Basic 7 Seg Display circuitry

[Chippa]

I want to drive a 7 segment LED display. I am currently designing the Binary
to Hex decoder out of AND, OR and NOT gates with the aid of K-maps and truth
tables. My Question - The display operates with an active low input (low to
the anode I assume). I have designed my truth table so that 1's appear on
the segments I want to keep off, and 0's appear on the segments I want to
turn on for each input combination. What I want to know is if the active low
means it must be "driven" low?? In other words, should I be driving them low
with a NOR gate. With my current design, I just have OR gates going to the
Anodes which just wont give a high output to whichever segments I want to
TURN ON. Is this ok to do? Or does the NOR gate need to be there instead to
sink current in the reverse state? Basically when no input is being supplied
(push buttons give logic high) the seven different OR gates to each segment
will be giving a high output for DISPLAY of zero (except OR gate to seg 'g'
of course).. Shall I continue my design, or implement NOR gates instead?

Cheers
Chippa

 

[Chippa]

Ignore my last line - I meant that - when there is no inputs, the 6 OR gates
(a, b, c, d, e, f) will be giving a LOW output to display ZERO, not high
outputs.


"Chippa" <chippa11@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3f718394$0$30962$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...

I want to drive a 7 segment LED display. I am currently designing the
Binary
to Hex decoder out of AND, OR and NOT gates with the aid of K-maps and
truth
tables. My Question - The display operates with an active low input (low
to
the anode I assume). I have designed my truth table so that 1's appear on
the segments I want to keep off, and 0's appear on the segments I want to
turn on for each input combination. What I want to know is if the active
low
means it must be "driven" low?? In other words, should I be driving them
low
with a NOR gate. With my current design, I just have OR gates going to the
Anodes which just wont give a high output to whichever segments I want to
TURN ON. Is this ok to do? Or does the NOR gate need to be there instead
to
sink current in the reverse state? Basically when no input is being
supplied
(push buttons give logic high) the seven different OR gates to each
segment
will be giving a high output for DISPLAY of zero (except OR gate to seg
'g'
of course).. Shall I continue my design, or implement NOR gates instead?

Cheers
Chippa

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 21:41:56 +1000, the renowned "Chippa"
<chippa11@hotmail.com> wrote:

I want to drive a 7 segment LED display. I am currently designing the Binary
to Hex decoder out of AND, OR and NOT gates with the aid of K-maps and truth
tables. My Question - The display operates with an active low input (low to
the anode I assume). I have designed my truth table so that 1's appear on
the segments I want to keep off, and 0's appear on the segments I want to
turn on for each input combination.

So, you've got something like a common-anode display:


a b c d g
+5-------------x---x---x---x-- ... --x
| | | | |
--- --- --- --- ---
\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /
--- --- --- --- ---
| | | | |
[Ra][Rb][Rc][Rd] [Rg]
| | | | |
o o o o o

What I want to know is if the active low
means it must be "driven" low?? In other words, should I be driving them low
with a NOR gate. With my current design, I just have OR gates going to the
Anodes which just wont give a high output to whichever segments I want to
TURN ON. Is this ok to do?

I think that will give you the inverse of what you want. Active low =>
low = ON.

Or does the NOR gate need to be there instead to
sink current in the reverse state? Basically when no input is being supplied
(push buttons give logic high) the seven different OR gates to each segment
will be giving a high output for DISPLAY of zero (except OR gate to seg 'g'
of course).. Shall I continue my design, or implement NOR gates instead?

It might be more economical in gates to decode which segments are
"off", but I'll leave that to you.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

 

[budgie]

On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 21:41:56 +1000, "Chippa" <chippa11@hotmail.com>
wrote:

I want to drive a 7 segment LED display.
(snip)
Shall I continue my design, or implement NOR gates instead?

Er, are you doing this for:

.. a bet
.. the challenge
.. a school/uni project
.. or simply because you like reinventing the wheel?

It wasn't clear to me from your description whether the display was
common cathode or common anode. CC usually connected with drivers
sourcing current, and one side of display (cathodes) grounded. With
CA, the driver sinks current and the common (anodes) is connected to
+V.

If it's CC, unless this falls into one of the above four categories
I'd go buy a 9368 latch/decoder/driver. Four bit input, and it sets
the current to 20mA per segment without resistors. About as simple
and elegant as it gets.

For CA, there are the 7446, 7447, 74247 and DS8857 to name a few, but
most require you to set the current. NE587, CA3161E (25mA) and 9374
also. Some of these may only do 0-9 but I'll bet several do 0-F.

 

[John Fields]

On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 21:53:01 +1000, "Chippa" <chippa11@hotmail.com>
wrote:

Ignore my last line - I meant that - when there is no inputs, the 6 OR gates
(a, b, c, d, e, f) will be giving a LOW output to display ZERO, not high
outputs.


"Chippa" <chippa11@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3f718394$0$30962$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
I want to drive a 7 segment LED display. I am currently designing the
Binary
to Hex decoder out of AND, OR and NOT gates with the aid of K-maps and
truth
tables. My Question - The display operates with an active low input (low
to
the anode I assume). I have designed my truth table so that 1's appear on
the segments I want to keep off, and 0's appear on the segments I want to
turn on for each input combination. What I want to know is if the active
low
means it must be "driven" low?? In other words, should I be driving them
low
with a NOR gate. With my current design, I just have OR gates going to the
Anodes which just wont give a high output to whichever segments I want to
TURN ON. Is this ok to do? Or does the NOR gate need to be there instead
to
sink current in the reverse state? Basically when no input is being
supplied
(push buttons give logic high) the seven different OR gates to each
segment
will be giving a high output for DISPLAY of zero (except OR gate to seg
'g'
of course).. Shall I continue my design, or implement NOR gates instead?

Do you really mean binary to HEX decoder? From your description it
sounds like a binary to seven-segment decoder.

In any case, as long as you're using a logic family which can sink the
LED segment current it makes no difference what flavor of gate you use
to turn the segments ON and OFF with as long as the gate can supply the
segment current and as long as you present a low to the segment you want
to be ON. Using a low to turn the LEDs ON means that you'll be sinking
current and you'll be driving LED _cathodes_, not anodes. You also need
to make sure that you use a series current limiting resistor for each
segment, not just one resistor in series with the common anode.

As far as the combinatorial logic goes, you're free to do whatever you
have to to make the output follow your truth table. Have fun!




--
John Fields

 

[Chippa]

Thanks guys,

Its a school project and I have to show the design from scatch to implement
it on a FPGA. I agree, and would buy the TTL chip, but this is a small
project to make ME design a circuit BETWEEN four push buttons (logic 1 when
pressed) and a 7 segment display (active low connection) - The Xilinx FPGA
is on a demo board so I am sure all the current limiting resistors etc are
already in place as is the seven segment power etc etc... Sorry John, you
are right, binary to Sev Seg, not binary to HEX... I got confused because
with four inputs I am driving the segments to display A, b, C, d, E, F for
10 - 15 decimal.. I could have cheated and look at a TTL data sheet for the
circuitry but wanted to see how simplified I could get it with my own K
Maps. I have the circuit with 26 AND gates, then into the corresponding 7 OR
gates. The OR gates go to a, b, c, d, e, f, g on the display. And also 4
NOT gates alongside each input too... This is as simple as I can get it -
assuming K Maps reduce to the minimum?? My boolean is not so good when
comes to factoring etc, but I am assuming that if a K - Map is at its
simplified minimum there is no room for any more boolean manipulation??
Also, I just know that it requires a logic low to drive the segments on, so
I assume the board is set up with a common anode circuit? Appreciate any
advice

Thanks Chippa


"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
news:3f7194e4.6787409@news.cantech.net.au...

On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 21:41:56 +1000, "Chippa" <chippa11@hotmail.com
wrote:

I want to drive a 7 segment LED display.
(snip)
Shall I continue my design, or implement NOR gates instead?

Er, are you doing this for:

. a bet
. the challenge
. a school/uni project
. or simply because you like reinventing the wheel?

It wasn't clear to me from your description whether the display was
common cathode or common anode. CC usually connected with drivers
sourcing current, and one side of display (cathodes) grounded. With
CA, the driver sinks current and the common (anodes) is connected to
+V.

If it's CC, unless this falls into one of the above four categories
I'd go buy a 9368 latch/decoder/driver. Four bit input, and it sets
the current to 20mA per segment without resistors. About as simple
and elegant as it gets.

For CA, there are the 7446, 7447, 74247 and DS8857 to name a few, but
most require you to set the current. NE587, CA3161E (25mA) and 9374
also. Some of these may only do 0-9 but I'll bet several do 0-F.

 

[R. Steve Walz]

Chippa wrote:

I want to drive a 7 segment LED display. I am currently designing the Binary
to Hex decoder out of AND, OR and NOT gates with the aid of K-maps and truth
tables.
-------------

None of those are necessary. If you know how a decoder works, you will
immediately see how to design one without any such brain-overheating
at all.

Look here:
http://www.armory.com/~rstevew/Public/Tutor/Boolean/74LS138.gif
http://www.armory.com/~rstevew/Public/Tutor/Boolean/74LS154.gif
http://www.armory.com/~rstevew/Public/Tutor/Boolean/7447logic.gif

http://www.armory.com/~rstevew/Public/Tutor/Displays/7_seg_leds.gif
http://www.armory.com/~rstevew/Public/Tutor/Displays/hex-7-seg_leds.gif

My Question - The display operates with an active low input (low to
the anode I assume).
-----------------

LED Displays come in two varieties, common anode and common cathode
among all the segment LEDs. In the common cathode kind, each LED has
its cathode tied together, which must be grounded. The common-anode
kind has each LED's anode tied together, and it is connected to Vcc.
Then to light one segment, all you need is to ground the other lead
for that segment through the appropriate resistor, for red LED's
it is 470 ohm at Vcc = +5VDC .


I have designed my truth table so that 1's appear on

the segments I want to keep off, and 0's appear on the segments I want to
turn on for each input combination. What I want to know is if the active low
means it must be "driven" low?? In other words, should I be driving them low
with a NOR gate.
------------

The outputs should be inverters, or NOR or NAND gates, so that any
otherwise HI affirmative proposition becomes an affirmative GROUNDING
of its output pin leading the the common anode LED segment's cathode.
(Cathod is negative, anode positive).

With my current design, I just have OR gates going to the
Anodes which just wont give a high output to whichever segments I want to
TURN ON. Is this ok to do?
-------------

Only with a common cathode type!

Or does the NOR gate need to be there instead to
sink current in the reverse state?
-------------

Yes, exactly. Common anode types need cathode drivers to ground.

Basically when no input is being supplied
(push buttons give logic high) the seven different OR gates to each segment
will be giving a high output for DISPLAY of zero (except OR gate to seg 'g'
of course).. Shall I continue my design, or implement NOR gates instead?

Cheers
Chippa
-----------

NORs. See the diagrams of other decoder/demultiplexers above, and
demuxs are just a kind of decoder.

Decoders are made with a rank of inverter pairs on the inputs to get
any input both HI and LO true bus lines, and then the buslines for
A and /A, B and /B, C and /C, etc, are simply routed to the NANDs or
NOR as needed to activate that output.

Especially look at:
http://www.armory.com/~rstevew/Public/Tutor/Boolean/7447logic.gif

Since the 74x47's ARE common anode LED driving decoders (74x48 are
the common cathode LED drivers), and then simply modify it for the
ABCDEF to suit your purposes!
Steve
--
-Steve Walz rstevew@armory.com ftp://ftp.armory.com/pub/user/rstevew
Electronics Site!! 1000's of Files and Dirs!! With Schematics Galore!!
http://www.armory.com/~rstevew or http://www.armory.com/~rstevew/Public

 

[Alex Gibson]

"Chippa" <chippa11@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:3f71a0c2$0$13416$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...

Thanks guys,

Its a school project and I have to show the design from scatch to implement
it on a FPGA. I agree, and would buy the TTL chip, but this is a small
project to make ME design a circuit BETWEEN four push buttons (logic 1 when
pressed) and a 7 segment display (active low connection) - The Xilinx FPGA
is on a demo board so I am sure all the current limiting resistors etc are
already in place as is the seven segment power etc etc... Sorry John, you
are right, binary to Sev Seg, not binary to HEX... I got confused because
with four inputs I am driving the segments to display A, b, C, d, E, F for
10 - 15 decimal.. I could have cheated and look at a TTL data sheet for the
circuitry but wanted to see how simplified I could get it with my own K
Maps. I have the circuit with 26 AND gates, then into the corresponding 7 OR
gates. The OR gates go to a, b, c, d, e, f, g on the display. And also 4
NOT gates alongside each input too... This is as simple as I can get it -
assuming K Maps reduce to the minimum?? My boolean is not so good when
comes to factoring etc, but I am assuming that if a K - Map is at its
simplified minimum there is no room for any more boolean manipulation??
Also, I just know that it requires a logic low to drive the segments on, so
I assume the board is set up with a common anode circuit? Appreciate any
advice

Thanks Chippa

fpga or cpld ?


active low doesn't always mean that common anode has been used
depends on what parts the designer could get when designing the board.
Need to check the board and schematics to make sure.

On the displays look for CA or CC in the part numbers.

Can also help with simplifying if you use don't cares
for the ones that don't matter.


This sort of design is so much easier with vhdl or verilog.
Also xilinx webpack or ise has a lot less bugs in the hdl parts than in the schematic software.

hdl - hardware description langauge
vhdl is descended from ada which descended from pascal.
verilog is descended from c

Alex