Digital Pulse Counter - Single Digit

 In this project you will get experience with using seven segment LED display and Counter and display decoder. The project uses a single common cathode 7 segment display that will display the count up to 9. The IC used for counting is IC 4026 which also comes with display driver.

 The IC counts the pulses and converts that to a decimal number up to 9 and supplies power to the appropriate segments of the display to show the current count. when the count reaches 9 it will be reset back to zero and continues again.

 Pulses used for counting can be manually supplied by touching the +ve and -ve terminals or can be fed from any other source. In this project we use a 555 timer to feed the pulses.

Below is the circuit used to build the counter.

The below photos give the assembly of the counter on breadboard.

Components to do the Digital Pulse Counter

1. 1 Protoboard
2. Many wires
3. 1 Resistor 100 k
4. 1 Resitor 10k
5. 1 Capacitor 10uF
6. 1 Integrated circuit 555
7. 1 IC4026
8. 1 7 Seconds display

Electronic Simbols

Here are five basic symbols that you will find on electronic wiring diagrams, along with a brief definition. Look them over.
 Battery is a DC (direct current) voltage energy source :

 Ground is the common or reference point in an electrical circuit:

 Resistor is an electrical component that opposes current:

 Capacitor is an electrical device that can store an electrical charge:

 Diode is a one-way conductor that allows current to flow only in one direction: 

555 Timer IC

Is an integrated circuit used in a variety of circuits, pulse generation, and oscillator applications. They can be used to provide time delays, as an oscillator, and as a flip-flop element. Derivatives provide up to four timing circuits in one package.

Introduced in 1972 by Signetics, the 555 is still in big use, because it´s easy to use, low price, and good stability. It is now made by many companies in the original bipolar and also in low-power CMOS types. 

As of 2003, it was estimated that 1 billion units are manufactured every year.