The LM3914 is an integrated circuit (IC), designed by National Semiconductor in the late 1970s, used to operate displays that visually show the magnitude of an analog signal.[1] It can drive up to 10 LEDs, LCDs, or vacuum fluorescent displays on its outputs. The linear scaling of the output thresholds makes the device usable, for example, as a voltmeter. In the basic configuration it provides a ten step scale which is expandable to over 100 segments with other LM3914 ICs in series.[1]
The LM3914 / LM3915 / LM3916 are identical except for the ten resistor divider inside each part.
All the devices in this group operate with a range of voltages from 3-25 V, can drive LED and VFD displays.[4] They can provide a regulated output current between 2-30 mA to directly drive displays.
Internally, each device contains ten comparators and a resistor scaling network, as well as a 1.25 volt reference source. As the input voltage increases, each comparator turns on. The device can be configured for either a bar-graph mode, where all lower-output terminals switch on, or "dot" mode in which only one output goes on. [5] The device is packaged in an 18 pin dual in-line package or in a surface mount leadless chip carrier.