Datasheet LM3915MWC, LM3915N-1 Datasheet (NSC)

LM3915
Dot/Bar Display Driver

General Description

The LM3915 is a monolithic integrated circuit that senses
analog voltage levels and drives ten LEDs, LCDs or vacuum
fluorescent displays, providing a logarithmic 3 dB/step ana­log display.Onepinchanges the display from a bar graph to
a moving dot display. LED current driveisregulated and pro­grammable, eliminating the need for current limiting resis­tors. The whole display system can operate from a single
supply as low as 3V or as high as 25V.

The IC contains an adjustable voltage reference and an ac­curate ten-step voltage divider. The high-impedance input
buffer accepts signals down to ground and up to within 1.5V
of the positive supply.Further, it needs no protection against
inputs of

±

35V. The input buffer drives 10 individual com­parators referenced to the precision divider.Accuracy is typi­cally better than 1 dB.

The LM3915’s 3 dB/step display is suited for signals with
wide dynamic range, such as audio level, power, light inten­sity or vibration. Audio applications include average or peak
level indicators, power meters and RF signal strength
meters. Replacing conventional meters with an LED bar
graph results in a faster responding, more rugged display
with high visibility that retains the ease of interpretation of an
analog display.

The LM3915 is extremely easy to apply. A 1.2V full-scale
meter requires only one resistor in addition to the ten LEDs.
One more resistor programs the full-scale anywhere from

1.2V to 12V independent of supply voltage. LED brightness
is easily controlled with a single pot.

The LM3915 is very versatile. The outputs can drive LCDs,
vacuum fluorescents and incandescent bulbs as well as
LEDs of any color. Multiple devices can be cascaded for a
dot or bar mode display with a range of 60 or 90 dB.
LM3915s can also be cascaded with LM3914s for a linear/
log display or with LM3916s for an extended-range VU
meter.

Features

n 3 dB/step, 30 dB range
n Drives LEDs, LCDs, or vacuum fluorescents
n Bar or dot display mode externally selectable by user
n Expandable to displays of 90 dB
n Internal voltage reference from 1.2V to 12V
n Operates with single supply of 3V to 25V
n Inputs operate down to ground
n Output current programmable from 1 mA to 30 mA
n Input withstands

±

35V without damage or false outputs

n Outputs are current regulated, open collectors
n Directly drives TTL or CMOS
n The internal 10-step divider is floating and can be

referenced to a wide range of voltages

The LM3915 is rated for operation from 0˚C to +70˚C. The
LM3915N-1 is available in an 18-lead molded DIP package.

January 2000

LM3915 Dot/Bar Display Driver

© 2000 National Semiconductor Corporation DS005104 www.national.com

Typical Applications

0V to 10V Log Display

DS005104-1

Notes: Capacitor C1 is required if leads to the LED supply are 6" or longer.
Circuit as shown is wired for dot mode. For bar mode, connect pin 9 to pin 3. V

LED

must be kept below 7V or dropping resistor should be used to limit IC power

dissipation.

LM3915

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Absolute Maximum Ratings (Note 1)

If Military/Aerospace specified devices are required,
please contact the National Semiconductor Sales Office/
Distributors for availability and specifications.

Power Dissipation (Note 6)

Molded DIP(N) 1365 mW

Supply Voltage 25V

Voltage on Output Drivers 25V
Input Signal Overvoltage (Note 4)

±

35V

Divider Voltage −100 mV to V

+

Reference Load Current 10 mA
Storage Temperature Range −55˚C to +150˚C
Lead Temperature

(Soldering, 10 sec.) 260˚C

Electrical Characteristics (Notes 2, 4)

Parameter Conditions (Note 2) Min Typ Max Units

COMPARATOR

Offset Voltage, Buffer and First
Comparator

0V ≤ V

RLO

=

V

RHI

≤ 12V,

I

LED

=

1mA

310mV

Offset Voltage, Buffer and Any Other
Comparator

0V ≤ V

RLO

=

V

RHI

≤ 12V,

I

LED

=

1mA

315mV

Gain (∆I

LED

/∆VIN)I

L(REF)

=

2 mA, I

LED

=

10 mA 3 8 mA/mV

Input Bias Current (at Pin 5) 0V ≤ V

IN

≤ (V+− 1.5V) 25 100 nA

Input Signal Overvoltage No Change in Display −35 35 V

VOLTAGE-DIVIDER

Divider Resistance Total, Pin 6 to 4 16 28 36 kΩ
Relative Accuracy (Input Change

Between Any Two Threshold Points)

(Note 3)

2.0 3.0 4.0 dB

Absolute Accuracy at Each Threshold
Point

(Note 3)

V

IN

= −3, −6 dB −0.5 +0.5 dB

V

IN

= −9 dB −0.5 +0.65 dB

V

IN

= −12, −15, −18 dB −0.5 +1.0 dB

V

IH

= −21, −24, −27 dB −0.5 +1.5 dB

VOLTAGE REFERENCE

Output Voltage 0.1 mA ≤ I

L(REF)

≤ 4 mA,

V

+

=

V

LED

=

5V

1.2 1.28 1.34 V

Line Regulation 3V ≤ V

+

≤ 18V 0.01 0.03

%

/V

Load Regulation 0.1 mA ≤ I

L(REF)

≤ 4 mA,

V

+

=

V

LED

=

5V

0.4 2

%

Output Voltage Change with
Temperature

0˚C ≤ T

A

≤ +70˚C, I

L(REF)

=

1 mA,

V

+

=

V

LED

5V

1

%

Adjust Pin Current 75 120 µA

OUTPUT DRIVERS

LED Current V

+

=

V

LED

=

5V, I

L(REF)

=

1 mA 7 10 13 mA

LED Current Difference (Between
Largest and Smallest LED Currents)

V

LED

= 5V, I

LED

=

2mA

V

LED

= 5V, I

LED

20 mA

0.12 0.4
mA

1.2 3

LED Current Regulation 2V ≤ V

LED

≤ 17V, I

LED

=2mA

I

LED

=20mA

0.1 0.25
mA

13

Dropout Voltage I

LED(ON)

=

20 mA,

@

V

LED

=

5V,

∆I

LED

=

2mA

1.5 V

Saturation Voltage I

LED

=

2.0 mA, I

L(REF)

=

0.4 mA 0.15 0.4 V
Output Leakage, Each Collector (Bar Mode) (Note 5) 0.1 10 µA
Output Leakage

Pins 10–18

(Dot Mode) (Note 5)

0.1 10 µA

Pin 1 60 150 450 µA

SUPPLY CURRENT

Standby Supply Current
(All Outputs Off)

V

+

=

+5V, I

L(REF)

=

0.2 mA

V

+

=

+20V, I

L(REF)

=

1.0 mA

2.4 4.2 mA

6.1 9.2 mA

LM3915

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Electrical Characteristics (Notes 2, 4) (Continued)

Note 1: AbsoluteMaximumRatingsindicate limits beyond which damage to the device may occur.OperatingRatingsindicate conditions for which the device is func-

tional, but do not guarantee specific performance limits. Electrical Characteristics state DC and AC electrical specifications under particular test conditions which guar­antee specific performance limits. This assumes that the device is within the Operating Ratings. Specifications are not guaranteed for parameters where no limit is
given, however, the typical value is a good indication of device performance.

Note 2: Unless otherwise stated, all specifications apply with the following conditions:
3V

DC

≤ V+≤ 20 V

DC

−0.015V ≤ V

RLO

≤ 12 V

DC

T

A

=

25˚C, I

L(REF)

=

0.2 mA, pin 9 connected to pin 3 (bar mode).

3V

DC

≤ V

LED

≤ V

+

V

REF,VRHI,VRLO

≤ (V+− 1.5V) For higher power dissipations, pulse testing is used.

−0.015V ≤ V

RHI

≤ 12 V

DC

0V ≤ VIN≤ V+− 1.5V

Note 3: Accuracy is measured referred to 0 dB=+ 10.000 V

DC

at pin 5, with + 10.000 VDCat pin 6, and 0.000 VDCat pin 4. At lower full scale voltages, buffer and

comparator offset voltage may add significant error. See table for threshold voltages.
Note 4: Pin 5 input current must be limited to

±

3 mA. The addition of a 39k resistor in series with pin 5 allows±100V signals without damage.

Note 5: Bar mode results when pin 9 is within 20 mV of V

+

. Dot mode results when pin 9 is pulled at least 200 mV below V+. LED#10 (pin 10 output current) is dis-

abled if pin 9 is pulled 0.9V or more below V

LED

.

Note 6: The maximum junction temperature of the LM3915 is 100˚C. Devices must be derated for operation at elevated temperatures. Junction to ambient thermal
resistance is 55˚C/W for the molded DIP (N package).

Threshold Voltage (Note 3)

Output dB Min Typ Max Output dB Min Typ Max

1 −27 0.422 0.447 0.531 6 −12 2.372 2.512 2.819
2 −24 0.596 0.631 0.750 7 −9 3.350 3.548 3.825
3 −21 0.841 0.891 1.059 8 −6 4.732 5.012 5.309
4 −18 1.189 1.259 1.413 9 −3 6.683 7.079 7.498
5 −15 1.679 1.778 1.995 10 0 9.985 10 10.015

Typical Performance Characteristics

Supply Current vs Temperature

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Operating Input Bias Current vs
Temperature

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Reference Voltage vs
Temperature

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Reference Adjust Pin
Current vs Temperature

DS005104-37

LED Current-Regulation
Dropout

DS005104-38

LED Driver Saturation
Voltage

DS005104-39

LM3915

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Typical Performance Characteristics (Continued)

Input Current Beyond
Signal Range (Pin 5)

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LED Current vs
Reference Loading

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LED Driver Current
Regulation

DS005104-42

Total Divider Resistance
vs Temperature

DS005104-43

Common-Mode Limits

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Output Characteristics

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LM3915

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Block Diagram (Showing Simplest Application)

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LM3915

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Functional Description

The simplified LM3915 block diagram is included to give the
general idea of the circuit’s operation. A high input imped­ance buffer operates with signals from ground to 12V, and is
protected against reverse and overvoltage signals. The sig­nal is then applied to a series of 10 comparators; each of
which is biased to a different comparison level by the resistor
string.

In the example illustrated, the resistor string is connected to
the internal 1.25V reference voltage. In this case, for each
3 dB that the input signal increases, a comparator will switch
on another indicating LED. This resistor divider can be con­nected between any 2 voltages, providing that they are at
least 1.5V below V

+

and no lower than V−.

INTERNAL VOLTAGE REFERENCE

The reference is designed to be adjustable and develops a
nominal 1.25V between the REF OUT (pin 7) and REF ADJ
(pin 8) terminals. The reference voltage is impressed across
program resistor R1 and, since the voltage is constant, a
constant current I

1

then flows through the output set resistor

R2 giving an output voltage of:

Since the 120 µA current (max) from the adjust terminal rep­resents an error term, the reference was designed to mini­mize changes of this current with V

+

and load changes. For
correct operation, reference load current should be between
80 µA and 5 mA. Load capacitance should be less than

0.05 µF.

CURRENT PROGRAMMING

A feature not completely illustrated by the block diagram is
the LED brightness control. The current drawn out of the ref­erence voltage pin (pin 7) determines LED current. Approxi­mately 10 times this current will be drawn through each
lighted LED, and this current will be relatively constant de­spite supply voltage and temperature changes. Current
drawn by the internal 10-resistor divider,as well as by the ex­ternal current and voltage-setting divider should be included
in calculating LED drive current. The ability to modulate LED
brightness with time, or in proportion to input voltage and
other signals can lead to a number of novel displays or ways
of indicating input overvoltages, alarms, etc.

The LM3915 outputs are current-limited NPN transistors as
shown below. An internal feedback loop regulates the tran­sistor drive. Output current is held at about 10 times the ref­erence load current, independent of output voltage and pro­cessing variables, as long as the transistor is not saturated.

Outputs may be run in saturation with no adverse effects,
making it possible to directly drive logic. The effective satura­tion resistance of the output transistors, equal to R

E

plus the
transistors’ collector resistance, is about 50Ω. It’s also pos­sible to drive LEDs from rectified AC with no filtering. To
avoid oscillations, the LED supply should be bypassed with a

2.2 µF tantalum or 10 µF aluminum electrolytic capacitor.

MODE PIN USE

Pin 9, the Mode Select input, permits chaining of multiple
LM3915s, and controls bar or dot mode operation. The fol­lowing tabulation shows the basic ways of using this input.
Other more complex uses will be illustrated in the applica­tions.

Bar Graph Display: Wire Mode Select (pin 9)

directly

to pin

3(V

+

pin).

Dot Display, Single LM3915 Driver: Leave the Mode Select
pin open circuit.

Dot Display, 20 or More LEDs: Connect pin 9 of the

first

driver in the series (i.e., the one with the lowest input voltage
comparison points) to pin 1 of the next higher LM3915 driver.
Continue connecting pin 9 of lower input drivers to pin 1 of
higher input drivers for 30 or more LED displays. The last
LM3915 driver in the chain will have pin 9 left open. All pre­vious drivers should have a 20k resistor in parallel with LED

#

9 (pin 11 to V

LED

).

Mode Pin Functional Description

This pin actually performs two functions. Refer to the simpli­fied block diagram below.

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LM3915 Output Circuit

DS005104-6

Block Diagram of Mode Pin Function

DS005104-7

*

High for bar

LM3915

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Mode Pin Functional Description

(Continued)

DOT OR BAR MODE SELECTION

The voltage at pin 9 is sensed by comparator C1, nominally
referenced to (V

+

− 100 mV). The chip is in bar mode when
pin 9 is above this level; otherwise it’s in dot mode. The com­parator is designed so that pin 9 can be left open circuit for
dot mode.

Taking into account comparator gain and variation in the
100 mV reference level, pin 9 should be no more than 20 mV
below V

+

for bar mode and more than 200 mV below V+(or
open circuit) for dot mode. In most applications, pin 9 is ei­ther open (dot mode) or tied to V

+

(bar mode). In bar mode,
pin 9 should be connected directly to pin 3. Large currents
drawn from the power supply (LED current, for example)
should not share this path so that large IR drops are avoided.

DOT MODE CARRY

In order for the display to make sense when multiple
LM3915s are cascaded in dot mode, special circuitry has
been included to shut off LED

#

10 of the first device when

LED

#

1 of the second device comes on. The connection for
cascading in dot mode has already been described and is
depicted below.

As long as the input signal voltage is below the threshold of
the second LM3915, LED

#

11is off. Pin 9 of LM3915#1 thus
sees effectively an open circuit so the chip is in dot mode. As
soon as the input voltage reaches the threshold of LED

#

11,

pin 9 of LM3915

#

1 is pulled an LED drop (1.5V or more) be-

low V

LED

. This condition is sensed by comparator C2, refer-

enced 600 mV below V

LED

. This forces the output of C2 low,

which shuts off output transistor Q2, extinguishing LED

#

10.

V

LED

is sensed via the 20k resistor connected to pin 11. The
very small current (less than 100 µA) that is diverted from
LED

#

9 does not noticeably affect its intensity.

An auxiliary current source at pin 1 keeps at least 100 µA
flowing through LED

#

11 even if the input voltage rises high
enough to extinguish the LED. This ensures that pin 9 of
LM3915

#

1 is held low enough to force LED#10 off when

any

higher LED is illuminated. While 100 µA does not nor­mally produce significant LED illumination, it may be notice­able when using high-efficiency LEDs in a dark environment.
If this is bothersome, the simple cure is to shunt LED

#

11
with a 10k resistor. The 1V IR drop is more than the 900 mV
worst case required to hold off LED

#

10 yet small enough

that LED

#

11 does not conduct significantly.

OTHER DEVICE CHARACTERISTICS

The LM3916 is relatively low-powered itself, and since any
number of LEDs can be powered from about 3V, it is a very
efficient display driver. Typical standby supply current (all
LEDs OFF) is 1.6 mA. However, any reference loading adds
4 times that current drain to the V

+

(pin 3) supply input. For
example, an LM3916 witha1mAreference pin load (1.3k)
would supply almost 10 mA to every LED while drawing only
10 mA from its V

+

pin supply. At full-scale, the IC is typically

drawing less than 10%of the current supplied to the display.
The display driver does not have built-in hysteresis so that

the display does not jump instantly from one LED to the next.
Under rapidly changing signal conditions, this cuts down
high frequency noise and often an annoying flicker.An “over­lap” is built in so that at no time are all segments completely
off in the dot mode. Generally 1 LED fades in while the other
fades out over a mV or more of range. The change may be
much more rapid between LED

#

10 of one device and LED

#

1ofa

second

device “chained” to the first.

Application Hints

The most difficult problem occurs when large LED currents
are being drawn, especially in bar graph mode. These cur­rents flowing out of the ground pin cause voltage drops in ex­ternal wiring, and thus errors and oscillations. Bringing the
return wires from signal sources, reference ground and bot­tom of the resistor string to a single point very near pin 2 is
the best solution.

Long wires from V

LED

to LED anode common can cause os­cillations. Depending on the severity of the problem 0.05 µF
to 2.2 µF decoupling capacitors from LED anode common to
pin 2 will damp the circuit. If LED anode line wiring is inac­cessible, often similar decoupling from pin 1 to pin 2 will be
sufficient.

If LED turn ON seems slow (bar mode) or several LEDs light
(dot mode), oscillation or excessive noise is usually the prob­lem. In cases where proper wiring and bypassing fail to stop
oscillations, V

+

voltage at pin 3 is usually below suggested
limits. Expanded scale meter applications may have one or
both ends of the internal voltage divider terminated at rela­tively high value resistors. These high-impedance ends
should be bypassed to pin 2 with at least a 0.001 µF capaci­tor, or up to 0.1 µF in noisy environments.

Cascading LM3915s in Dot Mode

DS005104-8

LM3915

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Application Hints (Continued)

Power dissipation, especially in bar mode should be given
consideration. For example, with a 5V supply and all LEDs
programmed to 20 mAthe driver will dissipate over 600 mW.
In this case a 7.5Ω resistor in series with the LED supply will
cut device heating in half. The negative end of the resistor
should be bypassed with a 2.2 µF solid tantalum capacitor to
pin 2.

TIPS ON RECTIFIER CIRCUITS

The simplest way to display an AC signal using the LM3915
is to apply it right to pin 5 unrectified. Since the LED illumi­nated represents the instantaneous value of the AC wave­form, one can readily discern both peak and average values
of audio signals in this manner. The LM3915 will respond to
positive half-cycles only but will not be damaged by signals
up to

±

35V (or up to±100V if a 39k resistor is in series with
the input). It’s recommended to use dot mode and to run the
LEDs at 30 mA for high enough average intensity.

True average or peak detection requires rectification. If an
LM3915 is set up with 10V full scale across its voltage di­vider, the turn-on point for the first LED is only 450 mV. A
simple silicon diode rectifier won’t work well at the low end
due to the 600 mV diode threshold. The half-wave peak de­tector in

Figure 1

uses a PNP emitter-follower in front of the
diode. Now,the transistor’s base-emitter voltage cancels out
the diode offset, within about 100 mV. This approach is usu­ally satisfactory when a single LM3915 is used for a 30 dB
display.

Display circuits using two or more LM3915s for a dynamic
range of 60 dB or greater require more accurate detection. In
the precision half-wave rectifier of

Figure 2

the effective di­ode offset is reduced by a factor equal to the open-loop gain
of the op amp. Filter capacitor C2 charges through R3 and
discharges through R2 and R3, so that appropriate selection
of these values results in either a peak or an average detec­tor. The circuit has a gain equal to R2/R1.

It’s best to capacitively couple the input. Audio sources fre­quently have a small DC offset that can cause significant er­ror at the low end of the log display. Op amps that slew
quickly, such as the LF351, LF353, or LF356, are needed to
faithfully respond to sudden transients. It may be necessary
to trim out the op amp DC offset voltage to accurately cover
a 60 dB range. Best results are obtained if the circuit is ad­justed for the correct output when a low-level AC signal
(10 mV to 20 mV) is applied, rather than adjusting for zero
output with zero input.

For precision full-wave averaging use the circuit in

Figure 3

.

Using 1%resistors for R1 through R4, gain for positive and

negative signal differs by only 0.5 dB worst case. Substitut­ing 5%resistors increases this to 2 dB worst case. (A 2 dB
gain difference means that the display may have a

±

1dBer­ror when the input is a nonsymmetrical transient). The aver­aging time constant is R5–C2. A simple modification results
in the precision full-wave detector of

Figure 4

. Since the filter
capacitor is not buffered, this circuit can drive only high im­pedance loads such as the input of an LM3915.

DS005104-9

*

DC Couple

FIGURE 1. Half-Wave Peak Detector

DS005104-10

D1, D2: 1N914 or 1N4148

Average Peak

R2 1k 100k
R3 100k 1k

R1=R2 for A

V

=

1

R1=R2/R10 for A

V

=

10

C1=10/R1

FIGURE 2. Precision Half-Wave Rectifier

LM3915

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Application Hints (Continued)

CASCADING THE LM3915

To display signals of 60 dB or 90 dB dynamic range, multiple
LM3915s can be easily cascaded. Alternatively,it is possible
to cascade an LM3915 with LM3914s for a log/linear display
or with an LM3916 to get an extended range VU meter.

A simple, low cost approach to cascading two LM3915s is to
set the reference voltages of the two chips 30 dB apart as in

Figure 5

. Potentiometer R1 is used to adjust the full scale

voltage of LM3915

#

1 to 316 mV nominally while the second
IC’s reference is set at 10V by R4. The drawback of this
method is that the threshold of LED

#

1 is only 14 mV and,
since the LM3915 can have an offset voltage as high as
10 mV, large errors can occur. This technique is not recom­mended for 60 dB displays requiring good accuracy at the
first few display thresholds.

Abetter approach shown in

Figure 6

is to keep the reference
at 10V for both LM3915s and amplify the input signal to the
lower LM3915 by 30 dB. Since two 1%resistors can set the
amplifier gain within

±

0.2 dB, a gain trim is unnecessary.
However, an op amp offset voltage of 5 mV will shift the first
LED threshold as much as 4 dB, so that an offset trim may
be required. Note that a single adjustment can null out offset
in both the precision rectifier and the 30 dB gain stage. Alter­natively, instead of amplifying, input signals of sufficient am­plitude can be fed directly to the lower LM3915 and

attenu-

ated

by 30 dB to drive the second LM3915.

DS005104-11

D1, D2: 1N914 or 1N4148

FIGURE 3. Precision Full-Wave Average Detector

DS005104-12

D1, D2, D3, D4: 1N914 or 1N4148

FIGURE 4. Precision Full-Wave Peak Detector

LM3915

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Application Hints (Continued)

To extend this approach to get a 90 dB display, another
30 dB of amplification must be placed in the signal path
ahead of the lowest LM3915. Extreme care is required as the
lowest LM3915 displays input signals down to 0.5 mV! Sev­eral offset nulls may be required. High currents should not
share the same path as the low level signal. Also power line
wiring should be kept away from signal lines.

TIPS ON REFERENCE VOLTAGE
AND LED CURRENT PROGRAMMING

SINGLE LM3915

The equations in

Figure 7

illustrate how to choose resistor
values to set reference voltage for the simple case where no
LED intensity adjustment is required. A LED current of 10 mA
to 20 mA generally produces adequate illumination. Having
10V full-scale across the internal voltage divider gives best
accuracy by keeping signal level high relative to the offset
voltage of the internal comparators. However, this causes

450 µA to flow from pin 7 into the divider which means that
the LED current will be at least 5 mA. R1 will typically be be­tween 1 kΩ and2kΩ. Totrim the reference voltage, vary R2.

The circuit in

Figure 8

shows how to add a LED intensity con­trol which can vary LED current from 9 mA to 28 mA. The ref­erence adjustment has some effect on LED intensity but the
reverse is not true.

MULTIPLE LM3915s

Figure 9

shows how to obtain a common reference trim and
intensity control for two LM3915s. The two ICs may be con­nected in cascade for a 60 dB display or may be handling
separate channels for stereo. This technique can be ex­tended for larger numbers of LM3915s by varying the values
of R1, R2 and R3 in inverse proportion to the number of de­vices tied in. The ICs’ internal references track within
100 mV so that worst case error from chip to chip is only

0.1 dB for V

REF

=

10V.

DS005104-13

FIGURE 5. Low Cost Circuit for 60 dB Display

DS005104-14

FIGURE 6. Improved Circuit for 60 dB Display

LM3915

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Application Hints (Continued)

DS005104-15

FIGURE 7. Design Equations for Fixed LED Intensity

DS005104-16

*

9mA<I

LED

<

28 mA@V

REF

=

10V

FIGURE 8. Varying LED Intensity

LM3915

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Application Hints (Continued)

The scheme in

Figure 10

is useful when the reference and
LED intensity must be adjusted independently over a wide
range. The R

HI

voltage can be adjusted from 1.2V to 10V
with no effect on LED current. Since the internal divider here
does not load down the reference, minimum LED current is
much lower. At the minimum recommended reference load
of 80 µA, LED current is about 0.8 mA. The resistor values
shown give a LED current range from 1.5 mA to 20 mA.

At the low end of the intensity adjustment, the voltage drop
across the 510Ω current-sharing resistors is so small that
chip to chip variation in reference voltage may yield a visible
variation in LED intensity. The optional approach shown of
connecting the bottom end of the intensity control pot to a
negative supply overcomes this problem by allowing a larger
voltage drop across the (larger) current-sharing resistors.

Other Applications

For increased resolution, it’s possible to obtain a display with
a smooth transition between LEDs. This is accomplished by
varying the reference level at pin 6 by 3 dBp-p as shown in

Figure 11

. The signal can be a triangle, sawtooth or sine
wave from 60 Hz to 1 kHz. The display can be run in either
dot or bar mode.

When an exponentially decaying RC discharge waveform is
applied to pin 5, the LM3915’s outputs will switch at equal in­tervals. This makes a simple timer or sequencer. Each time
interval is equal to RC/3. The output may be used to drive
logic, opto-couplers, relays or PNP transistors, for example.

DS005104-17

FIGURE 9. Independent Adjustment of Reference Voltage and LED Intensity for Multiple LM3915s

LM3915

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Typical Applications

DS005104-18

*

Optional circuit for improved intensity matching at low currents.

See text.

FIGURE 10. Wide-Range Adjustment of Reference Voltage and LED Intensity for Multiple LM3915s

DS005104-19

FIGURE 11. 0V to 10V Log Display with Smooth Transitions

LM3915

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Typical Applications (Continued)

Extended Range VU Meter

DS005104-20

This application shows that the LED supply requires minimal filtering.

*

See Application Hints for optional Peak or Average Detector.

†

Adjust R3 for 3 dB difference between LED#11 and LED#12.

Vibration Meter

DS005104-21

LED Threshold

160mV
280mV
3 110 mV
4 160 mV
5 220 mV
6 320 mV
7 440 mV
8 630 mV
9 890 mV

10 1.25V

LM3915

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Typical Applications (Continued)

Indicator and Alarm, Full-Scale Changes Display from Dot to Bar

DS005104-22

*

The input to the dot bar switch may be taken from cathodes of other LEDs.

Display will change to bar as soon as the LED so selected begins to light.

**

Optional. Shunts 100 µA auxiliary sink current away from LED#1.

60 dB Dot Mode Display

DS005104-23

**

Optional. Shunts 100 µA auxiliary sink current away from LED#11.

LM3915

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Typical Applications (Continued)

Driving Vacuum Fluorescent Display

DS005104-24

R7 thru R15: 10k±10

%

D1, D2: 1N914 or 1N4148

*

Half-wave peak detector.

See Application Hints.

Low Current Bar Mode Display

DS005104-25

Supply current drain is only 15 mA with ten LEDs illuminated.

LM3915

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Typical Applications (Continued)

Driving Liquid Crystal Display

DS005104-26

Bar Display with Alarm Flasher

DS005104-27

Full-scale causes the full bar display to flash. If the junction of R1 and C1 is connected to a different LED cathode, the display will flash when that LED lights,
and at any higher input signal.

LM3915

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Typical Applications (Continued)

Precision Null Meter

DS005104-28

Logarithmic response allows coarse and fine adjustments without changing scale.
Resolution ranges from 10 mV at V

IN

=

0 mV to 500 mV at V

IN

=

±

1.25V.

LM3915

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Typical Applications (Continued)

Operating with a High Voltage Supply (Dot Mode Only)

DS005104-29

The LED currents are approximately 10 mA, and the LM3915 outputs operate in saturation for minimum dissipation.

*

This point is partially regulated and decreases in voltage with temperature. Voltage requirements of the LM3915 also decrease with temperature.

Light Meter

DS005104-30

*

Resistor value selects exposure
1/2 f/stop resolution
Ten f/stop range (1000:1)
Typical supply current is 8 mA.

LM3915

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Typical Applications (Continued)

Audio Power Meter

DS005104-31

Load

Impedance

R1

4Ω 10k
8Ω 18k

16Ω 30k

See Application Hints for optional Peak
or Average Detector

LM3915

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Connection Diagram

Definition of Terms

Absolute Accuracy: The difference between the observed

threshold voltage and the ideal threshold voltage for each
comparator. Specified and tested with 10V across the inter­nal voltage divider so that resistor ratio matching error pre­dominates over comparator offset voltage.

Adjust Pin Current: Current flowing out of the reference ad­just pin when the reference amplifier is in the linear region.

Comparator Gain: The ratio of the change in output current
(I

LED

) to the change in input voltage (VIN) required to pro-

duce it for a comparator in the linear region.
Dropout Voltage: The voltage measured at the current

source outputs required to make the output current fall by
10%.

Input Bias Current: Current flowing out of the signal input
when the input buffer is in the linear region.

LED Current Regulation: The change in output current over
the specified range of LED supply voltage (V

LED

) as mea-

sured at the current source outputs. As the forward voltage
of an LED does not change significantly with a small change
in forward current, this is equivalent to changing the voltage
at the LED anodes by the same amount.

Line Regulation: The average change in reference output
voltage (V

REF

) over the specified range of supply voltage

(V

+

).

Load Regulation: The change in reference output voltage
over the specified range of load current (I

L(REF)

).

Offset Voltage: The differential input voltage which must be
applied to each comparator to bias the output in the linear re­gion. Most significant error when the voltage across the in­ternal voltage divider is small. Specified and tested with pin
6 voltage (V

RHI

) equal to pin 4 voltage (V

RLO

).

Relative Accuracy: The difference between any two adja­cent threshold points. Specified and tested with 10V across
the internal voltage divider so that resistor ratio matching er­ror predominates over comparator offset voltage.

Dual-in-Line Package

DS005104-32

Top View

Order Number LM3915N-1

See NS Package Number NA18A

Order Number LM3915N

*

See NS Package Number N18A

*

Discontinued, Life Time Buy date 12/20/99

LM3915

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Physical Dimensions inches (millimeters) unless otherwise noted

Note: Unless otherwise specified.

1. Standard Lead Finish:
200 microinches /5.08 micrometer minimum
lead/tin 37/63 or 15/85 on alloy 42 or equivalent or copper

2. Reference JEDEC registration MS-001, VariationAC, dated May 1993.

Molded Dual-In-Line Package (N)

Order Number LM3915N-1

NS Package Number NA18A

LM3915

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Physical Dimensions inches (millimeters) unless otherwise noted (Continued)

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NATIONAL’S PRODUCTS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR USE AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN LIFE SUPPORT
DEVICES OR SYSTEMS WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL
COUNSEL OF NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION. As used herein:

1. Life support devices or systems are devices or
systems which, (a) are intended for surgical implant
into the body, or (b) support or sustain life, and
whose failure to perform when properly used in
accordance with instructions for use provided in the
labeling, can be reasonably expected to result in a
significant injury to the user.

2. A critical component is any component of a life
support device or system whose failure to perform
can be reasonably expected to cause the failure of
the life support device or system, or to affect its
safety or effectiveness.

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Corporation

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www.national.com

Molded Dual-In-Line Package (N)

Order Number LM3915N

*

NS Package Number N18A

*

Discontinued, Life Time Buy date 12/20/99

LM3915 Dot/Bar Display Driver

National does not assume any responsibility for use of any circuitry described, no circuit patent licenses are implied and National reserves the right at any time without notice to change said circuitry and specifications.