Introduction: Arduino Door Bell With VU Meter

By The Customize Windows
About: Businessman, Technology Blogger and Orthopaedic Surgeon, Author.

Basic idea is - upon pushing the door bell push button, LEDs will start to rhythmically glow along with buzzer sound, after a time two events will automatically stop. The LEDs can be outside the door for entertaining the visitor or inside. In this instructable, I am demonstrating the basic project keeping it quite simple.

I described the basic of this project as door bell project on my technology blog, shared on Hackstar, Fritzing etc places. Reader unlikely to face trouble building it. On Instructables, I will add more ideas to improve, customize this project for real life usage. VU Meter is somewhat subjective phrase.

Step 1: Get the Hardware Components

You will need the below listed things to create this project :

  1. Arduino UNO or similar board ×1
  2. Breadboard ×1
  3. Jumper wires ×1
  4. Pushbutton switch (12mm)×1
  5. Resistor 1k ohm×1
  6. Resistor 221 ohm×3
  7. Piezo buzzer (Generic)×1

Step 2: Get the Schematic and Build It!

Above is the schematic added. You can also download the Fritzing file from my project on Fritzing. Make sure that everything is fine.

Step 3: Compile the Code and Upload to Arduino!

It is slightly tricky for the beginners! I have the above illustration to make the matter easy to the beginners.

It is difficult to write code here.

Normally, on Arduino IDE you write/copy-paste one code, that for this project is "Main code" on this project on Arduino Project Hub.

You need to follow the above illustration to click and get another "Tab" on Arduino IDE on which you'll copy-paste the "pithes.h" from the above linked webpage.

So, on Arduino IDE you'll have codes on two tabs on single window. Compile it and upload.




Step 4: Improve the Project!

Obviously, this project is too basic for the following points :

  1. Number of LEDs is too less in number
  2. Volume of buzzer is very low as door bell
  3. We expect some MP3 sound
  4. Some Automation needed

Let us discuss the improvements.

You can easily increase the number of LEDs with slight modification of code as long number of LEDs is lesser (Arduino has limited number of pins). Beyond that limit, to increase the number of LEDs, you need to understand multiplexing, charlieplexing etc. You can, actually use Adafruit's 8x8 dot matrix display (that is charlieplexing). You can use RGB LEDs etc.

As for playing MP3, you actually need some kind of MP3 shield.

Volume of buzzer is low is a common complain. There are many discussions around the web for using "powerful buzzer", adding transistor etc.

Last part is adding some automation. If you improve the above points to make the door bell production grade, you can think about adding automation like upon touching the handle of the door by owner the buzzer/music will stop. That part actually sounds complicated but not difficult.