Knowledge Base
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LED - Light Emitting Diode
Multi-Segment Displays

Bar Graph Display

4min

Lead In

While they tend to look a little dull, once integrated into a system and used to display data, they are an intuitive component.

10 LED Bargraph
10 LED Bargraph
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How it works

There is nothing complicated about a bar graph display. It is a collection of LEDs molded very close together and powered individually. They are available in a variety of colors, ie red, green orange, and so on.

The outstanding requirement below would be to include a resistor on either the Anod or Cathode side. Wire the +ve to the Anoide and the -Ve to the Cathode and you have a functioning LED.

NOTE: Treat the LEDs below as normal LEDs with regards to the voltage applied. Over voltage will cause the LED to fuse and this means you have one dead LED in an entire bank which looks terrible and you have to replace the entire unit.

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LED Layout
LED Layout
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Uses

A common use for them would be to show the level of a value and in this regard, the type shown below has different colors built into the same display. In the past, there were dedicated ICs available that provided the conversion functionality to adapt an analog signal input the either a bar graph or dot output. This can be adapted in software using a microcontroller.

Multicolor LED Bar Graph
Multicolor LED Bar Graph
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Additionally, you can cascade multiple displays together to extend the display.

Lead Out

Whether you are using it more intuitively or just as a vertical collection of LEDs, the bar graph display is a useful and visually compact method of displaying data.