Digital Electronics

Principles & Applications

Seventh Edition

Roger L. Tokheim
Chapter 6
Encoding, Decoding, and
Seven-Segment Displays

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 INTRODUCTION
• The BCD Code • Decoders
• The Excess-3 Code • BCD-to-Seven-
• The Gray Code Segment Decoder/
• The ASCII Code Driver
• Liquid Crystal
• Encoders
Displays
• Seven-segment
• Vacuum Fluorescent
Displays
Displays
• Seven-segment LED
Displays
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 The 8421 BCD Code
• BCD stands for Binary-Coded Decimal.

• A BCD number is a four-bit binary group that

represents one of the ten decimal digits 0 through 9.

Example:
Decimal number 4926 4 9 2 6

8421 BCD coded number 0100 1001 0010 0110

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 QUIZ

Convert the BCD coded number

1000 0111 0001 into decimal.

BCD Coded Number 1000 0111 0001

Decimal Number 8 7 1

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 QUIZ

Convert the decimal number

350 to its BCD equivalent.

Decimal Number 3 5 0

BCD Coded Number 0011 0101 0000

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 The Excess-3 Code
• Add 3 to each digit of decimal and
convert to 4-bit binary form
• A BCD code (not 8421 BCD)
Decimal Binary +3 Excess-3 Sample Problem:
0 0000 0011 0011
1 0001 0011 0100
2 0010 0011 0101 Decimal 3 5 9
3 0011 0011 0110
4 0100 0011 0111
5 0101 0011 1000
6 0110 0011 1001 Excess-3 0110 1000 1100
7 0111 0011 1010
8 1000 0011 1011
9 1001 0011 1100

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 QUIZ

1. To form an excess-3 coded number,

decimal 3 is added to the decimal
number and this is converted to its
4-bit binary code. (True or False) True

2. The excess-3 BCD number 1010 0100

equals __________ in decimal. 71

3. The decimal number 428 equals

what excess-3 number. 0111 0101 1011

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 The Gray Code
• The Gray code’s most Decimal Gray code

important characteristic is that 0 00000

1 00001
only one digit changes as you 2 00011
increment or decrement the 3 00010
4 00110
count. 5 00111
• The Gray code is commonly 6 00101
7 00100
associated with input/output 8 01100
devices such as an optical 9 01101
10 01111
encoder of a shaft’s angular 11 01110
position. 12 01010
13 01011
• The Gray code is NOT a BCD 14 01001
code. 15 01000
16 11000
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 QUIZ
1. The Gray code is not a type of BCD
code. (True or False) True
2. The most important characteristic
of the ____________ (BCD, Gray Gray code
code) is that only one digit changes
state as you increment or decrement
the count.
3. The Gray code is commonly
associated with input/output devices
such as an optical encoder of a
shaft’s angular position. (True or
False) True
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 The ASCII Code
• ASCII is an acronym for American
Standard Code for Information Interchange
• Represents numbers, letters, punctuation
marks and control characters
• Standard ASCII is a 7-bit code (127
characters)
• Extended ASCII (IBM ASCII), an 8-bit
code, is also very popular
• Extended ASCII adds graphics and math
symbols to code (total of 256 symbols)
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 QUIZ
1. A common 7-bit code used to
represent numbers, letters,
punctuation marks, and control
characters is known by the acronym ASCII
__________.
2. The acronym ASCII stands for American Standard
__________________________. Code for Information
Interchange
3. Extended ASCII code is a(n)
__________ (8-bit, 10-bit) code 8-bit
which adds graphic and math
symbols to ASCII for a total of
256 symbols.
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Electronic Encoder - Decimal to BCD
BCD output
Decimal input
00
1011
0
7
Decimal
5 to
BCD
3 Encoder
0

• Encoders are available in IC form.

• This encoder translates from decimal
input to BCD output.
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Seven Segment Displays
LED (light emitting diode) display
• High power consumption
• Viewing best under low light conditions
• Commonly red but available in other colors
LCD (liquid crystal display)
• Commonly dark characters on a silvery background
• Very low power consumption
• Viewing only OK in good light
• Backlighted displays can be viewed in low light

VF (vacuum fluorescent) display

• Commonly blue-green display (without filters)
• Medium power consumption
• Viewing good from dark to lighter conditions
• Based on vacuum tube triode technology
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 QUIZ
1. The type of 7-segment display based on vacuum
tube technology which usually has blue-green
characters and can be viewed in dark to lighter
conditions is the vacuum fluorescent display (VF).
(True or False) True

2. The type of 7-segment display that shows dark

characters on a silvery background, uses very little
power, and is good for viewing in bright light is
called the liquid crystal display (LCD). (True or
False) True

3. The seven-segment LED display is best viewed in

very bright sunlight. (True or False) False
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
7-Segment LED Display Operation
Inputs
7-segment code
a
7-segment
b & c inputsdisplay
active H +5V
Note
readsthat
therefore
decimal
inputs 1are L b
(segments
segments
“active-LOW”
bb &
& cc L c
lightare
on lit)
display H
H
H
H
g

Limiting resistors Common anode

Cathode terminals (a thru g)

7-segment LED display

(common anode)

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 QUIZ
QQ#4-
#1-What
#2-
#3- Whatiswill
the be the decimal
decimal outputoutput
on the on the 7-segment
display LED
for the new set display?
of inputs?

Inputs
7-segment code
a
L
H a +5V
L
H b
b
L c
H
L d
H
L e
H
L f
H
L g g

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Decoders: BCD to
7-Segment Decoder/Driver
BCD input Decimal output
LED
01
0010
1
BCD-to-
7-Segment
Decoder/
Driver

• Electronic decoders are available in IC form.

• This decoder translates from BCD to decimal.
• Decimals are shown on an 7-segment LED display.
• This IC also drives the 7-segment LED display.
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 QUIZ
Q #5-
#1- What is the decimal output from the decoder that
#2-
#3-
#4-
appears on the 7-segment display?
Answer: 6
3
0
9
7

BCD input
Decimal output
010 100 010 011
0
BCD-to-
7-Segment
Decoder/
Driver ?

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Liquid Crystal Displays
• LCDs control available light (do not generate light)
• Nematic fluid (also called liquid crystal fluid) is sandwiched
between two glass plates
• Monochrome twisted-nematic field-effect LCDs display
dark figures on a silvery background.
• LCDs are commonly used on watches, calculators, and
laptops. LCD monitors and TVs are becoming common.
• Color LCDs use either passive-matrix or active-matrix
technology.
• Active-matrix color LCD screens are more expensive.
• Active-matrix color LCD screens use thin-film transistors
(TFT) and red, green, blue, and white filters.
• Most laptop screens are backlighted for brightness.
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Liquid Crystal Display
Metalized segments
Polarizer

Conductive
pattern on glass
Contacts
Liquid crystal

Metalized layer

Glass backplane
100 Hz
Polarizer out-of-phase signal
activates segment
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 QUIZ
1. While VF and LED displays emit light,
LCDs __________ (control available, control available
sublimate red) light.
2. The nematic fluid sandwiched between the
glass plates of a LCD is also called _______ liquid crystal
_______ (green phosphor, liquid crystal).
3. Monochrome twisted-nematic field-effect
LCDs display __________ (dark, white) dark
figures on a silvery background.
4. Liquid crystal displays are difficult to read
under low light conditions however most
laptop computer flat screens are backlighted
to add brightness. (True or False) True
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Driving an LCD Display
BCD Input
0111 a
b
c
LCD
d
driver e
f
g
Phase Common

100 Hz Clock
The LCD segments
with out-of-phase signals
are active
(a, b, & c are active)
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 QUIZ
Q#1:
Q#3: What
Q#2: Whatis
What isisthe
theoutput
the outputon
output onthe
on theLCD
the LCDdisplay?
LCD display?
display? ANS:
ANS: 2
ANS: 05

BCD Input A
B
LCD C
Driver D
E
F
?
G LCD
Common

100 Hz Clock

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Vacuum Fluorescent Displays
• VF displays are commonly used in automobiles
because they operate at the proper voltages, have
a pleasing blue-green color, are easy to see even
when viewed under lower light conditions, and
will operate at wide extremes of temperature.
• VF displays are based on an older triode vacuum
tube technology.
• VF displays are also commonly used in point-of-
sale terminals and some desktop calculators.

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 QUIZ

1. A vacuum fluorescent display is based on an

older vacuum tube technology and is
commonly referred to as a _____ _________ VF display
(TFT display, VF display).
2. One of the most common applications of VF
displays is in _________________ (flat-screen automobiles
laptop computer screens, automobiles).
3. The VF display has the advantage of being
easily readable in either light or dark
conditions. (True or False) True

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Vacuum Fluorescent Display
Cathodes (heaters)

Grid

KG f a e g d c b K
Glass
Plates back

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 QUIZ
Q#1-
Q#3-The
Thethin
Q#2- Thewires at section
segments
screen like A are
at Bcalled
are
at isheaters
C called or ___.
___.
called the ___.

ANS:
ANS:Cathodes
ANS:Plates
Grid
A

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Operating a VF 7-Segment Display
+12 V 0V
Plates
Pa Pb Pc Pd Pe Pf Pg
+12 V

Cathodes
Grid
(heaters)

To light a segment:
1. Heaters must be hot
2. Grid must be at +12V
3. Plate must be at +12V

©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 QUIZ
Q#2-
Q#4-Q#1-
PartThe Part
B points
grid Aatnormally
is isthe
theheaters
___.at +12V.
or ___.
Q#5- To
Q#3-
light
Parts
a plate
C are
it must
the
Q#6- To light a plate it must ___.
bebegrounded.
at +12V. ANS:cathodes
ANS: grid
(T
(T or F) ANS:
ANS: plates
True
(Tor orF)F) ANS:
ANS: False
True

B Schematic diagram
of VF display with
heaters connected
to battery.
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 REVIEW
• The BCD Code • Decoders
• The Excess-3 Code • BCD-to-Seven-
• The Gray Code Segment Decoder/
• The ASCII Code Driver
• Liquid Crystal
• Encoders
Displays
• Seven-segment
• Vacuum Fluorescent
Displays
Displays
• Seven-segment LED
Displays
©2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.