4026 Counter with 7-Segment Display

Introduction

The 4026 is a decade counter IC that is specifically designed to drive a 7-segment display directly. It counts pulses and translates them into the corresponding 7-segment code to display numbers from 0 to 9. In this experiment, we'll use a 4026 IC to create a simple counter that increments the displayed number on each clock pulse.

Objective

The objective of this experiment is to utilize the 4026 IC to count clock pulses and display the count on a 7-segment display, demonstrating its use in digital counting and display applications.

Components Needed

1 x CD4026 Decade Counter IC
1 x 7-Segment Display (Common Cathode)
1 x 555 Timer IC (for clock signal)
2 x Resistors (10kΩ and 1kΩ for the 555 timer)
1 x Capacitor (10µF for the 555 timer)
7 x Current-Limiting Resistors (220Ω for the 7-segment display)
1 x Breadboard
Connecting Wires
Power Supply (5V)

Circuit Diagram

Procedure

Place the 4026 IC on the breadboard and connect pin 8 (GND) to ground and pin 16 (VCC) to 5V.
Connect the 7-segment display pins to the corresponding output pins of the 4026 IC:

Pin 10 (a) to segment A of the display.
Pin 7 (b) to segment B.
Pin 1 (c) to segment C.
Pin 2 (d) to segment D.
Pin 6 (e) to segment E.
Pin 8 (f) to segment F.
Pin 9 (g) to segment G.

Place a 220Ω resistor in series with each of the seven segment connections to limit the current to the display.
Connect the common cathode of the 7-segment display to ground.
Set up the 555 timer in astable mode to generate clock pulses:

Connect pin 1 (GND) of the 555 timer to ground and pin 8 (VCC) to 5V.
Connect pin 2 (TRIG) to pin 6 (THRESH).
Place a 10kΩ resistor between pin 7 (DISCH) and VCC, and a 1kΩ resistor between pin 7 (DISCH) and pin 6 (THRESH).
Connect a 10µF capacitor between pin 6 (THRESH) and GND.
Connect pin 3 (output) of the 555 timer to pin 1 (CLK) of the 4026.

Power the circuit. The 7-segment display will begin counting from 0 to 9, incrementing with each pulse from the 555 timer.

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Results

Once the circuit is powered, the 7-segment display will show the numbers from 0 to 9 in sequence, incrementing with each clock pulse generated by the 555 timer. When the count reaches 9, it will reset back to 0 and continue counting.

Conclusion

This experiment successfully demonstrated the use of the 4026 IC as a counter with a 7-segment display. The 555 timer provided the clock pulses to drive the counter, and the 4026 decoded the count and displayed it on the 7-segment display, showing its practical application in digital counting circuits.