LM3915 Dot/Bar Display Driver

February 2001

LM3915
Dot/Bar Display Driver
General Description The LM3915 is very versatile. The outputs can drive LCDs,
vacuum fluorescents and incandescent bulbs as well as
The LM3915 is a monolithic integrated circuit that senses LEDs of any color. Multiple devices can be cascaded for a
analog voltage levels and drives ten LEDs, LCDs or vacuum dot or bar mode display with a range of 60 or 90 dB.
fluorescent displays, providing a logarithmic 3 dB/step ana- LM3915s can also be cascaded with LM3914s for a linear/
log display. One pin changes the display from a bar graph to log display or with LM3916s for an extended-range VU
a moving dot display. LED current drive is regulated and meter.
programmable, eliminating the need for current limiting re-
sistors. The whole display system can operate from a single
supply as low as 3V or as high as 25V.
Features
n 3 dB/step, 30 dB range
The IC contains an adjustable voltage reference and an
accurate ten-step voltage divider. The high-impedance input n Drives LEDs, LCDs, or vacuum fluorescents
buffer accepts signals down to ground and up to within 1.5V n Bar or dot display mode externally selectable by user
of the positive supply. Further, it needs no protection against n Expandable to displays of 90 dB
inputs of ± 35V. The input buffer drives 10 individual com- n Internal voltage reference from 1.2V to 12V
parators referenced to the precision divider. Accuracy is n Operates with single supply of 3V to 25V
typically better than 1 dB. n Inputs operate down to ground
The LM3915’s 3 dB/step display is suited for signals with n Output current programmable from 1 mA to 30 mA
wide dynamic range, such as audio level, power, light inten- n Input withstands ± 35V without damage or false outputs
sity or vibration. Audio applications include average or peak n Outputs are current regulated, open collectors
level indicators, power meters and RF signal strength
n Directly drives TTL or CMOS
meters. Replacing conventional meters with an LED bar
graph results in a faster responding, more rugged display n The internal 10-step divider is floating and can be
with high visibility that retains the ease of interpretation of an referenced to a wide range of voltages
analog display. The LM3915 is rated for operation from 0˚C to +70˚C. The
The LM3915 is extremely easy to apply. A 1.2V full-scale LM3915N-1 is available in an 18-lead molded DIP package.
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.

© 2004 National Semiconductor Corporation DS005104 www.national.com

LM3915
Typical Applications
0V to 10V Log Display

00510401
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. VLED must be kept below 7V or dropping resistor should be used to limit IC power
dissipation.

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 LM3915
Absolute Maximum Ratings (Note 1) Input Signal Overvoltage (Note 4) ± 35V
If Military/Aerospace specified devices are required, Divider Voltage −100 mV to V+
please contact the National Semiconductor Sales Office/ Reference Load Current 10 mA
Distributors for availability and specifications.
Storage Temperature Range −55˚C to +150˚C
Power Dissipation (Note 6) Lead Temperature
Molded DIP(N) 1365 mW (Soldering, 10 sec.) 260˚C
Supply Voltage 25V
Voltage on Output Drivers 25V

Electrical Characteristics (Notes 2, 4)

Parameter Conditions (Note 2) Min Typ Max Units
COMPARATOR
Offset Voltage, Buffer and First 0V ≤ VRLO = VRHI ≤ 12V,
3 10 mV
Comparator ILED = 1 mA
Offset Voltage, Buffer and Any Other 0V ≤ VRLO = VRHI ≤ 12V,
3 15 mV
Comparator ILED = 1 mA
Gain (∆ILED/∆VIN) IL(REF) = 2 mA, ILED = 10 mA 3 8 mA/mV
Input Bias Current (at Pin 5) 0V ≤ VIN ≤ (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 (Note 3)
2.0 3.0 4.0 dB
Any Two Threshold Points)
Absolute Accuracy at Each Threshold (Note 3)
Point
VIN = −3, −6 dB −0.5 +0.5 dB
VIN = −9 dB −0.5 +0.65 dB
VIN = −12, −15, −18 dB −0.5 +1.0 dB
VIH = −21, −24, −27 dB −0.5 +1.5 dB
VOLTAGE REFERENCE
Output Voltage 0.1 mA ≤ IL(REF) ≤ 4 mA,
1.2 1.28 1.34 V
V+ = VLED = 5V
Line Regulation 3V ≤ V+ ≤ 18V 0.01 0.03 %/V
Load Regulation 0.1 mA ≤ IL(REF) ≤ 4 mA,
0.4 2 %
V+ = VLED = 5V
Output Voltage Change with 0˚C ≤ TA ≤ +70˚C, IL(REF) = 1 mA,
1 %
Temperature V + = VLED = 5V
Adjust Pin Current 75 120 µA
OUTPUT DRIVERS
+
LED Current V = VLED = 5V, IL(REF) = 1 mA 7 10 13 mA
LED Current Difference (Between VLED = 5V, ILED = 2 mA 0.12 0.4
mA
Largest and Smallest LED Currents) VLED = 5V, ILED 20 mA 1.2 3
LED Current Regulation 2V ≤ VLED ≤ 17V, ILED = 2 mA 0.1 0.25
mA
ILED = 20 mA 1 3
Dropout Voltage ILED(ON) = 20 mA, @ VLED = 5V,
1.5 V
∆ILED = 2 mA
Saturation Voltage ILED = 2.0 mA, IL(REF) = 0.4 mA 0.15 0.4 V
Output Leakage, Each Collector (Bar Mode) (Note 5) 0.1 10 µA
Output Leakage (Dot Mode) (Note 5)
Pins 10–18 0.1 10 µA
Pin 1 60 150 450 µA

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LM3915
Electrical Characteristics (Notes 2, 4) (Continued)
Parameter Conditions (Note 2) Min Typ Max Units
SUPPLY CURRENT
Standby Supply Current V+ = +5V, IL(REF) = 0.2 mA 2.4 4.2 mA
(All Outputs Off) V+ = +20V, IL(REF) = 1.0 mA 6.1 9.2 mA

Note 1: Absolute Maximum Ratings indicate limits beyond which damage to the device may occur. Operating Ratings indicate conditions for which the device is
functional, 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:
3 VDC ≤ V+ ≤ 20 VDC −0.015V ≤ VRLO ≤ 12 VDC TA = 25˚C, IL(REF) = 0.2 mA, pin 9 connected to pin 3 (bar mode).
3 VDC ≤ VLED ≤ V+ VREF, VRHI, VRLO ≤ (V+ − 1.5V) For higher power dissipations, pulse testing is used.
−0.015V ≤ VRHI ≤ 12 VDC 0V ≤ VIN ≤ V+ − 1.5V
Note 3: Accuracy is measured referred to 0 dB = + 10.000 VDC at pin 5, with + 10.000 VDC at pin 6, and 0.000 VDC at 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
disabled if pin 9 is pulled 0.9V or more below VLED.
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

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 LM3915
Typical Performance Characteristics
Supply Current vs Temperature Operating Input Bias Current vs Temperature

00510434 00510435

Reference Voltage vs Reference Adjust Pin

Temperature Current vs Temperature

00510436 00510437

LED Current-Regulation LED Driver Saturation

Dropout Voltage

00510438
00510439

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LM3915
Typical Performance Characteristics (Continued)

Input Current Beyond LED Current vs

Signal Range (Pin 5) Reference Loading

00510440

00510441

LED Driver Current Total Divider Resistance

Regulation vs Temperature

00510442 00510443

Common-Mode Limits Output Characteristics

00510444 00510445

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 LM3915
Block Diagram (Showing Simplest Application)

00510404

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LM3915
Functional Description LM3915 Output Circuit
The simplified LM3915 block diagram is included to give the
general idea of the circuit’s operation. A high input imped-
ance buffer operates with signals from ground to 12V, and is
protected against reverse and overvoltage signals. The sig-
nal 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 00510406
on another indicating LED. This resistor divider can be con-
nected between any 2 voltages, providing that they are at Outputs may be run in saturation with no adverse effects,
least 1.5V below V+ and no lower than V−. making it possible to directly drive logic. The effective satu-
ration resistance of the output transistors, equal to RE plus
INTERNAL VOLTAGE REFERENCE the transistors’ collector resistance, is about 50Ω. It’s also
The reference is designed to be adjustable and develops a possible to drive LEDs from rectified AC with no filtering. To
nominal 1.25V between the REF OUT (pin 7) and REF ADJ avoid oscillations, the LED supply should be bypassed with a
(pin 8) terminals. The reference voltage is impressed across 2.2 µF tantalum or 10 µF aluminum electrolytic capacitor.
program resistor R1 and, since the voltage is constant, a
constant current I1 then flows through the output set resistor MODE PIN USE
R2 giving an output voltage of: 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 applica-
tions.
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
00510405 LED #9 (pin 11 to VLED).

Since the 120 µA current (max) from the adjust terminal

represents an error term, the reference was designed to
Mode Pin Functional Description
minimize changes of this current with V+ and load changes. This pin actually performs two functions. Refer to the simpli-
For correct operation, reference load current should be be- fied block diagram below.
tween 80 µA and 5 mA. Load capacitance should be less
Block Diagram of Mode Pin Function
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. Ap-
proximately 10 times this current will be drawn through each
lighted LED, and this current will be relatively constant de-
spite 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 in-
cluded in calculating LED drive current. The ability to modu-
late LED brightness with time, or in proportion to input volt-
age 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 tran-
sistor drive. Output current is held at about 10 times the
reference load current, independent of output voltage and 00510407
*High for bar
processing variables, as long as the transistor is not satu-
rated.

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 LM3915
Mode Pin Functional Description worst case required to hold off LED #10 yet small enough
that LED #11 does not conduct significantly.
(Continued)

DOT OR BAR MODE SELECTION OTHER DEVICE CHARACTERISTICS

The voltage at pin 9 is sensed by comparator C1, nominally The LM3915 is relatively low-powered itself, and since any
referenced to (V+ − 100 mV). The chip is in bar mode when number of LEDs can be powered from about 3V, it is a very
pin 9 is above this level; otherwise it’s in dot mode. The efficient display driver. Typical standby supply current (all
comparator is designed so that pin 9 can be left open circuit LEDs OFF) is 1.6 mA. However, any reference loading adds
for dot mode. 4 times that current drain to the V+ (pin 3) supply input. For
example, an LM3916 with a 1 mA reference pin load (1.3k)
Taking into account comparator gain and variation in the
would supply almost 10 mA to every LED while drawing only
100 mV reference level, pin 9 should be no more than 20 mV
10 mA from its V+ pin supply. At full-scale, the IC is typically
below V+ for bar mode and more than 200 mV below V+ (or
drawing less than 10% of the current supplied to the display.
open circuit) for dot mode. In most applications, pin 9 is
either open (dot mode) or tied to V+ (bar mode). In bar mode, The display driver does not have built-in hysteresis so that
pin 9 should be connected directly to pin 3. Large currents the display does not jump instantly from one LED to the next.
drawn from the power supply (LED current, for example) Under rapidly changing signal conditions, this cuts down
should not share this path so that large IR drops are avoided. high frequency noise and often an annoying flicker. An “over-
lap” is built in so that at no time are all segments completely
DOT MODE CARRY off in the dot mode. Generally 1 LED fades in while the other
In order for the display to make sense when multiple fades out over a mV or more of range. The change may be
LM3915s are cascaded in dot mode, special circuitry has much more rapid between LED #10 of one device and LED
been included to shut off LED #10 of the first device when #1 of a second device “chained” to the first.
LED #1 of the second device comes on. The connection for
cascading in dot mode has already been described and is Application Hints
depicted below. The most difficult problem occurs when large LED currents
As long as the input signal voltage is below the threshold of are being drawn, especially in bar graph mode. These cur-
the second LM3915, LED #11 is off. Pin 9 of LM3915 #1 thus rents flowing out of the ground pin cause voltage drops in
sees effectively an open circuit so the chip is in dot mode. As external wiring, and thus errors and oscillations. Bringing the
soon as the input voltage reaches the threshold of LED #11, return wires from signal sources, reference ground and bot-
pin 9 of LM3915 #1 is pulled an LED drop (1.5V or more) tom of the resistor string to a single point very near pin 2 is
below VLED. This condition is sensed by comparator C2, the best solution.
referenced 600 mV below VLED. This forces the output of C2 Long wires from VLED to LED anode common can cause
low, which shuts off output transistor Q2, extinguishing LED oscillations. Depending on the severity of the problem
#10. 0.05 µF to 2.2 µF decoupling capacitors from LED anode
VLED is sensed via the 20k resistor connected to pin 11. The common to pin 2 will damp the circuit. If LED anode line
very small current (less than 100 µA) that is diverted from wiring is inaccessible, often similar decoupling from pin 1 to
LED #9 does not noticeably affect its intensity. pin 2 will be sufficient.
An auxiliary current source at pin 1 keeps at least 100 µA If LED turn ON seems slow (bar mode) or several LEDs light
flowing through LED #11 even if the input voltage rises high (dot mode), oscillation or excessive noise is usually the
enough to extinguish the LED. This ensures that pin 9 of problem. In cases where proper wiring and bypassing fail to
LM3915 #1 is held low enough to force LED #10 off when stop oscillations, V+ voltage at pin 3 is usually below sug-
any higher LED is illuminated. While 100 µA does not nor- gested limits. Expanded scale meter applications may have
mally produce significant LED illumination, it may be notice- one or both ends of the internal voltage divider terminated at
able when using high-efficiency LEDs in a dark environment. relatively high value resistors. These high-impedance ends
If this is bothersome, the simple cure is to shunt LED #11 should be bypassed to pin 2 with at least a 0.001 µF capaci-
with a 10k resistor. The 1V IR drop is more than the 900 mV tor, or up to 0.1 µF in noisy environments.

Cascading LM3915s in Dot Mode

00510408

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LM3915
Application Hints (Continued) gain difference means that the display may have a ± 1 dB
error when the input is a nonsymmetrical transient). The
Power dissipation, especially in bar mode should be given averaging time constant is R5–C2. A simple modification
consideration. For example, with a 5V supply and all LEDs results in the precision full-wave detector of Figure 4. Since
programmed to 20 mA the driver will dissipate over 600 mW. the filter capacitor is not buffered, this circuit can drive only
In this case a 7.5Ω resistor in series with the LED supply will high impedance loads such as the input of an LM3915.
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 illumi-
nated represents the instantaneous value of the AC wave-
form, 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. 00510409

True average or peak detection requires rectification. If an *DC Couple

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 FIGURE 1. Half-Wave Peak Detector
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.
00510410
It’s best to capacitively couple the input. Audio sources D1, D2: 1N914 or 1N4148
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 Average Peak
faithfully respond to sudden transients. It may be necessary
R2 1k 100k
to trim out the op amp DC offset voltage to accurately cover
a 60 dB range. Best results are obtained if the circuit is R3 100k 1k
adjusted for the correct output when a low-level AC signal R1 = R2 for AV = 1
(10 mV to 20 mV) is applied, rather than adjusting for zero R1 = R2/R10 for AV = 10
C1 = 10/R1
output with zero input.
For precision full-wave averaging use the circuit in Figure 3. FIGURE 2. Precision Half-Wave Rectifier
Using 1% resistors for R1 through R4, gain for positive and
negative signal differs by only 0.5 dB worst case. Substitut-
ing 5% resistors increases this to 2 dB worst case. (A 2 dB

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 LM3915
Application Hints (Continued)

00510411
D1, D2: 1N914 or 1N4148

FIGURE 3. Precision Full-Wave Average Detector

00510412
D1, D2, D3, D4: 1N914 or 1N4148

FIGURE 4. Precision Full-Wave Peak Detector

CASCADING THE LM3915 since the LM3915 can have an offset voltage as high as
To display signals of 60 dB or 90 dB dynamic range, multiple 10 mV, large errors can occur. This technique is not recom-
LM3915s can be easily cascaded. Alternatively, it is possible mended for 60 dB displays requiring good accuracy at the
to cascade an LM3915 with LM3914s for a log/linear display first few display thresholds.
or with an LM3916 to get an extended range VU meter. A better approach shown in Figure 6 is to keep the reference
A simple, low cost approach to cascading two LM3915s is to at 10V for both LM3915s and amplify the input signal to the
set the reference voltages of the two chips 30 dB apart as in lower LM3915 by 30 dB. Since two 1% resistors can set the
Figure 5. Potentiometer R1 is used to adjust the full scale amplifier gain within ± 0.2 dB, a gain trim is unnecessary.
voltage of LM3915 #1 to 316 mV nominally while the second However, an op amp offset voltage of 5 mV will shift the first
IC’s reference is set at 10V by R4. The drawback of this LED threshold as much as 4 dB, so that an offset trim may
method is that the threshold of LED #1 is only 14 mV and, be required. Note that a single adjustment can null out offset

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LM3915
Application Hints (Continued) Alternatively, instead of amplifying, input signals of sufficient
amplitude can be fed directly to the lower LM3915 and
in both the precision rectifier and the 30 dB gain stage. attenuated by 30 dB to drive the second LM3915.

00510413

FIGURE 5. Low Cost Circuit for 60 dB Display

00510414

FIGURE 6. Improved Circuit for 60 dB Display

To extend this approach to get a 90 dB display, another TIPS ON REFERENCE VOLTAGE

30 dB of amplification must be placed in the signal path AND LED CURRENT PROGRAMMING
ahead of the lowest LM3915. Extreme care is required as the
lowest LM3915 displays input signals down to 0.5 mV! Sev- Single LM3915
eral offset nulls may be required. High currents should not The equations in Figure 7 illustrate how to choose resistor
share the same path as the low level signal. Also power line values to set reference voltage for the simple case where no
wiring should be kept away from signal lines. 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

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 LM3915
Application Hints (Continued) separate channels for stereo. This technique can be ex-
tended for larger numbers of LM3915s by varying the values
the LED current will be at least 5 mA. R1 will typically be of R1, R2 and R3 in inverse proportion to the number of
between 1 kΩ and 2 kΩ. To trim the reference voltage, vary devices tied in. The ICs’ internal references track within
R2. 100 mV so that worst case error from chip to chip is only
The circuit in Figure 8 shows how to add a LED intensity 0.1 dB for VREF = 10V.
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

00510415

FIGURE 7. Design Equations for Fixed LED Intensity

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LM3915
Application Hints (Continued)

00510416
*9 mA < ILED < 28 mA @ VREF = 10V

FIGURE 8. Varying LED Intensity

00510417

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

The scheme in Figure 10 is useful when the reference and Other Applications
LED intensity must be adjusted independently over a wide
range. The RHI voltage can be adjusted from 1.2V to 10V For increased resolution, it’s possible to obtain a display with
with no effect on LED current. Since the internal divider here a smooth transition between LEDs. This is accomplished by
does not load down the reference, minimum LED current is varying the reference level at pin 6 by 3 dBp-p as shown in
much lower. At the minimum recommended reference load Figure 11. The signal can be a triangle, sawtooth or sine
of 80 µA, LED current is about 0.8 mA. The resistor values wave from 60 Hz to 1 kHz. The display can be run in either
shown give a LED current range from 1.5 mA to 20 mA. dot or bar mode.
At the low end of the intensity adjustment, the voltage drop When an exponentially decaying RC discharge waveform is
across the 510Ω current-sharing resistors is so small that applied to pin 5, the LM3915’s outputs will switch at equal
chip to chip variation in reference voltage may yield a visible intervals. This makes a simple timer or sequencer. Each time
variation in LED intensity. The optional approach shown of interval is equal to RC/3. The output may be used to drive
connecting the bottom end of the intensity control pot to a logic, opto-couplers, relays or PNP transistors, for example.
negative supply overcomes this problem by allowing a larger
voltage drop across the (larger) current-sharing resistors.

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 LM3915
Typical Applications

00510418
*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

00510419

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

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LM3915
Typical Applications (Continued)

Extended Range VU Meter

00510420
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

00510421

LED Threshold LED Threshold

1 60 mV 6 320 mV
2 80 mV 7 440 mV
3 110 mV 8 630 mV
4 160 mV 9 890 mV
5 220 mV 10 1.25V

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 LM3915
Typical Applications (Continued)

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

00510422
*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

00510423
**Optional. Shunts 100 µA auxiliary sink current away from LED #11.

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LM3915
Typical Applications (Continued)

Driving Vacuum Fluorescent Display

00510424
R7 thru R15: 10k ± 10%
D1, D2: 1N914 or 1N4148
*Half-wave peak detector.
See Application Hints.

Low Current Bar Mode Display

00510425
Supply current drain is only 15 mA with ten LEDs illuminated.

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 LM3915
Typical Applications (Continued)

Driving Liquid Crystal Display

00510426

Bar Display with Alarm Flasher

00510427
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.

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LM3915
Typical Applications (Continued)

Precision Null Meter

00510428
Logarithmic response allows coarse and fine adjustments without changing scale.
Resolution ranges from 10 mV at VIN = 0 mV to 500 mV at VIN = ± 1.25V.

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 LM3915
Typical Applications (Continued)

Operating with a High Voltage Supply (Dot Mode Only)

00510429
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

00510430
*Resistor value selects exposure
1/2 f/stop resolution
Ten f/stop range (1000:1)
Typical supply current is 8 mA.

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LM3915
Typical Applications (Continued)

Audio Power Meter

00510431

See Application Hints for optional Peak

Load or Average Detector
R1
Impedance
4Ω 10k
8Ω 18k
16Ω 30k

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 LM3915
Connection Diagram
Dual-in-Line Package

00510432
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

Definition of Terms sured at the current source outputs. As the forward voltage
of an LED does not change significantly with a small change
Absolute Accuracy: The difference between the observed in forward current, this is equivalent to changing the voltage
threshold voltage and the ideal threshold voltage for each at the LED anodes by the same amount.
comparator. Specified and tested with 10V across the inter-
Line Regulation: The average change in reference output
nal voltage divider so that resistor ratio matching error pre-
voltage (VREF) over the specified range of supply voltage
dominates over comparator offset voltage.
(V+).
Adjust Pin Current: Current flowing out of the reference
Load Regulation: The change in reference output voltage
adjust pin when the reference amplifier is in the linear region.
over the specified range of load current (IL(REF)).
Comparator Gain: The ratio of the change in output current
Offset Voltage: The differential input voltage which must be
(ILED) to the change in input voltage (VIN) required to pro-
applied to each comparator to bias the output in the linear
duce it for a comparator in the linear region.
region. Most significant error when the voltage across the
Dropout Voltage: The voltage measured at the current internal voltage divider is small. Specified and tested with pin
source outputs required to make the output current fall by 6 voltage (VRHI) equal to pin 4 voltage (VRLO).
10%.
Relative Accuracy: The difference between any two adja-
Input Bias Current: Current flowing out of the signal input cent threshold points. Specified and tested with 10V across
when the input buffer is in the linear region. the internal voltage divider so that resistor ratio matching
LED Current Regulation: The change in output current over error predominates over comparator offset voltage.
the specified range of LED supply voltage (VLED) as mea-

23 www.national.com
LM3915
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, Variation AC, dated May 1993.
Molded Dual-In-Line Package (N)
Order Number LM3915N-1
NS Package Number NA18A

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 LM3915 Dot/Bar Display Driver
Physical Dimensions inches (millimeters) unless otherwise noted (Continued)

Molded Dual-In-Line Package (N)

Order Number LM3915N *
NS Package Number N18A
*Discontinued, Life Time Buy date 12/20/99

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.
For the most current product information visit us at www.national.com.

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provided in the labeling, can be reasonably expected to result
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