This is a simple 30V volt meter using PIC16F676 micro controller with 10-bit ADC (analog to

digital converter) and three 7 segment LED displays. You can use this circuit to measure up to 30V
DC. The possible applications are on bench power supply or as a digital panel meter in various
systems. PIC16F676 is the heart and brain of this circuit. The internal adc of the mcu with a
resistor network voltage divider is used to measure the input voltage. Then 3 digits of comm
anode 7 segment display is used to display final converted voltage. As you can see in the
schematic the displays are multiplexed with each other. It means we switch on one display and
put the corresponding digit on this while other two displays are off this cycle goes for each of the
displays.

You can find more about driving multiplexed 7 segment led display from a pic mcu in application
note from microchip AN557 Four Channel Digital Voltmeter with Display and Keyboard. In my
circuit
the
refresh
rate
is
about
50hz.
Voltage

Divider

Front

End

As you can seen in the schematic the 47k resistor and 10 k trim pot is connected ias a voltage
divider configuration. We all know very well that by default pic micro controller ADC reference
voltage is set to vcc(+5v in this case). So what we have to do is make such voltage divider that
can divide out maximum range 30 volts to 5 volts. So we need is Vin/6 ==> 30/6 =5v voltage
divider. And to keep as less as possible attenuation on the under test voltage we have to keep the
voltage divider resistor value in few thousand ohms because it takes very little current from the
target
but
as
much
to
drive
adc
of
pic.
Calculations
10bit
adc
resolution
we
get
1023
maximum
count
with
5
v
reference
we
get
5/1023
=
0.0048878
V/Count
means if the adc count is 188 then input voltage is 188 * 0.0048878 == 0.918 volts
Now with the voltage divider the maximum voltage is 30v so the calculations will be
30/1023=0.02932
volts/count
if
now
we
get
188
then
188*0.02932=5.5
Volts
You can also increase or decrease the range by changing resistor network and the calculations a
little
bit.
The capacitor 0.1uf makes the adc input a bit stable because 10bit adc is really sensitive. The
5.1v zener will provide over votage protection to the internal adc because it wont allow voltage
more
than
5.1v.

Accuracy
and
calibration
Overall accuracy of this circuit is great but it totally depends on the values of 47K resistor and 10k
trim pot. As fine as you can go by adjustment of the trim pot your accuracy goes fine.
Calibration of this circuit is done by adjustment of the 10k trimpot around value of 7.5k or so. All
you have to do is take any standard power like 5v or 12v and apply that to the input of the
resistor network and adjust the trimpot until you get correct value on the display.

Software
Sorce
code
The sotware is written in c and complied using hi-tech compiler.

and

Firmware

Related Links

Accurate
60MHz

LC
Frequency

Meter

Meter
/

Counter

1Hz

2MHz

Function

Generator

Voltmeter

Ammeter

ESR

Meter

Accurate

0-500MHz

DS18S20

RF

HI-FI

BH1417

Stereo
FM

50mW

PLL
VHF

BH1417

Transmitter

Stereo

Phone
Transmitter

Watt

NJM2035
USB
USB IO Board

Meter

FM

Transmitter

FM

Transmitter

Amplifier

PLL

FM

FM

Receiver
HI-FI

Transmitter
with

Audio

FM
/
Stereo

TV

Booster
Transmitter

FM

TV

TDA7000

Meter

Temperature
Stereo

Tester

Power

Dual

BA1404

500mW

Transistor

Tuner
Encoder

Amplifier
/

Aircraft
/

Receiver
Multiplexer
Voltmeter