The dedicated desktop executable has been superseded by powerful mobile applications. Both and Electronics Calculator Pro are available on the Google Play Store and have seen updates as recently as 2025 and 2024 respectively. These apps package the LM3915 calculations with a host of other electronic engineering tools, making them an "updated" and portable Swiss Army knife for modern circuit design.
Previous versions assumed perfect voltages. The updated calculators now include a drop-down for LED forward voltage (1.8V for Red, 3.2V for Blue/White) and account for the internal voltage drop of the IC. This means your calculated brightness will actually match reality. lm3915 calculator updated
) is high (e.g., 12V) and the LEDs draw 20mA, the IC will overheat. Keep VLEDcap V sub cap L cap E cap D end-sub The dedicated desktop executable has been superseded by
If you are looking for an updated way to calculate resistor values ( R1cap R sub 1 R2cap R sub 2 ) for the LM3915 Logarithmic Dot/Bar Display Driver Go to product viewer dialog for this item. Previous versions assumed perfect voltages
VRHI=VREF×(1+R2R1)cap V sub cap R cap H cap I end-sub equals cap V sub cap R cap E cap F end-sub cross open paren 1 plus the fraction with numerator cap R sub 2 and denominator cap R sub 1 end-fraction close paren VREFcap V sub cap R cap E cap F end-sub is typically 1.25V. 3. Practical Example: 0V - 10V Logarithmic Input Let's design a 10V peak detector. Let (Excellent brightness). Calculate R2cap R sub 2 for 10V: resistor or a 10k pot for tuning). 4. 2026 Best Practices for LM3915 Projects LM3915 Dot/Bar Display Driver - Micro JPM
The LM3915 allows for "Bar" or "Dot" display modes via Pin 9. Updated designs often include a toggle for this to change the visual aesthetic from a solid moving bar to a single floating point. Applications Beyond simple volume meters, the LM3915 is used in:
I've just pushed a significant update to the . For those unfamiliar, it's a web-based tool to help you configure the LM3915 dot/bar display driver without digging through the datasheet every time.