TOPIC:-Voltage detector using any 555 IC

INTRODUCTION:-
Non-contact voltage detectors are AC mains tester which can be
used to check the presence of active live wire without touching the
wires physically. Traditional voltage tester has metallic tip which
need to touch with live wire physically.Non-contact voltage
detectors are much safer way to test AC mains and it reduces risk of
electric shocks while working at high voltage situations.The non-
contact voltage detectors has antenna for picking up the leakage
current on active live wires. The leakage current flow through
antenna and fed to very high gain amplifier. The amplifier output
goes high when it detects weak electrical signals. The amplified
voltage can be interfaced with LED or buzzer. Electricity has
become a basic need for humanity as almost everything we use in
our daily life run on it. But if you do not take necessary safety
precautions while working with electricity or electrical appliances, it
can cause severe injuries or even death.So, before working with AC
Mains supply near junction boxes like installing a new device for
example, you must turn off the supply and verify that there is no
voltage in the switch board.Voltage Testers are devices that detects
and indicates presence of voltage in power cables, electrical cords,
lighting fixtures, circuit breakers, wires, power outlets etc. A Non
Contact Voltage Tester, as the name suggests, is a voltage detector
device that doesn’t need any contact with cables, cords or
outlets.High up on a power pole, an electrical worker uses the
voltage detector to determine which power lines are live, which keep
him safe, and which help him do his job accurately and efficiently.
An electrician operating a voltage detector inside a home will often
stick a device that looks much like a highlighter into the electrical
outlets in a building to determine whether the outlets are receiving
electricity. This can be a troubleshooting tool used to determine
power problems in a building, or it can be used to verify electrical
installation or repairs to an electrical system.
In areas where wet weather is a problem for electrical workers,
voltage detectors can be specially designed to provide for safer
operation in wet conditions. Voltage detectors are tested and rated to
use within certain ranges of voltage. Using a voltage detector on
higher voltage than that for which it is recommended will be
inaccurate and may be dangerous. High voltage detection should be
done with hardware rated for the levels of voltage thought to be
present in the tested electrical line, even if the electrical feed may not
be there.
Even though voltage may not be present, electrical workers dealing
with high voltage must still wear protective gear that is insulated
against high voltage electrical charge. This equipment includes
insulated hand gear and dielectric footwear. Made of special rubber,
dielectric footwear protects a high-voltage worker by breaking her
conductive connection with the ground near the electrical line. This
type of footwear is especially important with high voltage equipment
because higher voltages can cause electricity to arc, or jump, through
the air onto a nearby conductive object like a person.
How Does a Non-contact AC Voltage Detector Work?
Many of us know what an electric shock is, isn’t it? Right from the day of
advent of commercial distribution of electricity till today we have many live
wires carrying AC current doing some harm or even sometimes killing
some. This simple project has the capability to sense a flow of alternating
current around its vicinity without even having a physical contact with the
live wire. The concept of working behind this project is that a live wire has
alternating current flowing through it. These also radiate from the wires and
hence can be felt by a nearby sensing circuit which is properly tuned to do
so. The project has an antenna which does this task of receiving these
radiated waves. The received waves are then converted into a human
recognizable form with the help of a processing circuitry. Thus the circuit
gives an audio visual signal in the form of pulsating buzzer and LED to let
the user with the device inspecting the live wire know that there is a current
flowing through the live wire. An antenna is an important part of any
circuitry which is intended to receive incoming wireless signals. The
radiated AC line signals are received by this antenna. These signals are then
amplified and fed to the LED blink circuit section. Hence when the LED
starts blinking the person testing the wire can know that the wire is Live and
hence should be played safe with!
A magnetic field is produced around a current carrying conductor and if
current through the conductor is alternating current (AC), the magnetic field
produced varies periodically. A non-contact AC voltage detector detects the
changing magnetic field around AC energized objects.This non-contact AC
voltage detector uses NPN type transistors in order to detect voltage. A
transistor has three terminals - collector, emitter and base. Collector to
emitter current is controlled by the base current. When there is no base
current, no collector to emitter current flows. Thus, a transistor acts as a
switch. It can be 'ON', it can be OFF or in-between.The ratio of collector
current to base current is known as the gain of a transistor. Normally, gain of
2N3904 is about 200, i.e. collector to emitter current can be as high as 200
times the base current. If we connect the output of one transistor to the base
of another transistor, the total gain would be multiplication of the two i.e.
200x200 = 40000. Thus, if we connect three transistors in such
configuration, the total gain would be 200x200x200 = 8,000,000. Therefore,
an extremely small signal can be used to switch ON a normal circuit by
using such configuration of transistors.In our circuit, an antenna (copper
wire) is connected to the base of first transistor. When we place this antenna
near an object that is AC energized, a small current gets induced into the
antenna due to electromagnetic induction. This current triggers the first
transistor and output of the first transistor triggers the second and third. The
third transistor switches ON the LED and buzzer circuit, indicating that AC
voltage is present.
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM:-

MATERIALS USED:-
 Transistor
 Resistor(1.0MΩ,100KΩ,200Ω)
 LED (red)
 Buzzer
 Switch
 Prototype Builder
 Battery(9V)
 Battery Snap
 Case
 PROCEDURE:-

Step1:
just follow the circuit diagram given.
Step 2:
Cut 1X2 inch and drill a hole in the middle of the copper clad PCB and strip,
insert and solder a 3 inch wire in the middle.
Step 3:
A transistor is an electrical component that functions, most
basically, as a switch — in principle not so different from a light switch.
Instead of a physical movement, however, a transistor is controlled by a flow
of electricity. And unlike your basic light switch, a transistor can be on, off,
or somewhere in between.
Most transistors have three connections: one for current in, one for current
out, and one that controls the “switch.” The current flowing through a
transistor can be larger than the current controlling it, so it can become an
amplifier: Connect the input to a power source (like a battery), and the
control lead to a weak signal (like a guitar pickup), and the output will sound
like the control signal, only louder. Just how much louder depends on a lot
of things, but a factor of 200 is routine. This number is called gain.
If you use the output from one transistor to control another, the gains
multiply.
With two transistors, the ideal gain becomes 200 × 200 = 40,000, and with
three transistors (as in this circuit), 200 × 200 × 200 = 8,000,000! That huge
gain lets you use it to detect the tiniest movements of electricity — even
those created at a distance by induction or static charge
Step 4:
Transferring It Into PCB.
Step 5:
In the project box, drill two holes, one for the LED and the other for the
momentary switch.
on the side drill a hole in the middle and insert the wire connected with the
Copper clad PCB into the project box.
now put all your circuit inside the project box and attach the 9V battery and
lets give it a try
APPLICATION:-
 This simple Non Contact Voltage Tester can be used in several places
and near several objects like cables, cords, outlets, switch boards,
junction boxes, circuit breakers etc. to detect voltage without making
any contact.
 Since it is battery operated, you can insert the circuit is a small box and
make it portable.
 It can be used in various fields like security, communication, irrigation,
entertainment, environment etc.