Hello,
I'm trying to build a VU meter, or a VU tower. As of right now, I have LM386 wired to LM3914 in the usual way. The both have a 10k potentiometer, one for fine tuning LM3914, and another for volume control of LM386. Here's the issue: the LEDs are working fine when source audio volume (PC, in this case) is at 80%. If it's 100%, all of them light up and pulse, but not go up and down, like they are supposed to. I can tune this with the potentiometer on the LM386. If the source audio volume is 40%, only the first few LEDs light up, and I can control this as well with the potentiometer on LM386. However, there is no setting that makes LEDs work fine on both 40% and 100%, which got me thinking I may need an automatic potentiometer of some sort, or anything else that may solve this problem for me? I'm open for any ideas, as long as they don't require interaction each time the volume is changed. I understand that below 30% source audio volume, the LEDs simply don't work, and they can't, but I need something to regulate the volume based on source volume, so I can "simulate" the way they work when source is at 80%.
In case anyone needs this, here are the schematics used for both:
LM386 http://cdn.instructables.com/FDW/YM1V/GD2JJSYJ/FDWYM1VGD2JJSYJ.MEDIUM.jpg
LM3914 http://i.stack.imgur.com/4RpJ0.png
That's the layout, except instead of connecting LM386 to speakers, it's output is connected to LM3914.
Thank you for taking time to read this,
Have a great day!
I'm trying to build a VU meter, or a VU tower. As of right now, I have LM386 wired to LM3914 in the usual way. The both have a 10k potentiometer, one for fine tuning LM3914, and another for volume control of LM386. Here's the issue: the LEDs are working fine when source audio volume (PC, in this case) is at 80%. If it's 100%, all of them light up and pulse, but not go up and down, like they are supposed to. I can tune this with the potentiometer on the LM386. If the source audio volume is 40%, only the first few LEDs light up, and I can control this as well with the potentiometer on LM386. However, there is no setting that makes LEDs work fine on both 40% and 100%, which got me thinking I may need an automatic potentiometer of some sort, or anything else that may solve this problem for me? I'm open for any ideas, as long as they don't require interaction each time the volume is changed. I understand that below 30% source audio volume, the LEDs simply don't work, and they can't, but I need something to regulate the volume based on source volume, so I can "simulate" the way they work when source is at 80%.
In case anyone needs this, here are the schematics used for both:
LM386 http://cdn.instructables.com/FDW/YM1V/GD2JJSYJ/FDWYM1VGD2JJSYJ.MEDIUM.jpg
LM3914 http://i.stack.imgur.com/4RpJ0.png
That's the layout, except instead of connecting LM386 to speakers, it's output is connected to LM3914.
Thank you for taking time to read this,
Have a great day!