Name: Dongsuk Shin

Secret Code: QK22R

Collaborator: Brandon Lee (XC42S)

ME 530. 241 Class Project: Laser Microphone

Introduction
The goal of this project was to modify and extend the SpikerBox. In our project, we decided to
add a new receiver circuit using a photoresistor in an attempt to pick up light and turn it into
audio signal. The idea was that a laser can be shined to a smooth surfacea glass window, for
instanceand we would be able to detect sound on the other side of the window.

Background
In order to detect sound on the other side of the window, the laser was reflected off the window.
The reflecting beam of laser was then caught by the photoresistor. Theoretically, the sounds on
the other side of the window would cause vibrations on the surface, which would cause the
reflecting beam to have the same vibrations. This would then result in change in resistance across
the photoresistor, thereby changing the voltage across the photoresistor and giving out the signals
that can be turned into audio signals through the circuit.

However, there were problems with this setting of the project. First of all, the photoresistor that
we purchased from Radioshack turned out to be not as receptive as we had anticipated. The
photoresistors base resistance, which was estimated to be about 3000 , was too big in
comparison to the change of resistance caused by the vibrations on the window. The minute
changes in resistance, even after the DC components were offset, were not turned into clear
audio signals. Rather, the sounds were of static noises at best.

For this reason, we opted to use photoresistor as a receptor for more precise and noticeable
change in light, such as the fluorescent lights in the classroom. The receiver circuit was set in the
classroom setting and turned the fluorescent lights into audio signals, using the power circuit,
instrumentation amplifier, band-pass filters, and the audio amplifier.
In the modified setting, the expected frequency level of the fluorescent light was approximately
120 Hz, due to a phenomenon known as flickering1. After multiple experiments, the expected
magnitude of the fluorescent light was roughly about 40 mV in amplitude. Furthermore, the
accepted input of voltage amplitude going into the audio amplifier was between 4 and 12 Volts.
This range of voltages was used to determine the gain needed from the instrumentation amplifier
and the band-pass filter. As for the frequency range, we determined that it should be reasonably
within the range that the human ears can hear2. Considering the available sizes of the capacitors
and resistors in the laboratory, we decided that the range from 60 to 1600 Hz should be sufficient
in the extent of this project. Ideally, we wouldve liked the range to be wider; however, in order
to obtain the needed gain, we ended up deciding on the smaller range.

Specifications
When converting the fluorescent light into audio signal, it was necessary to amplify the signal
enough so that the sound was audible to human ears. Considering the small amplitude of the
fluorescent light, determining the correct gain to create sounds was crucial. The minimum gain
required was calculated with the fluorescent lights magnitude as 40 mV and the input voltage
going into the audio amplifier as 4 V:

4!
!"#"$%$ !"#$ = = 100
0.040 !

Therefore, the entire circuit prior to the audio amplifier should theoretically have a gain of at
least 100.

Furthermore, the sound signals generated were to be heard by human ears. For that reason, the
band-pass filters were created in an attempt to cut out the extreme ranges of frequencies that
were either too low or too high. Since the main signal that we were using had about 120 Hz in
frequency, we were careful not to set the range too high. Also, the limited range of capacitors
forced us to do a cost analysis between high gain and higher cut-off frequency limit. We decided
that gain is more important in the scope of the project. The decided range of frequency was from

1
"Light Flicker." Lighting Ergonomics. Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety, 7 Nov. 2003. Web. 03
May 2012. <http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/lighting_flicker.html>.
2
Ellis, Ken. "Sound And Light Training SALT Manual." Understanding Sound. 19 May 2001. Web. 03 May 2012.
<http://www.kodachrome.org/salt/sunderst.htm>.
60 Hz to 1600 Hz. This was acceptable in the sense that such range included most of the normal
sounds that human ears encounter on day-to-day basis.

The following table summarizes the overall specifications that we determined:

Criteria Specifications
Minimum Gain 100
Desired Frequency Range 60 1600 Hz
In terms of the technical specifications needed at each circuit. Datasheets of each operational
amplifier were examined. Summary of those data are shown below:

Supply Voltage, VDD+ 8V

Supply Voltage, VDD- -8 V
Input Current 5 !"
Output Current 50 !"

TLC2272 Operational-Amplifier Differential Input Voltage 16 !

100 !
Gain 1+
!!

Gain Range 1 1000

AD623 Operational-Amplifier

Gain 20

Voltage Supply 4 12 V

LM386 Audio Power Amplifier
Design and Analysis
Each circuit stage is examined and analyzed. Besides the receiver circuit, all the other circuit
diagrams are as indicated in the SpikerBox schematics, which is included in the appendix.

Receiver Circuit
Powered by the battery, the receiver circuit generated the input signal. It consisted of a
Wheatstone bridge with two equal resistors, a potentiometer, and a photoresistor. The reason
behind choosing such a design was that the input signal was created from the change in
resistance across the photoresistor. First, taking into account the fact that the photoresistors
resistance decreased with an increase in light intensity, we put the photoresistor in series with a
resistor of 3000 . Then, they were put in parallel with a potentiometer and another resistor of
3000 that were in series with one another. The diagram below shows the circuit in more detail:

Essentially, the input signal was the voltage difference of the Wheatstone bridge, or the
difference in voltage B and A. The following equation shows the relationship between each
component of the circuit:

!!!!"!#$%&%"!# !! !!"#$%#&"'$#$! !!
!!"#$% = !! !! = !
!!"#$"%&#&' + !! !!!!"!#$%&%"!# + !!

The potentiometer was used to ensure that this voltage difference was 0, so that the input signal
would only be created when there was a change in light intensity on the photoresistor. The
change in light intensity would cause the voltage across the photoresistor to change, thus creating
an input signal.

The advantage of choosing Wheatstone bridge as our design for the receiver circuit was that we
were able to calibrate the receiver in a way that allowed for measuring change in light intensity
in many different settings. For example, even when the laser was being shined along with the
fluorescent lights, by offsetting the difference in voltage in the beginning of the experiment, we
were able to cut out the fluorescent light and simply measure the difference in magnitude of the
laser. Another advantage was that it was very accurate in reading resistances with the given
reference resistance. For that reason, the circuits input signal was more precise.

Power Circuit
The power circuit acted as the main source of voltage for the different amplifiers throughout the
circuit. Connected to the 9 V battery, the circuit used a TLC2272 operational-amplifier. Even
though the gain was only one, the amplifier was necessary since it was used as a voltage
follower. The unity gain buffer was used to solve the impedance problem by separating circuits
before the operational-amplifier from after the operational-amplifier. By doing so, the
operational-amplifier reduced the loss of voltage across the internal resistance and produced
nearly full battery voltage throughout the circuits. In addition, the unity buffer gain divided the 9
V into 0 V at VCC/2 node, 4.5 V at VCC node, and -4.5 V at GND node.

Looking at the schematics, the two equal resistors in series acted as a voltage divider to create
VCC/2. The capacitors served to stabilize the output of the amplifier. That is, if there were any
abrupt voltage or current spikes, the capacitors would work to even out those spikes.

Instrumentation Amplifier Circuit

The instrumentation amplifier circuit used an AD623N to amplify the incoming signal that was
generated in the receiver circuit. One main advantage of using the instrumentation amplifier was
that it had very high impedance so it drew little current from the signal source. Thus, it was able
to deliver the voltage signal better without losing much current. It was powered by the output of
the power circuit. We decided to keep the resistor that was included in the SpikerBox, so the
theoretical gain of the amplifier was about 4. The calculations are shown below:
 100 !
!"#$ !" !"623 = 1 +
!!
100 !
=1+ = 4.03
33 !

Band-Pass Filter Circuit

Also powered by the power circuit, the band-pass filter used a TLC2272 operational-amplifier to
create a filter that passed frequencies within a certain range and rejected frequencies outside that
range. The input signal was taken from the output of the instrumentation amplifier. Because the
circuit used a powered circuit element, it was noted that the band-pass filter was an active filter.
The theoretical filtering cut-off frequencies are shown below:

1 1
!"# !"## !"#$%&: !! = = = 66.31 !"
2!!! !! 2! 240 10 !"
1 1
!"# !"## !"#$%&: !! = = = 1591.55 !"
2!!! !! 2! 10 ! 0.01 !"

In addition, the band-pass filter circuit was adjusted to ensure that there was enough gain to
produce a signal output with sufficient amplitude before it reached the audio amplifier circuit.
The theoretical equations of the gain from the circuit can be derived as following:
From the given schematics of the SpikerBox circuit, the band-pass filter can be represented
as the following circuit:

With the sinusoidal input !, impedances of Z1 and Z2 can be found as following:

1
!! !" = !! +
!"!!
 !!
1 !!
!! !" = + !"!! =
!! 1 + !"#! !!
Using the golden rules, we can also find the following:
!! = !! = 0
!! = !! = 0
Then, the expressions for V1 across Z1 and V2 across Z2 can be found:
!! = !! !!
!! = !! !!
Performing the Kirchhoff Current Law at the node, the following can be found:
!! = !! + ! ! !! = !!
Using all the found relationships, the following expression can be derived:
!! !! !! !! !! !! !!
= = !! = !!
!! !! !! !! !!
!!
!! !! 1 + !"#! !!
! !" = = =
!! !! 1
!! + !"!
!

1
!! 1 + !"#! !! !"!! !!
=
!! 1 !"!! !!
1 + !"! !
! !

!! !"!! !! 1
! !" =
!! 1 + !"!! !! !"!! !! + 1

From the final derived equation, a theoretical Frequency Response plotalso known as a Bode
plotcan be made. The following is the resulting plot, generated using Matlab. The code is
included in Appendix A.
From the Bode diagram above, theoretical gains at the different frequency levels can be found.
Examining the peak of the graph, the maximum gain of the band-pass filter occurs at around 286
Hz. The calculation of the maximum gain is shown below:

!"
20 log!" ! = 32 !" ! = 10!" = 39.81

This result matches with the theoretical gain found using the resistor values:

!! 10000
!"#$ = = = 41.67
!! 240

Audio Amplifier Circuit

The audio circuit used a LM386 operational-amplifier with its output connected to a speaker.
According to the specification sheet of this operational-amplifier, its theoretical gain was
approximately 20, which was necessary in creating an audible sound signal. Looking at the
schematics, it can be noted that the capacitor C3 acts as a current bank for the output, while C3
removes any DC offset from the output of the amplifier.
Experimental Testing
For each stage of the circuit, the signals frequencies and amplitudes were measured in order to
check against the theoretical values.

Receiver Circuit
The input signal was measured with an oscilloscope after balancing the Wheatstone bridge using
the potentiometer. The scope plot of the signal out of the receiver circuit is shown below:

As expected, the signals amplitude was around 42.0 mV. The signals frequency was also very
close to the expected value of 120 Hz. From the scope plot, the frequency was calculated to be:

1 1
!= = = 125 !".
! 8.00 !"

120 !" 125 !"

!"#$"%& !""#" = 100% 4%
120 !"

It can be said that the signal matched the theoretical predictions.

Power Circuit
As constructed in the circuit, the circuit provided approximately 4.5 V as its output and was
functional in powering all the amplifiers throughout the circuit.

Instrumentation Amplifier Circuit

With the input taken from the receiver circuit, the instrumentation amplifier circuits output
signal was measured using the oscilloscope. The scope plot is shown below:

Again, the frequency of the signal was 125 Hz. The amplitude of the signal was amplified to 170
mV. Then, the experimental gain of the amplifier can be calculated as following:

!! 170 !"
!"#$ = = = 4.05
!! 42 !"

Noting that the theoretical gain calculated in the design and analysis section was 4.03:

4.03 4.05
!"#$"%& !""#" = 100% 0.4%
4.03
It can be said that the instrumentation amplifier circuit worked as expected.

Band-Pass Filter Circuit

Taking the instrumentation amplifiers output as its input, the band-pass filter circuit served to
amplify the signal as well as create a frequency filter. The scope plot of the band-pass filters
output is shown below:

The frequency stayed the same at around 120 Hz. The amplitude was increased to about 6.08 V.
Then, the experimental gain of the filter can be calculated as shown below:

!! 6.08 !
!"#$ = = = 35.8
!! 170 !"

The theoretical gain at 120 Hz can be found from the Bode plot that was created:
 20 log!" ! = 31.2 !"
!".!
! = 10 !" = 36.31
36.31 35.8
!"#$"%& !""#" = 100% 1.5%
36.31

Therefore, it can be said that the obtained gain from the band-pass filter was very close to the
expected gain.

Finally, because the expected gain is different at each frequency level, an experimental
frequency sweep is shown below, along with the table for data points:

Frequency (Hz) Amplitude (V) Magnitude (dB)

8.693 1.7 14.1862
14.66 2.87 18.7349
29.54 5.44 24.2892
55.68 7.2 26.7239
88.25 7.42 26.9853
146.5 7.4 26.9616
233.4 7.31 26.8556
294.8 7.02 26.5040
 554.3 6.75 26.1633
883.8 6.44 25.7550
1184 5.89 24.9795
1472 4.88 23.3456
1605 4.90 23.3812
2042 4.80 23.2021
2329 4.82 23.2382
3044 4.80 23.2021
8690 2.41 17.2176

The Matlab code is included in Appendix A. Some of the scope plots for the data points are
included in Appendix E for verification. It is apparent that the experimental gains at different
frequency levels generally match with the theoretical plot.

Audio Amplifier Circuit

As demonstrated in the YouTube video (link included in the Discussion section), the audio
circuit worked properly and generated the expected signals.

Final Experimental Demonstration of the Entire Circuit

Examining the results of each component of the circuit, it was verified that the circuit was
successful in turning the fluorescent light into audio signals. The overall inputs and outputs of
the circuit are summarized as following:

Input signal (receiver circuit output): ~125 Hz, 42.0 mV

Instrumentation amplifier output: ~125 Hz, 170 mV
Band-pass filter output: ~120 Hz, 6.08 V

With these values and scope plots shown in earlier sections, the experimental total gain to audio
out can be calculated, as shown below:

!"#$%&'$()*+ !"#$% !"#$ !" !"#$% !"#$"# = 4.05 35.8 = 149.99

The theoretical gain at 120 Hz can be calculated, along with the percent error:

!!"#!$%&'( !"#$% !"#$ = 4.03 36.31 = 146.33

146.33 149.99
!"#$"%& !""#" = 100% 0.92%
146.33

Looking at the low percent error, it can be said that the entire circuit worked as expected.

Discussion
Overall, the circuit was successful in terms of getting the correct gain and frequency filters. As
demonstrated in the YouTube video titled JHU ME 530.241 Class Project
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY3pOeXh4c8), the audio signals are generated with the
fluorescent lights. Also, it can be seen that the band-pass filters work successfully, as there was a
clear decrease in amplitude of the sound signals that are outside the range. The working sound
signals indicated that the operational-amplifiers generated correct gains with fairly accurate
results.

In addition, the receiver circuit was successful in converting knocks on the sheet of acrylic (or
window) into audio signals, as demonstrated in the video. However, the receiver circuit was not
sensitive enough to translate signals into audible, non-static noises. There are few factors that
may have contributed to this. One of them, as mentioned earlier, is the fact that the photoresistor
may not be sensitive enough to pick up the minute change in vibration of the laser beam. Another
factor may be the setting of the experiment. Because the sheet of acrylic was clamped down in
rather open space, the sound waves may have been dispersed in many directions. The ideal setup
would involve a closed room where the sound waves would hit the surface of the window
directly and therefore creating stronger signals.

Bibliography

Ellis, Ken. "Sound And Light Training SALT Manual." Understanding Sound. 19 May 2001.
Web. 03 May 2012. <http://www.kodachrome.org/salt/sunderst.htm>.

"Light Flicker." Lighting Ergonomics. Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety, 7
Nov. 2003. Web. 03 May 2012.
<http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/lighting_flicker.html>.
Appendix A: Matlab Code
1. Code of Bode Plot

R1 = 240; %high pass filter resistor

R2 = 10e3; %low pass filter resistor
C1 = 10e-6; %high pass filter capacitor
C2 = 0.01e-6; %low pass filter capacitor
s = zpk('s',0);
K = -(R2/R1);
HLP = 1/(R2*C2*s + 1)
HHP = R1*C1*s/(R1*C1*s+1)
H = K* HLP * HHP;
bode(H) %creating the bode plot
h = gcr;
h.AxesGrid.Xunits = 'Hz'; %changing the x-axis units to Hz
grid on;

2. Code of Experimental Frequency Sweep

x = [8.693 14.66 29.54 55.68 88.25 146.5 233.4 294.8 554.3 883.8 1184 1472
1605 2042 2329 3044 8690]; %different frequencies at which the scope plots
were taken; in Hz
y = [1.7 2.87 5.44 7.2 7.42 7.40 7.31 7.02 6.75 6.44 5.89 4.88 4.90 4.80 4.82
4.80 2.41]; %respective amplitudes in volts
y1 = 20*log10(y/0.332); %converting the volts into dB; note that the
amplitudes are being divided by the amplitude of the input going into the
band-pass filterthe log function takes in the ratio of the two amplitudes
plot(x,y1,'ro-')
Appendix B: Photographs

1
Figure 1. SpikerBox Circuit

2 3

Figure 2. Receiver Circuit Figure 3. Demo Setup of the Experiment

Figure 4. Demo Setup of

the Experiment

4
Appendix C: Bill of Materials

Unit Total
Part Name Part Designation Manufacturer Manufacturer Part # Vendor Vendor Part # Qty Cost of 100
Cost Cost
9V Battery BATT1 Energizer Battery Company EN22 Digi-Key N145-ND 1 $179.55 $1.80 $1.80
Speaker SP1 CUI Inc. CLS0271M-L152 Digi-Key 102-1554-ND 1 $257.40 $2.57 $2.57
Chip Holder TE Connectivity 2-641260-1 Digi-Key A24807-ND 1 $30.25 $0.30 $0.30
Audio Line-Out CUI Inc. SJ1-3524NG Digi-Key CP1-3524NG-ND 1 $39.95 $0.40 $0.40
CF14JT33K0CT-
33 kOhm Resistor R6 Stackpole Electronics Inc. CF14JT33K0 Digi-Key 1 $0.48 $0.00 $0.00
ND
RCA input
CUI Inc. RCJ-014 Digi-Key CP-1403-ND 1 $56.93 $0.57 $0.57
Connector
10000 pF
C8 Vishay BC Components K103K10X7RF5UH5 Digi-Key BC2662TB-ND 1 $2.37 $0.02 $0.02
Capacitor
10 uF Capacitor C1, C2, C7, C10 TDK Corporation FK24Y5V1A106Z Digi-Key 445-2868-ND 4 $28.80 $0.29 $1.15
Potentiometer Potentiometer CTS Electrocomponents 296UD253B1N Digi-Key CT2266-ND 1 $102.56 $1.03 $1.03
Photoresistor Photoresistor Radioshack P722-7R Radioshack 276-1657 1 $63.80 $0.64 $0.64
2M1-SP1-T2-B4-
On/Off Switch Carling Technologies Digi-Key 432-1164-ND 1 $216.00 $2.16 $2.16
M6RE
LED LED2 Lumex Opto/Components Inc. SSF-LXH104GD Digi-Key 67-1037-ND 1 $30.08 $0.30 $0.30
CF14JT10K0CT-
10 kOhm Resistor R1, R2 Stackpole Electronics Inc. CF14JT10K0 Digi-Key 2 $0.48 $0.00 $0.01
ND
0.1 uF Capacitor C5 Vishay BC Components K104Z15Y5VE5TL2 Digi-Key BC1148CT-ND 1 $3.20 $0.03 $0.03
Male 9V
Keystone Electronics 593 Digi-Key 593K-ND 1 $30.51 $0.31 $0.31
Connector
Female 9V
Keystone Electronics 594 Digi-Key 594K-ND 1 $35.61 $0.36 $0.36
Connector
Speaker Header
3M 929974-01-36 Digi-Key 929974-01-36-ND 1 $207.90 $2.08 $2.08
Connector
10 Ohm Resistor R3 Panasonic-ECG ERD-S2TJ100V Digi-Key P10BACT-ND 1 $2.71 $0.03 $0.03
AD623 Op Amp AD623N Analog Devices Inc. AD623ANZ Digi-Key AD623ANZ-ND 1 $360.85 $3.61 $3.61
TCL2272 Op
TLC2272344P Texas Instruments TLC2272CP Digi-Key 296-1812-5-ND 1 $132.75 $1.33 $1.33
Amp
LM386N Audio
LM386N-1 National Semiconductor LM386N-3/NOPB Digi-Key LM386N-3-ND 1 $66.15 $0.66 $0.66
Chip

Total
$19.35
Cost
Appendix D: SpikerBox Schematics

Appendix E: Scope Plots
To verify the frequency sweep plot data:

Scope plot of
frequency that is
below the lower cut-
off limit

Scope plot of
frequency that is
within the range

 Scope plot of
frequency that is
within the range

Scope plot of
frequency that is
above the lower cut-
off limit