How to Make a LED Chaser cum Blinker Circuit Using IC 4017
The presented circuit was requested by Mr.Joe, one of the keen followers of this blog. The circuit initially was intended to be used for generating LED strobe light effects and was asked to be modified such that it could be used as an LED sequencer as well as a blinker. The change over would be implemented via a toggle switch.
The circuit diagram may be understood with the following points:
The IC 4017 is not new to us and we all know how versatile and competent this device is. Basically the IC a Johnson’s decade counter/divide by 10 IC, fundamentally used in applications where sequencing positive output signals are required or desired.
The sequencing or the orderly shifting of the outputs take place in response to a clock pulse that needs to be applied at the clock input pin #14 of the IC.
With every rising positive edge of the clock input, the IC responds and pushes its output’s positive from the existing pin out to the next pin out in the order.
Here a couple of NOT gates are used as a oscillator for providing the above clock pulses to the IC 4017. VR1 may be adjuted for determining or fixing the speed of the sequencing.
The outputs of the IC are connected to an array of LEDs in a specific order which makes the LEDs look like as if they are running or chasing during the operations.
If the circuit would be required only to produce the chasing effect, the diodes would not be required, however as per the present ask the diodes become important and allows the circuit to be used as a blinker also, depending upon the position of the switch S1.
When the switch S1 is positioned at A, the circuit behaves like a light chaser and produces the normal chasing effect over the LEDs which start illuminating in sequence from top to the bottom, repeating the operations as long as the circuit remains powered.
As soon as S1 is flicked toward B, the clock signals from the oscillator are shifted into the input of the transistor T1, which instantly stats to pulsate all the LEDs together in response to the received clocks from N1/N2 configuration.
Thus as per the requirement we have successfully modified an ordinary light chaser circuit with an additional feature through which the circuit now is also able to function as a LED flasher.
Do not forget to connect the inputs of the remaining unused gates from the IC 4049 either to the positive or the negative of the supply. The supply pins of the IC 4049 also need to be connected to the relevant supply rails of the circuit, kindly refer to the datasheet of the IC.
Tf all the ten outputs of the IC 4017 are required to be integrated with LED sequencing, just connect pin #15 of the IC to ground and use the left over outputs of the IC for the required sequencing of the LEDs in the order of:3,2,4,7,10,1,5,6,9,11
Parts List
The fooliwng parts will be needed for making this LED light chaser cum flaher circuit:
R1, R2, R3 = 1K,
VR1 = 100K linear pot.
All LED resistors are = 470 Ohms,
All diodes are = 1N4148,
All LEDs = RED, 5mm or as per choice,
T1 = 2N2907, or 8550 or 187,
C1 = 10uF/25V
C2 = 0.1uF,
IC1 = 4017,
N1, N2 = IC4049
