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???
07/13/06 04:16
Modified:
  07/13/06 04:17

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#120142 - can you say \"duty cycle\"?
Responding to: ???'s previous message
Greetings, Ammar Ahmed,

If you try this a bit, you may find it pretty easy. It can, in fact make things, e.g. hardware simpler rather than more complex. First, of all, you must know the precise specifications of your LED's and your MCU, of course.

I'm assuming, not safe, but necessary, as you didn't provide sufficient detail, that these are 7-segment common cathode LED's. If you put a simple resistor to a digit-select-not pin on your MCU to the common cathode, then whenever you drive a segment high, it will be "ON." You can, in fact, if the spec's allow, omit the resistor if you are certain you can control the current in your segment drive by its duty cycle. If, then, you find that it is at least bright enough, then you can reduce the time it is left "ON" until it is barely bright enough, and then increase that by no more than ~10% to allow for variation between LED's. You then are using the inherent resistance of the two MCU pin drivers to control the current. How well this works depends on how thoroughly you've understood the inherent characteristics of your LED and your MCU. The resistors make it safer, but, even then, you have to understand the characteristics of both the MCU and the LED. If you dedicate the same amount of time for each segment, then you can ensure that each segment will be equally bright. Do not attempt to skip omitted segments, BTW, because it will make the digits unequally bright.

RE


List of 72 messages in thread
TopicAuthorDate
control intensity of LED's            01/01/70 00:00      
   parallel post            01/01/70 00:00      
      Micro            01/01/70 00:00      
         pp1            01/01/70 00:00      
            Craig, we NEED a spell-checker!            01/01/70 00:00      
               That'd block all Erik's posts, then ;-)            01/01/70 00:00      
                  Well, what would that hurt?            01/01/70 00:00      
               Super large dictionary            01/01/70 00:00      
                  Those are "out there"            01/01/70 00:00      
                     Some problems I see...            01/01/70 00:00      
                        True enough ... nothing's perfect            01/01/70 00:00      
                           Homonyms            01/01/70 00:00      
                              exactly!            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 spell-checker            01/01/70 00:00      
               No no no no no            01/01/70 00:00      
                  what a colourful reply.            01/01/70 00:00      
   You might have better success....            01/01/70 00:00      
      Options            01/01/70 00:00      
         can be very much simpler            01/01/70 00:00      
            Insuficient Data for Proper Anlysis Captian            01/01/70 00:00      
            mistakes            01/01/70 00:00      
   can you say \"duty cycle\"?            01/01/70 00:00      
      Very unsafe!            01/01/70 00:00      
         duty cycle            01/01/70 00:00      
            Do some thinking...            01/01/70 00:00      
               _________            01/01/70 00:00      
                  Back to basics            01/01/70 00:00      
                     more basics            01/01/70 00:00      
                  you have to crawl before you walk            01/01/70 00:00      
                     code            01/01/70 00:00      
                        Checking code            01/01/70 00:00      
                           answers            01/01/70 00:00      
                              You didn't read the instructions!            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 if you can't read and follow instructions, I doubt            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 i tried but a problem            01/01/70 00:00      
                                    please, pretty please ...            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 i tried but a problem            01/01/70 00:00      
                                    who gives a friggin\' hoot            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 i tried but a problem            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 i tried but a problem            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 i tried but a problem            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 i tried but a problem            01/01/70 00:00      
                                 i tried but a problem            01/01/70 00:00      
                                    Eh?            01/01/70 00:00      
                                       hardware problem            01/01/70 00:00      
                                          Logic?            01/01/70 00:00      
                                             done!            01/01/70 00:00      
                                                interrupt of 8051.. question            01/01/70 00:00      
                                                   no way            01/01/70 00:00      
                                                   Unrelated questions            01/01/70 00:00      
                                                   not studied microcontroller            01/01/70 00:00      
                                          Hardware questions            01/01/70 00:00      
                                          you just created an 'advanced blinky'            01/01/70 00:00      
                                          What the hell??            01/01/70 00:00      
                                             about the 10th time in this thread            01/01/70 00:00      
                                             This guy doesn't even have the basics ...            01/01/70 00:00      
         The general priciples, maybe, but specifics, NO!            01/01/70 00:00      
   u.....you            01/01/70 00:00      
      again            01/01/70 00:00      
         the dead esy way            01/01/70 00:00      
            Tut, tut, Erik            01/01/70 00:00      
               ok, guilty as charged, and a no            01/01/70 00:00      
               fonts!            01/01/70 00:00      
                  well, if the OP took the time to follow the link,            01/01/70 00:00      
                     Not so sure            01/01/70 00:00      
            Cunning            01/01/70 00:00      
               in addition            01/01/70 00:00      
         ???            01/01/70 00:00      
   writing in "c "or in assembly            01/01/70 00:00      
      no need to SHOUT, it is annoying            01/01/70 00:00      
      Compilers; writing code            01/01/70 00:00      
         all-cap's helps in other ways            01/01/70 00:00      

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