The LM3914 is a display driver IC, it can control upto 10 LEDs so commonly used with 5x5 Dot Matrix displays or the 10-segment LED bar displays. It controls a BAR or DOT LED display by turning on and off depending on voltage levels and provides a linear analog display. These ICs can be cascaded to control upto 100 LEDs. The device does not require any programming or microcontroller and also eliminates the use of external resistors and other components

The internal reference voltage for the LM3914 IC can be set from 1.2V to 12V and the output current can be programmed to be from 2mA to 30mA according to the LED that is being driven. This IC features its own reference voltage and accurate 10-step voltage divider.

LM3914 pinout:

LM3914 Features and Specifications

Features :

1. Drives 10 bar/dot LED display without a controller
2. User can externally select bar and display mode
3. Can be cascaded
4. Current regulated LED driver output
5. No multiplex switching or interaction between outputs
6. Compatible with both TTL and CMOS logic
7. Single voltage supply

Specification : 

• Operating voltage  :  3V to 18V
• Maximum supply voltage  :  25V
• Analog input voltage range  :  1.2V to 12V
• Input bias current  :  25nA to 100nA
• Reference load current ( maximum)  :  10mA
• Power dissipation  :  1365mW
• Storage temperature  :   -55℃ to 150℃

LM3914 Applications:

1. Dot matrix display
2. Bar type display driver
3. UI based hardware applications
4. LED driver

LM3914 Dimension and footprint:

Example Projects on LM3914:

Projects using LM3914

Additional Resources:

LM3914 Datasheet

Package Contains

1x LM3914