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LED (Light Emitting Diodes) Circuits
Designed by David A. Johnson, P.E.

Last Updated on: Monday, April 21, 2008 04:19 AM

Master Category List - Dave's Circuits

 

  • 0.5V Negative Supply
    Although not very efficient, this simple circuit, consisting of two LEDs and a photo diode, generates a negative voltage with a current level of a couple milliamps.  It is ideal for supplying a negative rail to low power “rail to rail” op amp circuits, which need to have a true zero volts output.

  • 1.5V LED FLASHER VERSION A
    Many published circuits that Flash LEDs need 3 volts or more. This circuit uses only a single inexpensive C-MOS IC and Flashes the LED for a full year on a single 1.5 volt AA alkaline battery cell. The circuit uses a charge pump technique to provide the LED the needed voltage.

  • 1.5V LED FLASHER VERSION B
    To squeeze even more energy from a alkaline battery cell, this circuit adds two transistors to a circuit similar to the above design to boost the efficiency. A small 1.5 volt alkaline N cell should Flash the LED for a full year. It too uses a "charge pump" technique to provide a LED the needed voltage.

  • 2 LINE TELEPHONE LINE STATUS INDICATOR
    Many home businesses use multiple phone lines. This circuit gives you a visual indication when a line is in operation. The two AA battery cells should provide enough power for about one year of operation. The circuit is line polarity insensitive.

  • 9v Battery Voltage Monitor
    This circuit turns on a LED whenever the voltage of a standard 9v battery connected to the circuit drops below 7.2 volts.  It uses a LTC1440 comparator, which also contains a 1.18v reference diode.  In standby mode, the circuit draws only 4uA. (added 7/06)
  • 40KHz TV-VCR LIGHT SOURCE REPEATER
    This circuit is designed to be placed directly in front of a standard TV or VCR remote. The exiting light pulses produced by the circuit match the pulses from the remote but are about 10 times more powerful. Using the device, the remote can operate a TV or VCR over three times the normal distance.

  • AC Line Powered LED Pilot Light
    This simple circuit can be used to light a LED indicator lamp, powered from the 120vac line.  I have included component values for 240vac lines as well.  (added 7/06)
  • AC Powered White LED Strings    NEW
    A while back a guy by the name of Ken Schultz sent me a simple drawing of how he connected a string of 30 LEDs, to make a nice under the counter accent light, powered by 120vac.  He wired the strings in two series sections of 15 LED each, but wired in opposite directions.  He then used just one capacitor to limit the AC current through the two stings.  I looked at the circuit and decided that it seemed quite reasonable.  The only change I decided to make was to add a metal oxide resistor in series with the capacitor, to act as fuse and to limit the peak current, should there be a voltage spike on the AC line.  With the two strings of 15, the current is first pumped through one series string, then as the AC line polarity changes, it flows through the second string. ...
  • Constant Current LED Driver
    Bob Pease from National Semiconductor came up with this circuit and I have used it many times.  It maintains a constant current through one or more LEDs.  A single resistor controls the desired current.

  • FLASHING LED ADVERTISING BADGE #1
    I have seen numerous Flashing light badges at trade shows and conventions. They are often handed out as gifts to promote some business. The devices often use inefficient circuits, which cause the battery power source to be quickly depleted. My circuit is simple but efficient enough to provide months of continuous LED Flashing. It also has a tiny push-button switch to turn on and off the light Flashing, extending battery power.

  • Fake Car Alarm Light
    Whenever the car’s ignition is turned off, this circuit activates a flashing LED, which can be positioned to appear as an active alarm system. (added 7/06)
  • Lighthouse LED Flasher
    This was originally designed for a model in a HO train set.  It simulates the behavior of the light from a lighthouse.  The LED intensity gradually increases, then flashes with a bright light and finally decreases slowly in intensity.

  • PULSED LED TEST CIRCUIT
    This circuit is designed to test visible and infrared LEDs in pulsed mode operations. It can drive the LED with peak currents in excess of 10 amps. A light detector nearby can monitor the response time and intensity of the LED under test.

  • Universal LED Flasher
    This low power LED flasher circuit draws about 100ua from any DC power supply ranging from 3 volts to 24 volts.  The 1.0Hz 10ms LED pulsed current is held to a constant 10ma.
  • VOLTAGE TO FREQUENCY CONVERTER + 1uS LED PULSE DRIVER
    This circuit receives the signal from the above amplifier and launches powerful 1uS infrared light pulses from a low cost LED that are frequency modulated by the audio information. The 10KHz center frequency of the pulse stream is low enough so a standard infrared LED can emit ten times more light than conventional long pulse techniques. The circuit is described in more detail in the transmitter section of my Handbook of Optical Through the Air Communications.

  • WHITE LED NIGHT LIGHT
    This simple circuit is designed to plug into a standard AC electrical outlet.  It uses four super bright white light emitting diodes (LED) in conjunction with a capacitor coupled full wave rectifier circuit. The LEDs are mounted in a box and are angled slightly to bounce the light off of a nearby wall.  The light should last about 10 years.  The circuit draws less than one half of one watt of power and can therefore run continuously.  In spite of the low power, the LEDs provide sufficient illumination for most night light applications.  Circuit component values for both 120vac and 240vac are shown.


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