Vu-Meter Stereo 20 LED with LM3915 PCB TUTORIAL

[@Account-c7i]

Top vumeter, pcb purchased and are great

[@Stefano91ste]

@@Account-c7i Thank you :)

[@williamambrose3947]

just ordered from JLCPCB Thank you for sharing your design

[@Stefano91ste]

Thank you:)

[@stilesmcgraw]

Awesome video! great description! I tried it and it works nicely. I only have one problem, I have to turn up my stereo very loud to get it to go. Is there a way I can make it start reacting sooner on a slightly lower input? I need it approximately 6 to 9 dB lower. Vídeo incrível! ótima descrição! Eu tentei e funciona bem. Eu só tenho um problema, tenho que aumentar meu som muito alto para fazê-lo funcionar. Existe uma maneira de fazê-lo começar a reagir mais cedo em uma entrada um pouco mais baixa? Eu preciso de aproximadamente 6 a 9 dB mais baixo.

[@chandrikaprasadc.p.7629]

Could we use this circuit by doing some modification to make vu meter with peak hold? If so, please tell.

[@jamesrudacille7046]

Very nice video! So I built two of the 20 led vu and made into a “V” shape. When I apply power the left side only first four leds illuminate before applying audio signal, however the right side about 8 leds illuminate before audio is applied. What causes this? When audio is connected vu meter does work but is not balanced very well. Please help, also #2 led on right side does not illuminate, I did check led and it does illuminate when power is applied directly to led, it just doesn’t illuminate when power is applied to circuit via power contact point. What is wrong?

[@jamesrudacille7046]

Nevermind, I did my troubleshooting, I forgot to solder pin 6&7 together on the 1-10 lm3915 ic. Wow, it just goes to show that as careful and as slow and precise as I go I can still miss something. Thank you for the awesome vids!!! Keep’em coming!

[@Stefano91ste]

Happy that everything is working as it should!

[@bhavanesharumugam2379]

I have done ur circuit in proteus 8 professional software which is shown in 2.02 , but i am not getting any output, can u help me ?

[@reigndrops4090]

What is the purpose of putting the resistor in the circuit board sideways? Does it accomplish the same thing but aesthetically different or is there a reason you put it in that way?

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, It's my assembly technique

[@hm-wg9ei]

Its possible to replace LM3915 to LM3914 in this scheme?

[@shayne_hye]

Sir is it ok if im gonna copy your design ill just do it manually because no jlcpcb here in our place no way to ordered them thank u

[@Stefano91ste]

Strange, JLCPCB is expected to deliver worldwide! where are you from?

[@shayne_hye]

Electronics Projects - Stefano91ste i am in philippines sir

[@jamesrudacille7046]

Hi, Your video is awesome! It worked perfectly!!! So I built a “V” shaped vu meter, 20 on one side and 20 on the other. I am building a boombox with a total of approximately 3000 watts of an amplifier going into 2-12” subs, 2-10” subs and 2-tweeters totaling about 3000watts rms, 5200 watts peak. Am I going to need added protection to my “V” shaped vu meter? Will the circuit work or will it just burn up. Please help, I put alot of time and effort into this vu meter that you so graciously aired on “KZbin”. BTW, 12volts or 24volts do you recommend? I was thinking 12v will do wonderfully. Thank you so much, your friend, James.

[@Delorean29]

I need one trim potentiometer for adjustable sensitivity.

[@luigimorelli6444]

Bellissimo, complimenti! Solo una domanda: consigli di collegarlo all'uscita dell'amplificatore, quindi in parallelo ad un altoparlante/diffusore acustico: non ma in questo modo non viene modificata l'impedenza del sistema? Non c'è il rischio di abbassare la resa sonora o, peggio, di "sporcare" il segnale?

[@Stefano91ste]

Ciao grazie mille :) Dalle prove che ho fatto non sporca il segnale e non modifica l'impedenza, questo perchè questi IC non risultano come un carico per l'amplificatore. Purtroppo il solo segnale non amplificato (nella maggior parte dei casi) non è in grado di pilotare correttamente questi IC.. una soluzione alternativa che ho usato in altri video è stata quella di aggiungere un circuito di pre-amplificazione basato su LM386 (amplificatore da 1W) in questo modo posso usare il segnale in ingresso all'amplificatore e non quello delle casse.

[@luigimorelli6444]

@@Stefano91ste Il problema è che con un LM386 rischi di tagliarti le frequenze sopra i 12kHz...

[@Stefano91ste]

è vero anche quello, un'altra idea potrebbe essere quella di pilotarlo con un microcontrollore programmato.. si dà in input il segnale audio, anche stereo, al microcontrollore e lui con una delle uscite può pilotare uno o due LM391X

[@hassankate6187]

sanaeat dayirat tatakawan min 20 led taemal bisurat jayidat walakin hunak 6 masabih alawlaa taemal bi'astimrar hataa wan lam yujad sawt ayn alkhalal ?

[@bcclsn]

ciao Stefano, bel lavoro :) se posso darti un consiglio, visto che sei passato ai pcb, sfrutta il dual layer... tanto le serigrafie puoi farle senza problemi. sfrutta anche le copper area per minimizzare l'effetto propagativo delle piste e cosa più importante, evita le piste a 90 gradi. in fase di realizzazione possono causare accumulo di acidi/etc. che possono degradare la qualità della pista stessa. cerca anche di mantenere il parallelismo, ma evitando sempre gli angoli retti. ciao ciao :)

[@Stefano91ste]

Ciao, grazie per i consigli :) Ad inizio settimana prossima pubblicherò un altro progettino il cui PCB sarà dual layer, con tanto di fori M3 per eventuali fissaggi, è già quasi tutto pronto!:) Per il fatto delle piste a 90 gradi non sapevo potessero dare questi problemi, giurerei anche di averle viste su pcb di prodotti commerciali xD.. mentre le aree, ne terrò conto solo per pcb in cui dovrò avere molti punti di massa in comune, al momento non le uso soprattutto per un fatto estetico. Grazie ancora e ciao:)

[@bcclsn]

@@Stefano91ste bello, non vedo l'ora di vedere il video. per quanto riguarda le piste, dovrei avere un paper a riguardo, se lo trovo te lo giro per email (ci siamo sentiti tempo fa, non so se ricordi) perché è interessante :) le copper, invece, puoi vincolarle a qualsiasi "segnale", anche a vcc o ad un pin dell'integrato... e puoi sfruttare questa cosa sia per fare collegamenti comuni/altrimenti complessi, sia per schermare il pcb ed evitare fenomeni di irradiamento delle piste.

[@Stefano91ste]

Grazie mille :) "le copper, invece, puoi vincolarle a qualsiasi "segnale", anche a vcc o ad un pin dell'integrato" so di questa cosa, magari più avanti proverò a realizzare qualche progetto.. diciamo che avrebbe avuto più senso farlo alcuni anni fa quando realizzavo i pcb in casa, tra le altre cose mi avrebbe fatto risparmiare anche il cloruro ferrico :) Grazie per il supporto!:) PS: da pochi mesi uso questa mail per youtube, la vecchia l'ho chiusa: [e-mail]

[@MarcoAntonioFlu]

Boa tarde!! Amigo. Acho magnífico os seus vídeos de projetos eletrônicos, são bem didáticos e explicativos,acho fácil de entender os seus diagramas de circuitos.. Não tenho a menor ideia como montar um arquivo para gerar o PCB, para mandar fabricar no JLCPCB. Como você me ajudaria em obter os arquivos ou as placas PCB. Lógico, que eu compraria. Meus Parabéns

[@andreabetti9018]

si, ho visto tutti i tuoi progetti, ma se su questo, togliamo l'alimentazione al piedini 9 dell'lm3915, non si ottiene l'effetto dot?

[@Stefano91ste]

Otterresti il DOT togliendo alimentazione al pin 9 solo su un vu-meter da 10 led. Se togli alimentazione ai pin 9 su un vu-meter da 20 led otterrai che il decimo led del primo LM3914/15/16 rimarrà sempre acceso. Per far funzionare il dot su vu-meter da 20 led avevo apportato anche altre modifiche al circuito

[@ALFA_-oi7xu]

Hi Stefano91ste I have a problem with the first 4 leds, THEY TURN ON WITHOUT AUDIO SIGNAL, I changed the resistor from 100k to 33k and it's still the same, I was feeding it with a source and I wanted to test it with a 9v battery and neither, I already put a resistor of 50 at the output of the amplifier and the VU meter and remains the same, the only thing i see happening is that the third 2.7k resistor (from left to right of the pcb) is lowered to 2.1k and the one connected from pin 6 and 7 of the lm3915 to negative is also lowered to 2.4k (when i remove the two lm3915 if they go back to 2.7k) i also bought 8 new ics and they lower resistance with all of them It should be noted that most of the tests did not have the amplifier connected to the VU meter. Any idea what it could be?

[@bentindale7533]

Correct. the input stage on this circuit is a design disaster. It will result in constant 4 leds on at the base with no signal at all. I wouldn't waste any further time.

[@Stefano91ste]

@bentindale7533 Hi Ben, it's not a matter of exhibit bad electronics practice... what you can't understand is that for me and many others the vu-meter, designed in this way, works very well. The input design of my vu-meters comes from the LM391X datasheets and years of testing on this type of circuit that I love. And how I did it works well! The problem could also depend on the LM3915 integrated circuits, perhaps the latest products differ somewhat from mine. I haven't verified this yet, consider that what I publish here is the result of a hobby and my passion, all material shared for free and there are very few makers who do this for free. That said, for me my Vu-Meters remain valid and working 100% as can also be seen from my videos. If you really don't like the way they were designed, I'm waiting to see your version of this device😊

[@ALFA_-oi7xu]

@@bentindale7533 Hello, I found a video where they explain the signal processing part before it enters the integrated unit and they also put together a vumeter and even a picometer with oscilloscope tests and everything, if you want to see it the video is called (Vumeter and Picometer - LM3914, LM3915 and LM3916 - Complete explanation - Part 1) has several parts but it is worth watching in full and if it is in Spanish

[@ALFA_-oi7xu]

@@bentindale7533 I can tell you one thing, in the video they use an operational lm328p, when I put it together only half of the vu meter worked, I changed the integrated ones and the same thing, I had to put two operational ones and use half of one for the lm3915 and the other operational for the lm3914, (that is, I only used half of the integrated one for an lm3915 or the lm3914, and not integrated for the two "lm3915 and lm3914") those of the adjustment the one of the input if you only use one as in the video. that way it worked for me and continues to work for me to this day.

[@ALFA_-oi7xu]

And if you can't find the integrated one for the negative voltage, I took it from an ATX source, I hope it helps you.@@bentindale7533

[@hannibalgenial7938]

Do you have a special number of the board in order to ask some of them with the factory JLC pcb?

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, no I don't have any of this

[@DevendraSingh-ni4sd]

Nice

[@curtoBR]

muito bom seu video, muito obrigado, uma duvida, para acrescentar um potenciometro para acionar os leds, eu teria que remover todos os componentes do sinal imput usando os terminais 3, 5 e gnd correto ?

[@Stefano91ste]

- Yes, if instead the signal is weak, take it from the amplifier outputs - Sí, si en cambio la señal es débil, tómala de las salidas del amplificador

[@RR-km3ht]

@@Stefano91ste por favor, donde puedo comprar vumetros asi?? Necesito 4 unidades + los controles y filtros para graves

[@didieralbertoparedeszarago2154]

Súper

[@Stefano91ste]

Thank you!

[@satryaadiputra]

Can i use 3,7 volt baterai for power suplay?

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, it is very low, at least 5v are required for proper operation

[@ElectricExperimentsRobert33]

Very nice 👍👍👍

[@Stefano91ste]

Thank you:)

[@aglcanaldejuegos4383]

Hi Stefano91ste, if you want to add more lines of leds, you only have to increase the voltage ??? Think in a grid of 5 x 20 leds. Thanks in advance.

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, you can put maximum 3 LEDs for each output of the LM3915, after which it would not have enough current to turn them on

[@aglcanaldejuegos4383]

@@Stefano91ste ups!!!!!

[@aglcanaldejuegos4383]

Ihave a build matrix of 5 x 19 leds.....

[@aglcanaldejuegos4383]

I have a LM3916..... I want put the number of IC that was necessary.....

[@aglcanaldejuegos4383]

Ciao Stefano, ho provato a replicare questo circuito, ma con 3 linee di LED in serie ed è stato un fallimento assoluto. Non so se in una qualsiasi delle saldature o se c'è un componente che si è bruciato. Ho anche realizzato il circuito seguendo un altro dei tuoi video nel layout 6. Lo manderei ma penso che non sia corretto. Continuerò a provare ...@@Stefano91ste

[@hardythomashardy]

hello, do you order all electronic components from the same supplier? which one is it?

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, I buy the components in different stores, such as shops, fairs, banggood, aliexpress or LCSC, I recover some components from old PCBs

[@gondinhocoelho]

Sempre ótimos videos!

[@Stefano91ste]

Thanks, gracias!

[@caraquedesafiouopapaco2511]

Very nice

[@Stefano91ste]

Thank you:)

[@gregoriomandigma3817]

how come the pinterest has a deferent diagram?

[@suryanath8755]

How much db it can handle? Can i connect 250 watts stereo amplifier ?

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, they are about 3dB led, for a total of 60dB. 250watt is a bit much, add a 100K potentiometer to the vu-meter input signal to adjust it

[@anandakumarl5082]

Super sir

[@Stefano91ste]

Thank you!

[@anhn8592]

Great

[@Stefano91ste]

Thank you:)

[@electroniquepassion]

Nice 👍

[@Stefano91ste]

Thank you :)

[@gonkuz]

Where do you connect the input terminal from the speaker output or preamp of the amplifier?

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, i connect the input to the speaker output

[@alinnezha8702]

@@Stefano91ste its oke if i use amplifier class d?

[@alinnezha8702]

Input from media player or amplifier?

[@Stefano91ste]

Both, but media players don't have enough power in most cases

[@alinnezha8702]

I use media player input and only light up 7 led in full volume

[@alinnezha8702]

Can u help me?

[@alinnezha8702]

What should i do

[@martinorbell4584]

Where can I get your PCB’s from? They are very nicely laid out. I’ll pay you in advance via PayPal if you like.

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, in description of all my videos, with PCB projects, you can find the link to download the gerber files of that PCB. After that, you can order all the PCBs you want on JLCPCB, the site that I use and that I consider very reliable.

[@Kostanj42]

nice

[@greensocket3583]

Can you make PCB with 50leds?

[@Stefano91ste]

I will do something, but first I have to make the 40 LED vu-meter

[@greensocket3583]

@@Stefano91ste nice

[@tamaspal3982]

I built it but the first 3 leds are on. What could be the problem?

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, that problem may be due to some disturbance coming to the Vu-Meter through the amplifier or via the power supply. Try to power the vu meter with a 9V battery, if the problem persists, the amplifier could be the cause, then try putting a 50 ohm resistor between the amplifier and the Vu-Meter or try another amplifier. All this considering that the PCB has been assembled with all the correct and working components.

[@tamaspal3982]

I tried it. Not good. lights up without an amplifier 3 led. The 100k resistor has 5 illuminated, I replaced 10k resistors so 3 LEDs light up.

[@Stefano91ste]

and have you tried power it via battery? in the past a vu-meter gave me this problem because of the unfiltered power supply.

[@abhishekm2997]

I am copy your design on your pcb and upload gerber file and that is not success in jlcpcb website. but why sir tell me

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, I just tested the file from my link, it works fine and JLCPCB recognizes it perfectly. Try to tell me what kind of error you have encountered so that it can help you better. Probably it may have been a temporary unavailability of jlcpcb. If it continues to appear the same the problem tries with the browser in anonymous mode.

[@SuperbonyTheCat]

😺 In 1981 there was the chip A277d in the old communist Germany GDR. I used it to build many circuits like yours (1981 gab es es in dem alten kommunistischen Deutschland DDR den Chip A277d ich baute mir damit viele Schaltungen wie deine) 😺

[@katlegotshupelo1792]

Can you please make a vedio making a timed street light

[@Stefano91ste]

Do you mean a traffic light?

[@RR-km3ht]

DONDE PUEDO COMPRAR ???

[@RR-km3ht]

Necesito 4 vumeter

[@Stefano91ste]

Hola, puedes descargar los archivos de PCB de la descripción del video y luego pedir tus placas (sin componentes) en el sitio web de JLCPCB.

[@RR-km3ht]

@@Stefano91ste Gracias!! Por favor, ¿Puedes pasarme un enlace para poder encontrarlo?

[@yuvarajm1603]

super how can buy it

[@Stefano91ste]

you can buy the PCB on JLCPCB using my gerber files (link in description), then the circuit you have to assemble it.

[@cloudannie9940]

Sir plesse meko yahi bali chaiye kesa kru

[@Stefano91ste]

Hello, please english

[@aniyankuttanyga5417]

Please send to me a 40led VU meterkit

[@rabeesalman2003]

Not smooth. ....need to be calibrated with right value of resistors.

[@niruniru80]

Model number what

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, I designed this PCB - from the video description you can download gerber file and order the boards on JLCPCB

[@sreesanth7177]

How mach

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, 2$ for 5 PCB boards on JLCPCB

[@sreesanth7177]

@@Stefano91ste indian money

[@Stefano91ste]

I have no idea.. look for a currency converter on google

[@saturajesh9828]

Marako chahiye 2pc Price kitna

[@Stefano91ste]

On JLCPCB with 2 $ they make 10 pieces

[@sunildas-jt2tn]

Diagram

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, diagram is in the video, see video description

[@jacoletjeanclaude3608]

TOUS MES COMPOSANT SONT BIEN PLACER COMME VOUS ET SA NE FONCTIONNENT PAS. Pour la vidéo, vous avez dû bidouiller et corriger les erreurs sur votre circuit imprimer pour que cela fonctionne, mais votre fichier gerber n’a pas été corrigé tous simplement. Il y a des erreurs de câblage pour le circuit des dix première LED en commençant du bas.

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, you are wrong.. the PCBs I have in the video are ok and working. What problem did you encounter?

[@jacoletjeanclaude3608]

Les 10 Leds premier circuit sont on

[@Stefano91ste]

10 LEDs lit means that, somehow, voltage is reaching pin 5 of the LM3915 integrated circuit. Or that the supply current is not clean (in case it is powered by a cheap power supply) unfortunately, using bench power supplies, I had not thought of creating a part of the circuit that would eliminate possible disturbances.

[@jacoletjeanclaude3608]

d’accord, je vois cela demain. Le 9 volts est ok.

[@jacoletjeanclaude3608]

Problème avec un lm3915 changer et ok désolé Cordialement Jean

[@ruslank4028]

Wonderful project indeed! May I ask you a few questions to clarify some points? 1. Can I use LM3914 instead of LM3915 (I know one is linear and the other is logarithmic)? I have bunch of those laying around and I am planning on building something like this kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4SuY3Sum6p_nNk&ab_channel=zarovka29 using LM series instead of regular op-amps. Here comes the second question. 2. Can I connect active bandpass filters made of op-amps to your circuit so that each 20 LED PCB will react to its own frequency band? 3. Probably I will need some preamp circuit in order to be able to use the signal from headphone jack and not connect the VU meter, aka Spectrum analyser in my case, to the speaker output directly. Can I do that? And lastly. 4. The author of that video uses some kind of big rectangular LEDs. I couldn't find those in the internet. So I was wondering if I could connect 4 of regular 2x5mm rectangular LEDs in series to get the size of those LEDs in that video? Can I connect more than 1 LED to each lead of LM3915 or LM3914?

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi, 1) Yes, but LM3915 is better for audio applications. 2) and 3) Yes, and as you say you will need a pre-amplifier for the signal (maybe with LM386). 4) In series no, otherwise they would require a high voltage to be turned on, and LM391X are made for one led only.. you could connect them at most three on each LM391X output, but in series.

[@juergenk4]

Hello a question could you build me something and send me ?? I will pay it too

[@Stefano91ste]

Hello, at the moment unfortunately I do not have time to do this too.. if you upload the gerber file on JLCPCB (find it in video description) and follow step by step my video you will be able to make one the same!:)

[@juergenk4]

@@Stefano91ste what would that cost?

[@bentindale7533]

The input stage on this circuit is a design disaster. It will result in constant 4 leds on at the base with no signal at all. I wouldn't waste any time on it.

[@Stefano91ste]

Hi Ben, it's not a matter of exhibit bad electronics practice... what you can't understand is that for me and many others the vu-meter, designed in this way, works very well. The input design of my vu-meters comes from the LM391X datasheets and years of testing on this type of circuit that I love. And how I did it works well! The problem could also depend on the LM3915 integrated circuits, perhaps the latest products differ somewhat from mine. I haven't verified this yet, consider that what I publish here is the result of a hobby and my passion, all material shared for free and there are very few makers who do this for free. That said, for me my Vu-Meters remain valid and working 100% as can also be seen from my videos. If you really don't like the way they were designed, I'm waiting to see your version of this device😊