On Semi CAT4016 Serial Input Constant-Current LED Driver for Bargraphs

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mediatechnology
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On Semi CAT4016 Serial Input Constant-Current LED Driver for Bargraphs

Post by mediatechnology »

Serial data in, constant LED current out.
Ideal for process control, signage or audio meter displays.

Product page: https://www.onsemi.com/PowerSolutions/p ... id=CAT4016
Data sheet: https://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/CAT4016-D.PDF

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ON semiconductor CAT4016 Serially-controlled constant current LED driver for bargraphs and signage.

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CAT4016 bar graph LED board.

Bar Graph Project featuring the CAT4016: http://www.electronics-lab.com/project/ ... ay-driver/
Schematic: http://www.electronics-lab.com/wp-conte ... isplay.pdf
Gerber Files: http://www.electronics-lab.com/wp-conte ... ERBERs.zip
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JR.
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Re: On Semi CAT4016 Serial Input Constant-Current LED Driver for Bargraphs

Post by JR. »

http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tlc59025.pdf

I used a similar (identical?) TI part in my second generation drum tuner... In my first generation tuner I drove a matrix of LEDs directly from the 5V micro pins. The later 3.3V processor lacked the drive current capability on typical ports.

In case I didn't share that specific second generation design approach I used the 16 output part (it also comes in an 8 output version) to control 3 banks of 12 LEDs. I used the lower 12 outputs to drive the LED cathodes organized into 3 banks of 12. Then I used the top 3 outputs to switch high side drivers (small mosfets) to multiplex between the 3 banks of LEDs.

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I used these same LED drivers in the digitally controlled analog automatic mixer I designed (that never reached production).

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For my generic LED meter I hypothesized a basic meter board with one 16 LED driver that could be selected between a 2x8 or 1x16 meter. Multiple units for even more LEDs could be stacked by feeding the serial output of the LED latch to the input of the next one. A programming pin could select between linear/log scale and you could even use arbitrary non-standard voltage ranges (using the micro's several A/D inputs). This simple board could be very flexible covering 39xx applications and more with programming pins set high or low with jumpers. I figured for audio meters the LEDs should not be multiplexed to keep noise lower.

I stopped thinking about this project years ago when it was met with a collective yawn. (I gonged my own idea, not the first time). :lol:

JR
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Re: On Semi CAT4016 Serial Input Constant-Current LED Driver for Bargraphs

Post by mediatechnology »

That TI part has the same pinout so it appears multi-sourced.
There appear to be some Chinese process-control LED bargraph meters that use them.

If you were to publish the design would you provide the source code?

Has anyone heard from Igor in the last 5-6 years?
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Re: On Semi CAT4016 Serial Input Constant-Current LED Driver for Bargraphs

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mediatechnology wrote: Mon Feb 18, 2019 1:03 pm That TI part has the same pinout so it appears multi-sourced.
There appear to be some Chinese process-control LED bargraph meters that use them.

If you were to publish the design would you provide the source code?
As long as I don't have to deal with too many snarky comments about my sloppy and poorly documented code. :lol: I write low level code so not very modular or accessable. I'm sure I will hear how easy it would be to write in C. :roll:

I kept ownership of the APB meter software so I could pull from and share that... 75% or more is hardware specific housekeeping, so it only makes sense in the context of the hardware.

I have been more than willing to discuss what I considered the clever bits... (like my RMS algorithm, that I ended up not using because I did not see a difference on complex waveforms.) Lots of less than obvious stuff in the settings, like maximizing the effective resolution of the A/D conversions. Lots of processor specific subtleties related to sampling. The processor family I used has one internal 12b A/D convertor with multiple sample and hold inputs that can be multiplexed between. BUT.. The settling time of the S/H affects the conversion resolution in practice. Imagine taking alternate samples from 4 audio streams. The sample to sample step voltage could be full scale. :oops: This expressed as visible ghosting on adjacent meters when a loud channel was next to a quiet one (looked just like analog crosstalk but wasn't). I was able to improve this by multiplexing between the inputs less frequently, then capturing multiple samples per input multiplex period to average over for higher resolution and reduce the impact of transient settling time artifacts. In theory this can cause aliases from under-sampling HF content, but for metering, the alias spurs still reported accurate levels.
Has anyone heard from Igor in the last 5-6 years?
I'm not sure I remember who that is? There was (is?) an Igor who was pretty active over on GroupDIY but I think he has been awol (not dead AFAIK) for a while. I heard some gossip about that Igor's absences but quickly forget it.

JR
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Re: On Semi CAT4016 Serial Input Constant-Current LED Driver for Bargraphs

Post by mediatechnology »

Real men write in assembler or microcode.

I ask about Igor because he did a big transfer console, which IIRC had software-based routing, and then disappeared.

I sure don't think you could see the visual difference between RMS and average-responding.
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Re: On Semi CAT4016 Serial Input Constant-Current LED Driver for Bargraphs

Post by Gold »

mediatechnology wrote: Mon Feb 18, 2019 5:01 pm I ask about Igor because he did a big transfer console, which IIRC had software-based routing, and then disappeared.
I’m using the Igor Sontec boards for my T-filter EQ. I never knew him. There have been no public sightings from Group DIY.

There is someone who still sells some of his boards. I remember a monitor controller that had a software relay attenuator with a numeric display.
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Re: On Semi CAT4016 Serial Input Constant-Current LED Driver for Bargraphs

Post by mediatechnology »

Igor built a software-based router for Bob Katz's transfer console as well as the monitor controller.
After that he disappeared.
I ask because if the internal MPU fails with Igor's code in it there's no replacement.
Without the source code Bob would have to re-write it.
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Re: On Semi CAT4016 Serial Input Constant-Current LED Driver for Bargraphs

Post by Gold »

I don’t think Igor was the one who wrote that code. I vaguely remember him saying a friend diid that.

My guess is he got a classified type job and had to disappear.
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Re: On Semi CAT4016 Serial Input Constant-Current LED Driver for Bargraphs

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Gold wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:16 am I don’t think Igor was the one who wrote that code. I vaguely remember him saying a friend did that.

My guess is he got a classified type job and had to disappear.
It's a nice story. Hope its true.
I also heard a story about him becoming ill and having to DIY-improve an infusion pump which then got bought out by the manufacturer.

It's kind of like Bruno in "Return of Bruno." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6hJn272wIM
The above is a must-watch...

If one of Igor's PICs gets popped in a lightning strike its over. Product bricked.
For someone like Bob, on Florida power, Compass Point, or me on the top of a hill its very real.

I just don't like the idea of putting PIC processors in the mastering chain for simple control functions if they can be done with discrete logic or diode/relay coil logic.

To wit: I'm thinking about doing a simple 4 or 6 input Input Selector similar to the MTC that would be ahead of the MTC-IGFO board. I could use a couple of CMOS latches - one 14 pin package for two switches - so maybe three plus a gate. Or I could use a simple PIC. The code would be a no-brainer. (It will have a very interesting secondary function I haven't seen in an MTC.)

In 20-30 years, when I'm pushing up daisies, which is going to be easier for the tech to repair?

Tracking down a programmed PIC or finding the binary or source code or a flash-programmer for it might be very difficult. Someone would have to be hired to re-code it. Now the CMOS ICs might also be discontinued in 20-30 years but will still be common. Like 12AX7s.

As someone who has been involved in just about every technical facet of recording, radio, TV and performance - who also has to repair this stuff - I haven't exactly led a sheltered life when it comes to maintainability.

For the above reason, any PIC project which doesn't provide source code or binaries gets gonged.
Or at least considered for "gonging."
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Re: On Semi CAT4016 Serial Input Constant-Current LED Driver for Bargraphs

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JR. wrote: Mon Feb 18, 2019 9:46 am http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tlc59025.pdf

For my generic LED meter I hypothesized a basic meter board with one 16 LED driver that could be selected between a 2x8 or 1x16 meter. Multiple units for even more LEDs could be stacked by feeding the serial output of the LED latch to the input of the next one. A programming pin could select between linear/log scale and you could even use arbitrary non-standard voltage ranges (using the micro's several A/D inputs). This simple board could be very flexible covering 39xx applications and more with programming pins set high or low with jumpers. I figured for audio meters the LEDs should not be multiplexed to keep noise lower.

I stopped thinking about this project years ago when it was met with a collective yawn. (I gonged my own idea, not the first time). :lol:

JR
Can we just get on with this already?
Show me the money.

If it were me I'd go with 10 or 20 LEDs since that's what most bar graph assemblies come in and it is closer to the 3914/15/16 in function. Lay it out so it could use discrete LEDs or 10 LED assemblies.

You would want:

1) Audio input for level metering
2) A dB/Volt mode for gain reduction
3) A 0-5V input or mode for electronic music.

You don't need to keep telling us you can do this. We know that already. Just do it and move on.
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