leads in the RJ45 connectors at each end. For making a direct connection between two computers without using a hub or switch, a ‘crossover cable’ is used.


Such a cable has the leads cross-linked in order to allow the two computers to directly communicate with each other. If there are problems with the network, it can be handy to be able to directly interconnect twocomputers, or directly connect a computer to a cable or ADSL modem without using a hub or switch. A long crossover cable is not always available, and shoving around computers is not an attractive alternative. Consequently, we can use a dual RJ45 wall outlet box to construct an adapter, which can be used to interconnect the two patch cables coming from the equipment in question. This outlet box must be wired to create a cross-linked connection. This is done by making the following internal connections:

• 1 → 3
• 2 → 6
• 3 → 1
• 4 → 4
• 5 → 5
• 6 → 2
• 7 → 7
• 8 → 8
  

Electronic Cricket Match Game

This electronic cricket is a present for Kids. This simple battery powered circuit can be used to play Cricket Match with your friends. Each LED in the circuit indicates various status of the cricket match like Sixer, Run out, Catch etc. The Circuit uses two ICs ,one in the Astable mode and the second in the display driver mode. IC1 is wired as an Astable Multivibrator with the timing elements R1, R2 and C1. With the shown values of these components very fast output pulses are generated from the Astable.

Output from IC1 passes into the input of IC2 which is the popular Johnson Decade counter CD4017. It has 10 outputs. Of these 8 outputs are used. Output 9 ( pin9) is tied to the reset pin 15 to repeat the cycle. When the input pin 14 of IC2 gets low to high pluses, its output turns high one by one. Resistor R3 keeps the input of IC2 low in stand by state to avoid false indications.

Electronic Cricket Circuit Diagram

When the Push Switch S1 is pressed momentarily, the Astable operates and all the LEDs run very fast sequentially. When S1 is released, any one of the LED stands lit which indicates the status of the match. For example, if LED D7 remains lit, it indicates Sixer and if LED 8 remains lit, it indicates Catch out. Label each LED for its status as shown in the diagram. Pressing of S1 simulates Bowling and Running LEDs indicates running of Batsman.

Railway Points Sequencer

Dedicated model rail enthusiasts using sophisticated train and points controllers often have the problem that as their layouts get bigger and more complex, the transformer supplying power to the points does not have enough current to switch several points at the same time. The actuators in the points are designed for ac operation so it doesn’t help by rectifying the supply and adding reservoir capacitors, the coils can overheat and burn out if they get jammed during their travel (ac operation actually helps to overcome friction in the mechanism). The circuit shown here solves this problem by using a sequencer to ensure than only one points actuator can be active at any point in time. During operation the controller will switch all the points on one line at the same time as usual, but the other connection to each coil is connected to the sequencer unit. This circuit will only allow current to flow through one coil at a time. 

Circuit diagram :

Railway Points Sequencer Circuit Diagram

The sequencer circuit consists of a 555 timer configured as an astable multivibrator clocking a 4017 Johnson counter where the ten outputs are used to switch ten triacs in sequence, enough for ten sets of points. P1 alters the oscillator frequency of the 555 timer and can be adjusted so that each time interval of the sequencer is long enough to allow the points to switch. 

The switching time varies depending on the type of points but is typically between 1 s and 1.5 s. Any points that jam during switching give out a characteristic humming noise in time to the switching frequency so it makes them easier to find. The eleventh output of the 4017 can be connected to an LED (together with a series resistor). This will flash to give a visual indication of the sequencers operation. Power for the circuit is provided by 15 V ac from the points transformer. The B80C1500 bridge rectifier (80 Vpiv, 1.5 A) and regulator IC1 produce a stabilised 12 V for the circuit. Current consumption is only a few milliamps.

12 V Bidirectional Motor Control Circuit

This simple circuit drives DC motors with a maximum current of 1 A and can be built with readily available components.The output voltage is adjustable between 0 and 14 V and the polarity can be changed so that not only motor speed but also rotation direction can be adjusted by turning a knob. 

The circuit is also ideal as a controller for a DC model railway or small low voltage hobby tool. Power for the circuit is supplied by a 18 V mains transformer rated at 1.5 A. Diodes D1to D4 rectify the supply and capacitor C1 provides smoothing to give a DC output voltage of around 24 V. A classic ‘H’ bridge configuration is made up with transistors T1/T3 and T2/T4. Transistors T5 and T6 together with resistors R7 and R8 provide the current sense and limiting mechanism. The maximum output current limit can be changed from 1 A by using different value resistors for R7 and R8: IOUT = 0.6 V / R where R gives the value for R7 and R8. For increased current limit the mains transformer and diodes will need to be changed to cope with the extra current as well as the four transistors used in the bridge configuration. 

Circuit diagram:

  12 V Bidirectional Motor Control Circuit Diagram

 

Motor speed control and direction is controlled by a twin-ganged linear pot (P1). The two tracks of P1 together with R1/R2 and R3/R4 form two adjustable potential divider networks. Wiring to the track ends are reversed so that as the pot is turned the output voltage of one potential divider increases while the other decreases and vice versa. 

In the midway position both dividers are at the same voltage so there is no potential difference and the motor is stationary. As the pot is rotated the potential difference across the motor increases and it runs faster. The voltage drop across D5 and D6 is equal to the forward voltage drop VBE of the bridge transistors and ensures that the motor does not oscillate in the off position with the pot at its mid point.

DTMF Proximity Detector

A DTMF-based IR transmitter and receiver pair can be used to realize 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 available telephony ICs such as dial-tone generator 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 circuit.

The transmitter part is configured around dialer IC1. Its row 1 (pin 15) and column 1 (pin 12) get connected together via transistor T2 after a power-on delay (determined by capacitor C1 and resistors R1 and R16 in the base circuit of the transistor) to generate DTMF tone (combination of 697 Hz and 1209 Hz) corresponding to keypad digit “1” continuously. LED 2 is used to indicate the tone output from IC3. This tone output is amplified by Darlington transistor pair of T3 and T4 to drive IR LED1 via variable resistor VR1 in series with fixed 10-ohm resistor R14. Thus IR LED1 produces tone-modulated IR light.Variable resistor 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 from an object, falls on photodetector diode D1. (The photodetector is to be shielded from direct IR light transmission path of IR LED1 by using any opaque partition so that it receives only the reflected IR light.) On detection of the signal by photodetector, it is coupled to DTMF decoder IC2 through emitter-follower 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.

IC 555 Design Note

The popular Timer IC 555 is extensively used in short duration timing applications. IC 555 is a highly stable integrated circuit functioning as an accurate time delay generator and free running multivibrator. But one of the serious problem in 555 timer design is the false triggering of the circuit at power on or when voltage changes. The article describes how IC555 is designed perfectly to avoid false triggering.555 IC pin functionsPin1 Ground
Pin2 Trigger
Pin3 Output
Pin 4 Reset
Pin 5 Control voltage
Pin 6 Threshold
Pin 7 Discharge
Pin 8 VccFunctional aspects of pinsTrigger Pin 2Usually pin2 of the IC is held high by a pull up resistor connected to Vcc. When a negative going pulse is applied to pin 2, the potential at pin 2 falls below 1/3 Vcc and the flip-flop switches on. This starts the timing cycle using the resistor and capacitor connected to pins 6 and 7.Reset pin 4Reset pin 4 can be controlled to reset the timing cycle. If pin 4 is grounded, IC will not be triggered. When pin4 becomes positive, IC becomes ready to start the timing cycle. Reset voltage is typically 0.7 volts and reset current 0.1 mA. In timer applications, reset pin should be connected to Vcc to get more than 0.7 volts.Control Voltage pin 5Pin5 can be used to control the working of IC by providing a DC voltage at pin5. This permits the control of the timing cycle manually or electronically. In monostable operation, the control pin5 is connected to ground through a 0.01 uF capacitor. This prevents the timing interval from being affected by AC or RF interference. In the Astable mode, by applying a variable DC voltage at pin 5 can change the output pulses to FM or PWM.Threshold pin 6 and Discharge pin 7These two inputs are used to connect the timing components- Resistor and Capacitor. The threshold comparator inside the IC is referenced at 2/3 Vcc and the trigger comparator is referenced at 1/3 Vcc. These two comparators control the internal Flip-Flop of the circuit to give High or Low output at pin 3.When a negative going pulse is applied to pin 2, the potential at pin2 drops below 1/3 Vcc and the trigger comparator switches on the Flip-Flop. This turns the output high. The timing comparator then charges through the timing resistor and the voltage in the timing capacitor increases to 2/3 Vcc.( The time delay depends on the value of the resistor and capacitor.

That is, higher values, higher time).When the voltage level in the capacitor increases above 2/3 Vcc, the threshold comparator resets the Flip-Flop and the output turns low. Capacitor then discharges through pin 7.Once triggered, the IC will not responds to further triggering until the timing cycle is completed. The time delay period is calculated using the formula T= 1.1 Ct Rt. Where Ct is the value of Capacitor in PF and Rt is the value of Resistor in Ohms. Time is in Seconds.How to eliminate false triggering?The circuit diagram shown below is the simple monostable using IC 555. To eliminate the false triggering resistor R1 and Capacitor C1 are connected to the reset pin 4 of the IC. So the reset pin is always high even if the supply voltage changes. Moreover capacitor C3 connected close to the Vcc pin 8 acts as a buffer to maintain stable supply voltage to pin 8. Using this design, it is easy to avoid false triggering to a certain extent.

555 Monostable circuit

A ready recknor to select timing resistor and capacitor

Theoretically long interval is possible with IC 555,but in practical conditions, it is difficult to get more than 3 minutes. If low leakage Tantalum capacitor is used, this can be increased to 5 minutes or more. If the value of the timing capacitor is too high above 470 uF, charging time will be prolonged which will upset the timing cycle and the output remains high even after the desired time is over.