11/8/2016 BCD to 7 Segment LED Display Decoder Circuit Diagram and Working

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HOME » COMBINATIONAL LOGIC CIRUCITS » BCD TO 7 SEGMENT LED DISPLAY DECODER CIRCUIT

BCD to 7 Segment LED Display Decoder

Circuit
JULY 6, 2015 BY ADMINISTRATOR — 11 COMMENTS

Contents [hide]

1 Introduction
2 Principle of Display Decoder Circuit
3 Theory Behind the Circuit:
4 7 Segment Display Decoder Circuit Design
4.0.1 K-Map Simpli cation
5 Display Decoder Circuit Operation
6 Applications of Display Decoder Circuit
7 Limitations of Display Decoder Circuit
8 Related Articles

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11/8/2016 BCD to 7 Segment LED Display Decoder Circuit Diagram and Working

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Introduction
Most often seven-segment displays are used to display the digits in digital watches,
calculators, clocks, measuring instruments and digital counters, etc. Generally, LCD and LED
segments provide the display output of numerical numbers and characters.

However to display the characters and numbers (in order to produce the decimal readout),
seven-segment displays are most commonly used. Mostly these displays are driven by the
output stages of digital ICs (to which the visual indication of the output stages has to be
performed) such as latches and decade counters, etc.

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But these outputs are in the form of 4-bit binary coded decimal (BCD), and not suitable for
directly driving the seven-segment displays.

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11/8/2016 BCD to 7 Segment LED Display Decoder Circuit Diagram and Working

A display decoder is used to convert a BCD or a binary code into a 7 segment code. It
generally has 4 input lines and 7 output lines. Here we design a simple display decoder circuit
using logic gates.

Even though commercial BCD to 7 segment decoders are available, designing a display
decoder using logic gates may prove to be bene cial from economical as well as knowledge
point of view.

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Principle of Display Decoder Circuit

The basic idea involves driving a common cathode 7-segment LED display using
combinational logic circuit.   The logic circuit is designed with 4 inputs and 7 outputs, each
representing an input to the display IC. Using Karnough’s map, logic circuitry for each input to
the display is designed.

“ Related Post: Water Level Indicator using AVR Microcntroller

Theory Behind the Circuit:

The rst and foremost aspect of this circuit is decoder. A decoder is a combinational circuit
which is used to convert a binary or BCD (Binary Coded Decimal) number to the corresponding
decimal number . It can be a simple binary to decimal decoder or a BCD to 7 segment
decoder.

Another relevant section is the combinational logic circuitry. A combinational logic circuit is a
system of logic gates consisting of only outputs and inputs. The output of a combinational
logic circuit depends only on the present state of the inputs and nothing else. Best examples
of such circuits are Encoders and Decoders, Multiplexers and De-multiplexers, Adders,
Subtractors etc.

To understand the design and operation of these logic circuits, one needs to have a good
knowledge about Boolean algebra and logic gates. For example few basic Boolean algebra
rules to be followed are the complementary law, associative law, De-Morgan’s law etc.

A 7 segment LED display consists of an arrangement of 8 LEDs such that either all the anodes
are common or cathodes are common.  A common cathode 7 segment display consists of 8
pins – 7 input pins labeled from ‘a’ to ‘g’ and 8th pin as common ground pin.

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Back to top

7 Segment Display Decoder Circuit Design

Step 1: The rst step of the design involves analysis of the common cathode 7-segment
display.  A 7-segment display consists of an arrangement of LEDs in an ‘H’ form.  A truth table
is constructed with the combination of inputs for each decimal number. For example, decimal
number 1 would command a combination of b and c (refer the diagram given below).

7 Segment LED

Image Resource Link: www.thelearningpit.com

Step 2: The second step involves constructing the truth table listing the 7 display input signals,
decimal number and corresponding 4 digit binary numbers.

The truth table for the decoder design depends on the type of 7-segment display. As we
mentioned above that for a common cathode seven-segment display, the output of decoder
or segment driver must be active high in order to glow the segment.

The gure below shows the truth table of a BCD to seven-segment decoder with common
cathode display. In the truth table , there are 7 di erent output columns corresponding to each
of the 7 segments.

Suppose the column for segment a shows the di erent combinations for which it is to be
illuminated. So ‘a’ is active for the digits 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

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11/8/2016 BCD to 7 Segment LED Display Decoder Circuit Diagram and Working

From the above truth table, the Boolean expressions of each output functions can be written
as

a = F1 (A, B, C, D) = ∑m (0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9)

b = F2 (A, B, C, D) = ∑m (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9)

c = F3 (A, B, C, D) = ∑m (0, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

d = F4 (A, B, C, D) = ∑m (0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8)

e = F5 (A, B, C, D) = ∑m (0, 2, 6, 8)

f = F6 (A, B, C, D) = ∑m (0, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9)

g = F7 (A, B, C, D) = ∑m (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9)

Step 3: The third step involves constructing the Karnough’s map for each output term and
then simplifying them to obtain a logic combination of inputs for each output.

K-Map Simpli cation

The below gures shows the k-map simpli cation for the common cathode seven-segment
decoder in order to design the combinational circuit.

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From the above simpli cation, we get the output values as

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Step 4: The nal step involves drawing a combinational logic circuit for each output signal.
Once the task was accomplished, a combinational logic circuit can be drawn using 4  inputs
(A,B,C,D)and a 7- segment display (a,b,c,d,e,f,g) as output.

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Back to top

Display Decoder Circuit Operation

The circuit operation can be understood through the truth table itself. When all the inputs are
connected to low logic , the output of the combinational logic circuit would be so as to drive
all the output LEDs except ‘g’ to conduction.  Thus the number 0 will be displayed. Similar
operation would take place for all other combinations of the input switches.

“ Note: Also read the interesting post – LED Blinking Circuits

Practically BCD to 7 segment decoders are available in form of integrated circuits such as
74LS47.  Apart from regular 4 input pins and 7 output pins, it consists of a lamping test pin used
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in multiple display ×
systems, ripple blanking output pin used for cascading purposes and a blanking input pin.

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Applications of Display Decoder Circuit

1. This circuit can be modi ed using timers and counters to display the number of clock
pulses.
2. This circuit can be modi ed to develop an alphabet display system instead of a decimal
number display system.
3. It can be used as a timer circuit.

[Also Read: How To Make an Adjustable Timer ]

Back to top

Limitations of Display Decoder Circuit

1. This circuit involves lot of logic gates and is quite complex.
2. Timing delay by each logic gate is a matter of concern and this circuit might not produce
accurate results when used to display count of pulses.
3. This is a theoretical circuit and may require few modi cations.

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Related Articles
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FILED UNDER: COMBINATIONAL LOGIC CIRUCITS

Comments
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11/8/2016 BCD to 7 Segment LED Display Decoder Circuit Diagram and Working

Muhammad Shahmeer says

NOVEMBER 18, 2015 AT 1:20 AM

it is so help full for our project,,,,,

Reply

James says
DECEMBER 6, 2015 AT 4:13 PM

You may want to double check you Boolean algebra on some of the k-maps. Especially for
c, because you have;
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B + C’ + D Get Free Courses
×
I get from the k-map
c = B + C’D

Reply

Rohit says
FEBRUARY 1, 2016 AT 3:55 AM

c = B + C’ + D is correct

Reply

pagan kalyan naidu says

SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 AT 7:21 PM

Your may be wrong

Reply

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Mr. Meseeks says

MARCH 6, 2016 AT 5:17 AM

K-map for b is wrong. m(1) mistakenly became a zero in the map.

Reply

Fran says
MARCH 16, 2016 AT 4:52 PM

The truth table is for a common anode display where logic low enables the segment.
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Reply

TittoPullo says
MARCH 18, 2016 AT 12:58 AM

is ther k-map of the e right?? the 1001 should be a 0

Reply

Joey C. says
MARCH 19, 2016 AT 10:02 AM

Your sum of minterms for b = F2 (A, B, C, D) = ∑m (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9), but this doesn’t
translate to the map for b.

Reply

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11/8/2016 BCD to 7 Segment LED Display Decoder Circuit Diagram and Working

Azadeh says
APRIL 27, 2016 AT 9:33 AM

Tank`s
it`s very good

Reply

ABDALLA says
MAY 26, 2016 AT 12:03 AM

frankly, it helped me as i were doing an assignment, i have to thank the publisher as well as
those who prepare this unique information.
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Reply

NEB says
JULY 3, 2016 AT 3:10 PM

Truth table is for Common Anode display……

Reply

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