PC Performance Monitor Using Analog Meter

The project is built around a PIC18F2550 microcontroller along with a single RGB LED and a couple of HiFi UV meters to create a USB PC performance monitor.

The PWM from the PIC18F2550 microcontroller manages the stock of HiFi VU meter as the MCU contains an onboard USB. To connect the device to the USB port as well as to the switch, meters, and RGB LED, a minimal component count was used. To allow quick calibration of the full-deflection power required by the VU meter, two potentiometers are included in the design and to allow the highest brightness from the LED, the RGB LED resistors were chosen according to the datasheet since PWM is used to control the output. Since PWM control of the LED requires as much processor speed as possible, the full 48MHz PLL speed will be used possibly because the PIC is clocked at 20MHz.

A Dremel was used for buffing to diffuse the LED lens until the lens was milky white since the RGB LED used was a clear-lens LED wherein the color mixing was difficult to see in close up and also the LED was very intense.

Rest of the project