Title: BCD to Seven-Segment Decoder

Submitted by:

1 . Naseem Abdullah Alarefi

2 . Abdulqader Fahim Altamimi

Supervised by:

Dr. Maged Aldheaeebi

Summer 2022

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 Table of contents

No Topic Page no
1 Introduction 4
2 Simulation 7
3 Result and discussion 13
4 Summary 18

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 Abstract

This research is mainly studies on how converting BCD

numbers in to digital numbers and displaying them on seven-
segment display. It used Multisim program for the simulation and
experiment process.

It shows BCD number circuit design , explanation of it is truth

table and analyzing it is logic circuit with simulation, and further
more to show how to display BCD numbers on seven-segment
display.

This research concludes that it is opening the door for an

application using digital computation requiring a human readable
like clocks, timers and calculators.

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1 . Introduction

Digital or binary decoder is a digital combinational logic circuit which can

convert one form of digital code in to another form. BCD to seven segment
display decoder is a special decoder which can convert binary coded
decimals in to another form which can be easily displayed through a
7-segment display.

BCD stands for binary coded decimal. It is a digital numbering system in

which we can represent each decimal number using 4 bits of binary
numbers.

A digital system like computer can understand and easily read a large
binary number in binary format. However, a human cannot read large
numbers. To solve this problem we need to display it as a decimal digit
using 7- segment display.

Here we design a simple BCD to seven segment decoder that display

decimals in a seven-segment display. and it is used to display the digits in
digital watches, calculators, clocks, measuring instruments and digital
counters. This project is designed to display decimal numbers that can be
understood by human being in different applications.

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). A display decoder is used to convert a binary
code in to a seven segment code. It generally has four input lines and seven
output lines.

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 The key components are 7-segment display and 7-segment decoder
(CD4511 chip). Making this project you need to assemble the following
materials button, seven segment display (common cathode), CD4511 chips,
resistors and jumpers.

 4-Resistors (10k) ohm

 4-Resistors (1k) ohm
 4-Red LEDs
 4-ON/OFF switches
 Breadboard
 7-Segment (SMA42056) Common cathode
 CMOS BCD-to-7-segment latch decoder drivers(CD4511B)

CD4511 chip is essentially a BCD to 7-segment decoder/driver IC, with

which you can convert a binary number in to a decimal number on the seven
segment display.

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Simulation steps that we follow are analysis of the common cathode seven-
segment display, constructing truth table and drawing combinational logic
circuit.

Representation of BCD numbers

Digits A B C D
0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 1
2 0 0 1 0
3 0 0 1 1
4 0 1 0 0
5 0 1 0 1
6 0 1 1 0
7 0 1 1 1
8 1 0 0 0
9 1 0 0 1

Displaying decimal numbers, alphabets and characters

f b

e c

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d
 Seven segment displays contains 7 LED segments arranged in a shape given
figure above. There are 8 input pins in a seven segment display, 7 input pins
for each of the 7 LEDs and one pin for the common terminal.

2. Simulation study

Simulation of BCD to 7-segment decoder

 We used Multisim to create the circuit shown below. The

circuit is made out of ON/OFF switch connected to a
SEVEN_SEG_DECIMAL_COM_k display through a
resistor and 74LS47D decoder.
 An interactive simulation was run and the binary numbers
from ‘0000’ to ‘1001’ were applied to the decoder inputs
using the ON/OFF switch.
 The effect of the decoder output and the 7-segment display
were observed for each test case input.
 The logic converter was used to show the truth table and the
logic expression.

Circuit for simulating a 7-

segment decoder displaying the
digit 8 from a binary input of
‘1000’

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BCD to seven segment display decoder simulated in the following steps

Step1: the first step of the design involves analysis of the common cathode
7-segment display. A 7-segment display consist 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

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

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

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

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

From the above truth table, the Boolean expression of each function 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)

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 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)

Step3: The third step involves constructing the karnoughs map for each
output term and then simplifying them to obtain a logic combination of
inputs for each output.

K-Map simplification

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

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From the above simplification, we get the output values as

1 . a=A + C + BD + BD

2 . b= B + CD + CD

3.c=B+C+D

4 . d = BD + CD + BCD + BC+A

5 . e = BD + CD

6 . f= A + CD + BC + BD

7 . g= BC + CD + BC + BC + A

Step4: the final step involves drawing a combinational logic circuit for each
output signal. Once the task was accomplished, a combinational logic circuit

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can be drawn using 4 inputs (A, B, C, D) and a 7- segment display (a, b, c,
d) as output.

A B C D

3 . Result and discussion

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.

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digit A B C D a b c d e f g
0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
2 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1
3 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1
4 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1
5 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1
6 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1
7 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
8 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
9 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1
For combination where all the inputs (A, B, C and D) are zero(truth table),
our output lines are a= 1, b= 1, c=1, d=1, e=1, f=1 and g=0. So seven
segment display shows ‘Zero’ as output.

Similarly for combination where one of the input is one( D=1) and rest are
zero, our output lines are a=0, b=1, c=1, d=0, e=0, f=0 and g= 0. So only
LEDs ‘b’ and ‘c’ (see diagram above) will glow and 7-segment display
shows “one” as output.

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To display the digit 2 we need to turn on the segments a, b, d, e, g. and turn
off the LED segments c, f.

To display the digit 3 we need to turn on the segments a, b, c, d, g. and turn

off the LED segments e, f. this configuration will result in the display as
shown in the figure below.

To display the digit 4 we need to turn on the segments b, c, f, g. and turn off
the LED segments a, d, e.

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To display the digit 5 we need to turn on the segments a, b, c, d, f, g. and
turn off the LED segments b, e.

To display the digit 6 we need to turn on the segments a, c, d, e, f, g. and

turn off the LED segment b.

To display the digit 7 we need to turn on the segments a, b, c. and turn off
the LED segments d, e, f, g.

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To display the digit 8 we need to turn on all the segments .

To display the digit 9 we need to turn on the segments a, b, c, d, f, g. and

turn off the LED segment e.

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4 . Summary

It is not the best solution to output changing numbers for application such
as counters. It is possible to display the decimal value of a binary number on
a 7-segment display using a BCD decoder. However, this method will allow
displaying only digits from 0 to 9 and letters A to F. In the case of the
decoder circuit any binary numbers between 1010 through 1111( A to F) is
an invalid input and would provide distorted shapes on the LCD display.

The usage of a 7-segment display paired with a BCD decoder is opening

the door for an application using digital computation requiring a human
readable. That application can be a clock, a timer, a calculator.

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Reference

www.thelearningpit.com
Electronic tutorial books
Integrated electronics book
Digital electronics book
Basic electrical book
tolotra.com
Nexperia website
https://www.electronicshub.org/bcd-7-segment-led-display-
decoder-circuit/
https://tolotra.com/2018/04/11/lab-report-on-binary-coded-
decimal-bcd-to-a-7-segment-decoder/

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