Hey guys.
Well since you lot have helped me learn so much and given me some good ideas and useful information in regards to my new found learning experience I thought I'd just let you know that I have come pretty far now!!
Yesterday I finally figured out what op amps and comparators are about and throughout the day have been working on a temperature sensing circuit that works REALLY REALLY well. I used an LM339 comparator IC along with the rest of the usual bits n bobs and successfully made a four level temperature sensor. Using the four comparators inside the 339 I made four LED's light up one after the other as the temperature rises and drops. I am amazed how well it works and really pleased wit myself, heheh.
Anyway, I am MAYBE jumping ahead of my abilities here, but it doesn't hurt to ask ... I would like to wire it up to a 7 segment display (1 is fine for now) and have the display go up and down (I don't mean show the temperature, just go up and down) depending on the conditions -- Is this possible with just four comparators ? I have a sneaky feeling that it isn't but that poses the question -- how to other temperature sensors work ?? They surely can't have like 100 comparators, each one sensing 1 degrees in temperature.
Moving away from the comparator route if that isn't possible, how would I make the 7 segment display change without comparators ? If you guys know how it is done then please let me know, I don't want anyone to go to the trouble of drawing it all out for me, but maybe just give me a few pointers on how exactly temperature sensors work.
Thanks in advance and thanks for all the previous help, it has been invaluable.
- Alex
Well since you lot have helped me learn so much and given me some good ideas and useful information in regards to my new found learning experience I thought I'd just let you know that I have come pretty far now!!
Yesterday I finally figured out what op amps and comparators are about and throughout the day have been working on a temperature sensing circuit that works REALLY REALLY well. I used an LM339 comparator IC along with the rest of the usual bits n bobs and successfully made a four level temperature sensor. Using the four comparators inside the 339 I made four LED's light up one after the other as the temperature rises and drops. I am amazed how well it works and really pleased wit myself, heheh.
Anyway, I am MAYBE jumping ahead of my abilities here, but it doesn't hurt to ask ... I would like to wire it up to a 7 segment display (1 is fine for now) and have the display go up and down (I don't mean show the temperature, just go up and down) depending on the conditions -- Is this possible with just four comparators ? I have a sneaky feeling that it isn't but that poses the question -- how to other temperature sensors work ?? They surely can't have like 100 comparators, each one sensing 1 degrees in temperature.
Moving away from the comparator route if that isn't possible, how would I make the 7 segment display change without comparators ? If you guys know how it is done then please let me know, I don't want anyone to go to the trouble of drawing it all out for me, but maybe just give me a few pointers on how exactly temperature sensors work.
Thanks in advance and thanks for all the previous help, it has been invaluable.
- Alex