Published September 15, 2020 © GPL3+

DIY Simple Frequency Meter Up to 6.5MHz

Another simple to build useful instrument in you lab.

BeginnerFull instructions provided40,204

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Arduino Nano R3

Adafruit Standard LCD - 16x2 White on Blue

General Purpose Transistor NPN

Slide Switch

Tactile Switch, Top Actuated

Resistors, capacitors, diodes

Software apps and online services

Arduino IDE

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Soldering iron (generic)

Story

The device presented in the video is a frequency meter made using an Arduino Nano microcontroller. It can measure the frequency of signals with rectangular, sinusoidal and triangular shapes.

Its measurement range is from a few hertz to 6.5 Megahertz. Three measurement time intervals are also available - 0.1, 1 and 10 seconds. If we measure only rectangular signals, then there is no need for a shaping amplifier and the signal is fed directly to the digital pin 5 from Arduino.

The code is very simple thanks to the "FreqCount" library which you can also download below.

The device is very simple and consists of several components:

- Arduino Nano microcontroller

- Shaping amplifier board

- LCD display

- Input signal shape selector

- Input JACK

- and Time interval switch : we can choose three intervals 0.1 -1 -and 10 seconds.

As you can see in the video, the instrument is very precise in the whole range, and we can also calibrate the frequency meter with the simple procedure described below:

In the Arduino libraries folder find the FreqCount library,

in the FreqCount.cpp file find the lines:

#if defined (TIMER_USE_TIMER2) && F_CPU == 12000000L

float correct = count_output * 0.996155;

and replace them with:

#if defined (TIMER_USE_TIMER2) && F_CPU == 16000000L

float correct = count_output * 1.000000;

where 1.000000 is your correction factor, the

correction must be carried out by applying 1 MHz to the input of the frequency meter.

After changing the file, upload a new sketch to the Arduino board.

Finally, the frequency meter is built into a suitable plastic box and is another useful instrument in the electronic laboratory.

Code

#include <FreqCount.h>//https://github.com/PaulStoffregen/FreqCount/archive/master.zip
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>

LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 6, 4, 3, 2);// RS,E,D4,D5,D6,D7
void setup() {
  lcd.begin(16, 2);// LCD 16X2
  pinMode(7,INPUT);
  FreqCount.begin(1000);
}
unsigned long f;float f0;
int x,n=3,r;

void loop() {
  
  if(digitalRead(7)==HIGH){n++;x=0;delay(100);}
    lcd.setCursor(0,1);
  if(n==1){x++;if(x==1){FreqCount.begin(100);}r=-1;lcd.print("T = 0.1 s ");}
  if(n==2){x++;if(x==1){FreqCount.begin(10000);}r=1;lcd.print("T = 10 s ");}
  if(n==3){x++;if(x==1){FreqCount.begin(1000);}r=0;lcd.print("T = 1 s  ");}
  if(n>3){n=1;} 
    lcd.setCursor(0,0);
    lcd.print("F = ");
  if(f>=1000000 && n==3){f0=f/1000000.0;lcd.print(f0,6+r);lcd.print(" MHz");}
  if(f<1000000 && n==3){f0=f/1000.0;lcd.print(f0,3+r);lcd.print(" kHz");}
  if(f>=100000 && n==1){f0=f/100000.0;lcd.print(f0,6+r);lcd.print(" MHz");}
  if(f<100000 && n==1){f0=f/100.0;lcd.print(f0,3+r);lcd.print(" kHz");}
  if(f>=10000000 && n==2){f0=f/10000000.0;lcd.print(f0,6+r);lcd.print("MHz");}
  if(f<10000000 && n==2){f0=f/10000.0;lcd.print(f0,3+r);lcd.print(" kHz");}

  if (FreqCount.available()) { 
   
    f = FreqCount.read(); 
    
   lcd.setCursor(10,1);lcd.print("***");
  }
   delay(200);
   lcd.clear();
}

Credits

Mirko Pavleski

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DIY Simple Frequency Meter Up to 6.5MHz

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Story

Schematics

Schematic

Code

Code

FreqCount-master

Credits

Mirko Pavleski

Comments

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DIY Simple Frequency Meter Up to 6.5MHz

DIY Simple Frequency Meter Up to 6.5MHz

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Software apps and online services

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Story

Schematics

Schematic

Code

Code

FreqCount-master

Credits

Mirko Pavleski

Comments

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