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PL.T IN .. .

Activity 2.3.2 Seven Segment Displays

0 I•• -.a.; •

Introduction· Y
- What do alarm clocks, cable TV converter boxes, home answering machines, and inexpensive·calculators
all have in common? In addition to being built from electronics, many also include seven-segment
di~plays as part of their design. · -- ·
) here are two types of seven-segment displays: common cathode and common anode. 1
nderstanding
,;ho; the   displays work and the differences between the~ i~ fundamental to designing many different
; yp:es of,electronic devices.
; In :i°his ~ctivity you will learn how to use seven-segment displays to display both alpha and numeric _
: characters. You .will al so· b:e int'r6cltfceg .t qJ he-Severi-Seg_me rif Displ 3y Q r iver.-> ~ -~, ._ ,. -·: . . · ·., .

Equipment
•Circuit Design Software (CDS)
•Breadboard (DMS or DLB)
•#22 Gauge solid wire
.. ' • Integrated Circuits (74LS04 & 74LS32)
·: • - Com _mon Cathode ?even-Segment Display
• :·
:Procedure
l
1. Let's investigate what alpha-numeric characters vv~ · ~ dis~lay on a se~en~segm~nt.display.
.

Common Cathode Common Anode

· 5V
GND

- -- ., ___ - ~_ ~ --~

;; J
 a - Using th CD
- e S, enter th . • below
Please note th - · -e common cathode seven-segment display test ~ircurt shown
th
at e seven-segment display is a common cathode display.

GND

5V

Key A

Key

Key D

Key E 22

Key F 22
~~ -

Key G

GND

- b. For the seven switches (i.e., A through G , determine the settings required so that the seven
segment display will_display 0-~- Use the _esults to compl~te the ta~le shown below
~ t-· ·. ·  ·._ ·-  · . '·_-. · . -   ,, ~  .. --, :; __ ;... _- . . . ·- . · ;
.... .- .. ~0~,
  .   i - - - -- - : -7 r   ~ _.:..:_-,---=----,--
.:...._---, ..

Display A B C D
E F G

1 0 \ \ 0

2
nl () 0
\ 0
\ 0
l l \
\ 0 0
}
I \
\ 0 0
I 0 \ \ \ \
6
I 0 \ \
7 - l
 l u 0 \ I

---r-L_ l
 0 \
0
0
0
\
- \ \ __ \ l\
------- \ a--;
 .
J

c. Using the seven SEDT switches (i.e., A thru.G), cletermine at l~a.st, ten .alph~ characters that
you cou \d disp\ay -u~ing -th~ seven-segm~nt display   ,Don't forget to indud-e lower case
characters. Record your findings in the table shown below.

..

· Display · .. A-  8 . C .D S ·
·E F_ g

0 l \ l 0 l \

0 o
:· ,-0 \ \ \ \ \

C 0 L
\ I 0 I
°
,, . ·-· ·- -·.  
_\ to \ \ \ t,
· _,: . f 0 \ \ \
\
;

t \ 0 0 (J l I
·5 \ \ \ \ 0 \

 /
h 0 D \ l \ \
-· ·
-, - , . .~. .. ,_ ,

.. _
··~
\_ 0- o ._
·.  ..
\ \ 0
1 . ()
riJ\ 0 . . 9. \
.. 6 . \ 0 \

2. Now, let s see how you can use a seven-segment display in a logic circuit.
a. Analyze the seven-segment display circuit shown below and complete the display table
shown. The display is a common cathode. _
b. What message do you predict will be disi:>layed? . \-\ 1. .
GND
~    .... ~ -.-:  _ ~

--
J K

V
SY
• __ ., .. _ • -

i~ - ~.
 

Key= J

2200

2200

2200
 2200

J K Display

0 0 \-\
.. 0. -~
,,.., -   .
. ·
1
.. .. ., __ _ .. \ ..
1 0 \
1 1 \-\

·th your analysis .

C Simulate the circuit to see if you were correc t WI

. seve-n Segnie~t Display Dri~ers - . . .- - . . I The Digital Hex Display

1. In a previous activity you were introduced to the D1g1tal Hex Disp ay.
translates four lines of binary into hexadecimal.
··· 1
I

vcc DCD_HEX_BLUE

Key=

Key=

Key=

Key= F

GND

2. To display numbers on a seven-segment display you will need to use a specific driver that will
translate four lines of binary into seven-segment numerical code.
• The -74LS48 SSD Driver is designed for the Common Cathode SSD.
• The 74LS47 SSD Driver is designed for the Common Anode SSD.
Simulate the circuit shown below.

GN

Key=
D C B A

GN
vcc
..............._..

- -: . Key= A

Ke y= S

·.- ~ . ey =D · ·
 vcc LT 8F
A B C D E F G
_ _ .._ _   1
=~URB8
D
2 2

8~ 74LS48N

74LS48N Seven-Segment Display Driver with Common Cathode SSD

a. If output QA is on high , is segment A on or off? ~;;....:..:.

b. Enter 00002 to 11112 and note the number displayed on the SSD. How is it di.fferent
from what is displayed on the Digital Hex Display?

0 0 Cc) t h M . J( ,l
u._""' rj \1' ) • -~ \ \ \ \ 2 s ..) ' 1 , v \ '-

\l 0
 4

·- · - . h c mmon Anode SSD.

Now let's simulate the 74LS47N SSD Driver wit o vcc
3.

ABCDEFG
DC B VCC

vcc
. ·. . .. : ·... ..

Key =A . 22 ;,

Key= S 74LS47N

. : -,·
- ··· Key.=·F-  · .   · : •  
. r • • : ••

GN

74LS47N Seven Segment Display Driver with Common Anode SSD

a. If output QA is on high is segment A on or off?

V\
b. _ Enter 0000i to 11112 and note the number displayed on the SSD . What is the major
difference bet~ een a Common Cathode Display and a Common Anode Display?
O<) _Q o-.. -~ " " ~ ) k \ \ -6iftp J h M. \ v\ \Ji..<.i\J\l f{J 4 1 , \\ \ \ ;sh
IV), .D
4 . What if you only had access to a Common Anode Seven-Segment Display with a 74LS48 D
Driver? Could you modify the circuit to display the numbers correctly? Make the necessary edits
without changing the 7448 or the Common Anode display.

vcc

DCBA
vcc

JOO~ 
GND

Key=S J' -ki

:az J
Key=D
74LS48N
Key = F
 22 Q

.. , .._. . . a ., .~i _n wl_ate on .~ Q S.§.Qf w.a.~~ -~be _n odJfied circui.t using.a CA sso ancJ 74 Ls ~.s~~ ~;~~ ~-'-. -  .
 b. Explain below what you needed to do to modify the circuit. ··· · · ---···· · --.. - ·-· ·· . .

. _: s.
Using.the DLB, build and test the seven ~segment circuit that you analyz d d •
t -- -
· .· .' ' · . · · •· ; . · e an srmu1 ated in #2
, above. L1m1t your 1mplementat1on to a 74LS48 SSD Driver and a common cath d
, •·display. o e seven-segment

Teacher verification fVr v'. I ) IL

t they will display your

- . shown below so tha ommon anode
Conc\~sio_  g of the seven- segment d1splaysh d display and a (5) on the c
. 1. Complete the w,nn . {1 on the common cat o e
age. If you are 15, display a V
display.

GN

. -,
. ·· ~
,
2. List five words of three characters or more that you could spell out using a seven-segment
~_,,
display. Don t forget about lower-case characters. Be creative. Be polite
·-
-

- --~, •
. ·· -: • :~c CA b :c·-_: . -. .. : -- :: · ~--=- - ~-.

3i:,;,~ ~iI 1:~ :;
:;_1

~  ~- \j _i ~ J ~\ :=· : ~ <>0--~-
· -~~ ::.

_ ~- ~~ - ~-_~
• J E f-\ c\
•
-3. Describe what you should look for if you designed a circuit with an SSD that appears to work
in simulation, but does not appear to be working when you create the circuit. (Hint: i t may
actually be working