22/09/2015 WindowComparator"

TemperatureRangeIndicatorUsingaWindowComparator

Awindowcomparatorusuallyemploys2comparatorswithoneoutputindicating
theinputissomewherebetweentwolimits.Intheseexamples,athird
comparatorisaddedtodisplayallthreeconditionswheretheinputisin
thecenterrange,orhigher,orlower.

Thefirstexampleusesathermistortoindicatethetemperatureisnear
68degreeswithinabout+/5degreetollerance.Thethermistormeasures
33Kataround68degreesandvariesabout3570ohmsoverarangeof10degrees.
Usinga12voltsupply,thethermistorvoltagewillbe6voltsinthecenter
oftherange.Asthetemperatureincreases10degrees,thetotalresistance
falls3750ohms,thecurrentwillbe12/(66K3750)=193uAandthethermistor
voltagewillbe193u*(33k3750)=5.65volts.Thisrepresentsavoltage
changeof(65.65)=350millivoltsfora10degreechange.Thecenterresistor
ofthewindowvoltagedividermustthendrop350millivolts.Using20Kresistors
onthetopandbottomofthewindowvoltagedividerproducesacurrentof
(6(.350/2))/20K=291uA,andthecenterresistoris.350/291u=1.2K

Whenthetemperatureisinthecenterofthewindowrange,thevoltageat
pins5and6willbe1/2thesupplyvoltage,or6voltsinthiscase.
Thevoltagedivider(20K,1.2K,20K)producesavoltageofaround5.8at
pin4and6.2atpin7.Sincethevoltageatpin5(6volts)ismorepositive
thanthevoltageatpin4(5.8volts),theoutputatpin2willbeahigh
level.Atthesametime,thevoltageatpin7(+input)ishigherthan
pin6(input)causingpin1toalsobeahighlevel.Thiscondition
producesahigh(12volt)levelatpin10(input)whichproducesalow
levelatpin13,lightingthewindowLEDindicatingthetemperatureisin
thewindowrange.Asthethermistorvoltagemovesabovetheupper6.2limit,
pin1willswitchlow,extinguishingthewindowLEDandilluminatingthe
(LowTemp)LED.Similaractionhappensasthethermistorvoltagemovesbelow
thelower5.8limitcausingpin2toswitchlow(OverTempLED)whilethe
othertwoLEDsremainoff.

LightLevelIndicatorUsingaWindowComparator
ThesecondexamplebelowusesaLDR(lightdependentresistor)toindicate
somedesiredlightlevel.TheLDRhasalargedynimicrangeandvariesin
resistancefromlessthan100ohmsonacloudydaytooveramegohmintotal
darkness.A2Kpotwasusedtoadjustthewindowrangeforusualroomlight
conditions.Thissetupmightalsobeusedtoindicatesunrise/sunsetconditions.

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22/09/2015 WindowComparator"

Theprotoboardpicturebelowshowsthecircuitwiredtomeasurelight
levelusingaLDRand2Kpotentiometer.Thegreen(window)LEDislit
indicatingthelightlevelisaboutrighttotakethepicture.

Moreinformationonvoltagecomparatordetailscanbefoundhere:VoltageComparators

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