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Design Ideas: January 6, 1994

Simple circuit detects current pulses

Richard McGillivray,
Grey Bruce Regional Health Centre, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada

The pulse detector in Fig 1 provides a visible indication of positive and negative current pulses. The pulses' amplitudes can vary from 20 to 150 mA. The pulses' durations can range from 10 to 40 msec, and their repetition rate can span 40 to 180 pulses/minute.

In Fig 1, the junction of the resistive divider connects to a bridge rectifier comprising diodes D1 and D2, and the LEDs D3 and D4. An N-channel JFET, Q1, is the load for the bridge. The JFET provides a constant-current sink for the LEDs. Obviously, the JFET must have an IDSS of less than the maximum LED forward current.

D3 and D4 indicate positive and negative pulses, respectively. The LEDs' brightness remains virtually constant over the specified range of input-current pulses.
EDN BBS /DI_SIG #1353


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