Telephone Tapping Indicator

This simple circuit can indicate a misuse or tapping of Telephone line through a loud alarm. The circuit is too simple and can be easily assembled on a common PCB. Line voltage of Telephone lines is around 48 volts DC in the On hook state. When the handset is lifted, this voltage reduces to 12 volt DC. This change in voltage level is used to activate the circuit.When the switch S1 is closed, circuit becomes active and the telephone enters into the armed state.

The high volt DC from the telephone line passes through R1 and VR1 and bias T1 into conduction. As a result, the collector of T1 goes to ground potential to inhibit T2 from conduction. Buzzer and LED thus remain off. When the handset is lifted, the DC voltage from the telephone lines drops to 12 volts. This turns off T1 and T2 conducts. Buzzer beeps and LED lights indicating that the telephone is using.

Telephone Tapping Indicator Circuit

Setting
Connect the circuit to Telephone lines using a telephone plug. The free socket of the telephone or Caller ID can be used. Close S1 and adjust VR1 till buzzer stops beeping. Lift the handset. Buzzer should sound. Otherwise, just adjust VR1 till buzzer beeps.

Automotive Speed Indicator

The speed of an automobile can be indicated by detecting the pulses generated by the ignition system and causing an LED to light. The circuit utilizes a quad NOR gate IC chip. Two of the gates are configured as a one shot multivibrator which produces a fixed duration pulse each time the primary circuit of the automobile ignition system opens the circuit to the ignition coil. The other 2 gates are used as buffers which provide an accurate rectangle pulse.

As the number of pulses per second increases, the voltage fed to the base of of the NPN transistor becomes high enough to cause it to conduct and turn on the LED. The speed at which the LED lights is set by R4. The input of the circuit is connected to the distributor side of the ignition coil or to the tachometer connection on those cars that are equipped with electronic ignition.

Simple Water-Level Indicator-Cum-Alarm

This water-level indicator-cum-alarm circuit is configured around the well-known CMOS input-compatible, 7-channel IC ULN2004 Darlington array. As the water level rises in the tank, it comes in contact with probes P1 through P7 and thereby makes pins 7 through 1 high, sequentially.

As a result, the corresponding output pins 10 through 16 go low one after the other, and LED1 through LED7 light up in that order. When water comes in contact with the final probe P7, it results in sounding of the piezo-buzzer connected to output pin 16 along with LED7.

Maximum Minimum Voltage Indicator

This circuit indicates which of three voltages in the range from about about -4V to about +4V - at A, B and C - is the highest by lighting one of three indicator LEDs. Alternatively, it can be wired to indicate the lowest of three voltages or to indicate both the highest and lowest voltages. Op amps IC1a, IC1b & IC1c are wired as comparators, while the three indicator LEDs and their series 1kO current limiting resistors are strung across the op amp outputs to implement the appropriate logic functions.

Circuit diagram:

Maximum Minimum Voltage Indicator Circuit Diagram

For example, LED A will light only when pin 8 of IC1c is low (ie, A greater B) and pin 7 of IC1b is high (ie, A greater C). Similarly, LED B will light only when pin 8 of IC1c is high (ie, B greater A) and pin 1 of IC1a is low (ie, B greater C). LED C works in similar fashion if the voltage at C is the highest. Note that if all the LEDs and their parallel 1N4148 diodes are reversed, the circuit will indicate the lowest of the three input voltages. And if each 1N4148 diode is replaced by a LED, the circuit will indicate both the highest and lowest inputs.

Author: Andrew Partridge - Copyright: Silicon Chip

Mains/Fuse Failure Indicator

The indicator shows when the mains is present at its output by a continuous glow of a neon bulb, La1, and when the fuse is blown by flashing of the neon bulb. When the fuse is intact, capacitor C2 acts as the series resistance for the neon bulb, so that this glows continuously. When the fuse has blow, the mains voltage across diode D1 is applied as a pulsating direct voltage to network R1-C1. Capacitor C1 charges slowly and when the voltage across it reaches 80–100 V, the neon bulb comes on. Capacitor C1 is then discharged slowly via diode D2 and the bulb.

When the voltage across it has dropped sufficiently, the bulb goes out, whereupon C1 slowly charges again. This process repeats itself, so that, provided the values of R1 and C1 are right, the bulb flashes visibly. The potential across capacitor C2 is a ramp with a peak value of 30 V (which is, of course, applied to the load). Note that the neon bulb used for this purpose must not be a type that has a built-in series resistor.

LED Bar Off Indicator

The simple indicator presented in this article may be combined, in principle, with any circuit that contains an LED bar display driven by a Type LM3914 IC. It ensures that an LED will light when all LEDs driven by the LM3914 are out. This prevents one drawing the erroneous conclusion that, since all the LEDs are out, the circuit is switched off. The circuit then continues to draw current, which, especially if it is battery powered, costs unnecessary money, apart from other considerations. The LED in the monitor draws a current of only 1 mA. When the LEDs forming the bar, D1–D10 are all out, there is no potential difference across R3, so that T1 is off and T2 is on.

Circuit diagram

LED Bar Off Indicator Circuit Diagram

This results in T3, in conjunction with R5 and the internal reference voltage of IC1, to form a current source that causes a constant current to flow through D11 so that the diode lights. When on of diodes D1–D10 lights, a potential difference ensues across R3, which causes T1 to come on. This results in T2 being switched off so that there is no collector current through T3. Consequently, there is no feedback at the emitter of T3, so that the current through R2 rises appreciably. The current through R2 determines the current through the LEDs in the bar. Therefore, when T3 is enabled, the current through R2, and thus the total current in the circuit, is reduced considerably.

Modem Off Indicator

The modem off indicator is intended especially for serious Internet surfers. It will be seen that the circuit of the indicator cannot be much simpler, or there might be nothing left. In spite of its simplicity, it may prove to be a cost-saving device, since it shows at a glance whether the telephone line is free again after the modem has been used. This obviates high telephone charges in case for some reason the modem continues to operate. The circuit depends on the fact that there is a potential of about 40 V on the telephone line when it is not busy. This voltage drops sharply when a telephone call is being made. If, therefore, the circuit is linked to telephone terminals a and b, the lighting of the green LED shows that the line is not busy in error.

The bridge rectifier ensures that the polarity of the line voltage is of no consequence. This has the additional benefit that polarity protection for the LED is not necessary. To make sure that the telephone line is not loaded unnecessarily, the LED is a high efficiency type. This type lights at a current as low as 2 mA, and this is, therefore the current arranged through it by resistor R1.

WARNING.
In spite of the liberal age we live in, it is highly probable that in many countries it is not allowed to connect the indicator across the telephone lines. Seek advice of your local telephone company that owns or operates the telephone network.

Digital Main Voltage Indicator

Continuous monitoring of the mains voltage is required in many applications such as manual voltage stabilisers and motor pumps. An analogue voltmeter, though cheap, has many disadvantages as it has moving parts and is sensitive to vibrations. The solidstate voltmeter circuit described here indicates the mains voltage with a resolution that is comparable to that of a general-purpose analogue voltmeter. The status of the mains voltage is available in the form of an LED bar graph. Presets VR1 through VR16 are used to set the DC voltages corresponding to the 16 voltage levels over the 50-250V range as marked on LED1 through LED16, respectively, in the figure. The LED bar graph is multiplexed from the bottom to the top with the help of ICs CD4067B (16-channel multiplexer) and CD4029B (counter).

The counter clocked by NE555 timer-based astable multivibrator generates 4-bit binary address for multiplexer-demultiplexer pair of CD4067B and CD4514B. The voltage from the wipers of presets are multiplexed by CD4067B and the output from pin 1 of CD4067B is fed to the non-inverting input of comparator A2 (half of op-amp LM358) after being buffered by A1 (the other half of IC2). The unregulated voltage sensed from rectifier output is fed to the inverting input of comparator A2. The output of comparator A2 is low until the sensed voltage is greater than the reference input applied at the non-inverting pins of comparator A2 via buffer A1.

When the sensed voltage goes below the reference voltage, the output of comparator A2 goes high. The high output from comparator A2 inhibits the decoder (CD4514) that is used to decode the output of IC4029 and drive the LEDs. This ensures that the LEDs of the bar graph are ‘on’ up to the sensed voltage-level proportional to the mains voltage.The initial adjustment of each of the presets can be done by feeding a known AC voltage through an auto-transformer and then adjusting the corresponding preset to ensure that only those LEDs that are up to the applied voltage glow.

Note.
It is advisable to use additional transformer, rectifier, filter, and regulator arrangements for obtaining a regulated supply for the functioning of the circuit so that performance of the circuit is not affected even when the mains voltage falls as low as 50V or goes as high as 280V. During Lab testing regulated 12-volt supply for circuit operation was used.)

Numeric Water-Level Indicator

Most water-level indicators for water tanks are based upon the number of LEDs that glow to indicate the corresponding level of water in the container. Here we present a digital version of the water-level indicator. It uses a 7-segment display to show the water level in numeric form from'0' to '9.' The circuit works off 5V regulated power supply. It is built around priority encoder IC 74HC147 (IC1), BCD-to-7-segment decoder IC CD4511 (IC2), 7-segment display LTS543 (DIS1) and a few discrete components. Due to high input impedance, IC1 senses water in the container from its nine input terminals. The inputs are connected to +5V via 560-kilo-ohm resistors.

The ground terminal of the sensor must be kept at the bottom of the container (tank). IC 74HC147 has nine active-low inputs and converts the active input into active-low BCD output. The input L-9 has the highest priority. The outputs of IC1 (A, B, C and D) are fed to IC2 via transistors T1 through T4. This logic inverter is used to convert the active-low output of IC1 into active-high for IC2. The BCD code received by IC2 is shown on 7-segment display LTS543. Resistors R18 through R24 limit the current through the display.


When the tank is empty, all the inputs of IC1 remain high. As a result, its output also remains high, making all the inputs of IC2 low. Display LTS543 at this stage shows ' 0, ' which means the tank is empty. Similarly, when the water level reaches L-1 position, the display shows '1, 'and when the water level reaches L-8 position, the display shows '8.' Finally, when the tank is full, all the inputs of IC1 become low and its output goes low to make all the inputs of IC2 high. Display LTS543 now shows '9,' which means the tank is full. Assemble the circuit on a general-purpose PCB and enclose in a box. Mount 7-segment LTS543 on the front panel of the box. For sensors L-1 though L-9 and ground, use corrosion-free conductive-metal (stainless-steel) strips.

Copyright: EFY Mag