Introduction
A single, analog signal to drive a string of 10+ LEDs, which can be configured into either bar mode (where all LEDs below a certain point turn on) or dot mode (with only a single LED on at a time). Hook them up properly, and you can create all sorts of nifty multi-LED displays, like an audio-visualizing VU meter.
The mode pins are permanently tied to the 5V supply, which forces the displays into bar mode. A bit of extra wiring is required to get cascaded LM3914/6’s into a proper dot mode.
Breadboard view of two cascaded LM3914/6’s.
In this example, we use the bar graph LEDs, which seem to be made for the LM3914/6. Make sure you connect the anodes of the LEDs to your supply voltage, and the cathode pins can be connected directly to the output pins on the driver.
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