Kit 3.

LED DICE WITH SLOWDOWN

The Kit uses 7 light emitting diodes (LED's) to simulate WHAT TO DO IF IT DOES NOT WORK
the rolling of a dice after the Roll button is pushed. It has Poor soldering is the most likely reason that the circuit
a slowdown feature so you can see the 'rolling' of the dice does not work. Check all solder joints carefully under a
slowing down and then stop. This is more satisfying than good light. Next check that all components are in their
the usual LED dice circuit which just stops after the correct position on the PCB. Thirdly, follow the track
button is released. with a voltmeter to check the potential differences at
various parts of the circuit particularly across the base,
The kit is constructed on a single-sided printed circuit collector and emitter of the two transistors.
board (PCB). Protel Autotrax was used to design the
board. A check list of other items: are the transistors and IC's in
the correct way. Is the battery flat. if an LED does not
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS light up then check that it is in the correct way.
Assembly is straight forward and components may be
added to the PCB in any order. Add the battery snap to WHAT TO LEARN FROM THIS KIT
the inside of the box. The cathode of the LED is the short 1. The 555 timer. The universal timer IC is the 555. It is
lead which is also the side which has the flat on it. Make about the most popular and versatile IC's ever produced.
sure you get them around the correct way. Match to the It is an ingenious combination of analog and digital
flat marked on the PCB overlay. Do not mix up the circuitry. It operates from supply rail voltages of between
transistors. 4.5V and 15V. We use the 555 here as an oscillator.
Whole books have been written about this chip and the
CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION many ways it may be connected.
There are three parts to the circuit. These sections can be
seen from the circuit diagram. 2. The 14017 5-stage Johnson Decade Counter. Only 6 of
its ten outputs are used in this Kit. Follow through the
1. Pressing 'Roll' switch. When the switch is turned on T1 data sheet with the circuit description given above and
is turned off (its base is pulled high by the 3M3) and the you will quickly see how the chip works. In Kit 6 all 10
555 oscillator is not oscillating. Pressing the ROLL outputs are used.
switch immediately charges the 470nF capacitor, T1 is
turned ON and the 555 starts to oscillate. The 470nF 3. General circuit analysis. Reducing a problem (turning
gradually discharges via the 10M and 3M3 and turns T1 the dice LED's on in a sequence) to the minimum number
off. Since values & capacitor leakage are not critical a of components requires the initial judgement that such an
small monoblock capacitor can be used. analysis is possible and then the work to do the actual
analysis. In practice a lot of the analysis is done by trial
2. 555 IC oscillator. The 555 is connected as an oscillator. and error; you build the circuit and connect the resistors
The frequency of oscillation is generally independent of together until it works. Then you sit down to justify and
the potential difference across the pins. However, as T1 document why it works!
turns off the frequency becomes dependent on the
voltage. COMPONENTS
Resistors (carbon, 0.25W, 5%):
3. The 14017 decade counter. Look at the data sheet – see 220R (red, red, brown) 3
website below. The counter CPo is advanced by a LOW 270R (red, violet, brown) 1
to HIGH transition from pin 3 of the 555 to pin 14. We 10K (brown, black, orange) 8
are using the first six outputs from the 14017 labelled Oo 100K (brown, black, yellow) 1
to O5. The next output O6 from pin 5 is conected to the 10M (brown, black, blue) 1
Reset pin 15. The table below lists the output sequence, 3M3 (orange, orange, green) 2
which pin it appears at, what dice number is shown and Capacitors:
which LED's are illuminated. 470n monoblock 1
100n monoblock 1
The last column allows us to interpret the resistor and Electrolytic capacitor 100uF/16V 1
LED connections. First note that LED's 2 and 6 are 1N4148 diode 1
always on except when a value of 1 comes up. So a HIGH 1N4004 diode D1
on pin 1 turns off LED's 2 and 6 and turns on LED 4 LED 5mm 7
which shows the value 1. When none of the pins have a 555 IC 1
HIGH (that is when pin 10 is HIGH but is not connected 14017 IC 1
anywhere) then only LED's 2 & 6 (dice value 2) are on. BC547 3
BC557 2
If you have followed to here OK then the function of the Hat Keyswitch 1
resistors will start to be clear. They have a dual function. 9V battery snap 1
Firstly, they function as voltage dividers for the various 8 pin IC socket 1
combinations of LED's which may be turned on at any 16 pin IC socket 1
time. Secondly, they are for limiting the current to the Kit 3 PCB 1
bases of the various transistors. Box #1 & 4 screws (optional) 1
SPDT PCB-mounted switch 1
 Kit 3. LED DICE WITH SLOWDOWN
14017 Output 14017 pin Dice LED’s on (See circuit
high sequence number Number diagram for reference)
1 3 4 1267
2 2 3 246
3 4 6 123567
4 7 5 12467
5 10 2 26
6 1 1 4
7 reset 5 to 15

For the data sheet and an excellent introduction to the 14017 chip see

http://www.doctronics.co.uk/4017.htm

Google LM555 will bring up tens of websites on it.