CHAPTER ONE

1.0

INTRODUCTION

Intercom is a private telecommunication system that

allows typically two or more locations to communicate with
each other like telephone does.
This project (two-way wired intercom) consists of two
intercom stations linked to each other using wire. It uses full
duplex mode a process whereby one can transmit and
receive

voice

calls

simultaneously

which

made

the

transmission medium to be four wires between the two

nodes and typical headsets on the nodes (separate speaker
and microphone, good isolation from sound coming from
speaker to the mic element).

1.1

POINTS RELATED TO INTERCOM SYSTEM

1.1.1 POINT-TO-POINT (P-P)

Point-to-Point

is

direct,

one-way,

simplex

communication between two intercom stations or between

stations and interfaces. It is the basis of communication in
matrix intercom systems and is established by activating a
station key. The receiving station does not have to take any
action to receive the incoming call. However, a talk key at
the receiving station must be pressed to answer.

1.1.2

PARTY LINE (PL)

Party-line

communication

(sometimes

called

Conference, line, net, or ring) is a group of two or more

stations communicating with each other in a two-way, full
duplex mode. Each station must activate the listen key to
the desired party line to listen and the talk key to talk. Party
line requires two actions to establish a communication path
2

(e.g., activating both a talk key on the sending station and a

listen key on the receiving station). Stations are dynamically
added and subtracted from a party line as users activate the
talk and listen keys.

A party line is intended for use in a

conference with a significant amount of back and forth

communication between users.

1.1.3 INTERRUPTIBLE FOLD BACK (IFB)

Interruptible Fold back allows a user to hear one audio
source, which may then be interrupted by another audio
source. A typical application is in broadcasting where talent
hears program audio in his ear piece and a producer can
interrupt that audio to offer the talent information and
instructions.

1.1.4 ISOLATION (ISO)

The isolation (ISO) function allows a user to speak
privately to another user. ISO is generally used to provide
3

private communication between two members of a party

line. In broadcasting, ISO is often used by a video operator to
speak privately to one cameraman who is one of many
cameramen on the camera party line. This was called
Camera Isolate as it was first used to remove an individual
camera from a conference to allow private communications.
Typically, this works in the following way: The person who
needs to interrupt presses a button or a key, and there is
established a private two person conversation with the
desired person. Upon releasing the key, the two participants
are returned to whatever conversation(s) they were a part of
previously.

1.1.5 FIXED GROUP

A Fixed Group is a group of intercom stations and
interfaces. A user who has a talk key programmed for a fixed
group is able to simultaneously talk to everyone who is part
of that fixed group. A fixed group differs from a party line in
that the groups membership is set by the configuration of
4

the intercom system (not changed dynamically). A fixed

group

is

intended

to

be used for

one-to-many type

communication.

1.1.6

TALLY
Tally is a signal sent for the purpose of indicating status

for a particular purpose. The sound of your telephone ringing

can be described as a tally. In an intercom panel with
multiple channels, it can be a visual signal to indicate to
which station a calling voice belongs. It can be used to
indicate that a particular function is not available due to a
conflict - just like the busy signal you get when calling the
radio station to try and be the tenth caller and win a year
long supply of cat litter.

1.2 APPLICATION

Two-way wired intercom system can be used as an

intercom and door phone. One can use an intercom system
from house to house, or from house to gate/door to screen
visitors.
Many productions which needs co-operation of more
than a few people need special intercoms that cover many
users. Intercom systems used in TV and stage productions
are usually headset type intercoms connected to one line
using party line arrangement. The primary use of this type of
system is in live or media productions where (for example)
the video director speaks to the camera operators, or where
the stage manager speaks to the stage hands and lighting
operator, etc.

CHAPTER TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
In the 1870s, two inventors Elisha Gray and Alexander
Graham Bell both independently designed devices that could
transmit speech electrically (the telephone). Both men
rushed their respective designs to the patent office within
hours of each other.

Alexander Graham Bell patented his

telephone first. Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell

entered into a famous legal battle over the invention of the
telephone, which Bell won.
The telegraph and telephone are both wire-based
electrical systems through which this project (Two-way
wired intercom) comes into being.
Various types of components are used in building the
intercom. This chapter explains briefly some of their basic
features.

2.1 RESISTORS
A resistor is an electronic component that opposes the
flow of electric current by producing a voltage drop across its
terminals, in accordance with ohms law. There are 2 types of
resistors;
Fixed resistor
Variable resistor
Both of them have their value of resistance written on
them using colour coding representation.
2.1.1

FIXED RESISTORS
Fixed resistors maintain constant values of resistance

with small percentage of variation. The values can be

determined through colour coding. Various colours are
chosen to represent various values. The first and second
colours show the first and second digits respectively. The
third colour shows the powers of ten while the last colour is
8

the tolerance band which shows the tolerance range of the

resistor.

2.1.2 RESISTOR COLOUR CODING

Table 1
COLOUR
Black
Brown
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Violet
Gray
White
Gold
Silver
No colour

1st DIGIT
--1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
-------

2nd DIGIT

NO.OF

TOLERANC

ZEROES

--1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
-----

0
10
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
-------

--1%
2%
--------------5%
10%
20%

Tolerance

1st digit

2nd digit

no. of zeros

Fig 2.0a Schematic Symbol of a Resistor

Fig 2.0 (b) circuit symbols of a resistor

2.1.3 VARIABLE RESISTORS

They can be altered to give different values from
particular resistors as desired. The variations in resistance
can either change current value or voltage settings.

Fig 2.1 Symbols of Variable Resistors

10

2.2

DIODES
A diode is a semiconductor component that restricts the

direction of flow of charge carriers in one direction.

Essentially, it allows an electric current to flow in one
direction but blocks it in the opposite direction, until when it
reaches the reverse breakdown voltage of the diode. Their
various reverse voltage (PIV) that can force conduction in the
opposite direction are always contained in a semiconductor
data book. Example, diode IN5392 has a PIV of 600V, 3A
maximum forward current.
There are some diodes that emit light in colours of red,
yellow, and green when they are biased in the forward
direction. They are called Light Emitting Diode (LED).

Fig. 2.2a Schematic symbol

of a diode

Fig. 2.2b Circuit symbol

of a diode

11

Fig. 2.2c Circuit symbol of Light Emitting Diode (LED)

2.3 CAPACITOR
A capacitor is an electronic component that has two
conductors separated by a dielectric and it is used to store
charges in an electric field. There are two types of
capacitors.
The polarized capacitor
The non polarized capacitor

2.3.1 POLARIZED CAPACITOR

The polarized capacitor (like electrolytic capacitor) has
two terminals marked positive and negative respectively.
Capacitors allow the AC signal to pass through them easily.
12

When connected in series with the signal line, their

reactance to the AC signal disappears as the frequency
increases.
2.3.2

NON POLARIZED CAPACITOR

The non polarized capacitor (like ceramic capacitor)

have either side marked. Their values are always very low.
+

Fig. 2.3a Circuit symbol

of polarized capacitor

Fig. 2.3b Non polarized

capacitor

2.4 TRANSFORMER
The transformer is an electric component that has two
separate windings (the primary and secondary windings)
used in transferring AC voltage from the primary coil to the
secondary coil. The transformer can either be a step up or a
step down. The one used in this design is a step down
transformer.

13

The step up transformer changes the voltage to a high

value from a low source input while the step down
transformer changes the voltage to a low value from a high
source input.

Power remains the same in both types of

transformation at the primary and secondary coils. The step

down transformer has been used in this design to reduce
the 220V AC to a 12V AC output value.

AC Input
Voltage

Primary
coil

Secondary coil

Fig. 2.4 Circuit diagram of a transformer

2.5

SPEAKER
It is a mechanical transducer that converts an electrical

signal to sound. It has a magnetic core that forms the base

of the speaker and a mechanical part called the diaphragm.
14

In any electrical system, changing signal establishes a

changing magnetic field.

This principle is used in pushing

the core at a speaker to move the diaphragm in or out

depending on the applied signal direction.

Fig 2.5 Symbol of an electronic

2.6

TRANSISTORS
A transistor is an active component, a device capable of

producing an output signal with more power in it than the

input signal. It is the essential ingredient of every electronic
circuit, from the simplest amplifier or oscillator to the most
elaborate digital computer.
A transistor has three terminals and it is divided into
two namely (NPN and PNP), with properties that meet the
15

following rules for NPN transistors (for PNP simply reverse all
polarities).
This collector must be more positive than the emitter.
The base emitter and base collector behaves like
diodes.
Normally the base collector diode is reverse biased,
i.e., this applied voltage is in the opposite direction to easy
current flow. Any given transistor has maximum values of IC,
IB, and VCE that cannot be exceeded. There are also limits
such as power dissipation (Ic VcE), temperature, VBE, etc
that one has to keep in mind.

When the above rules are

obeyed, IC is roughly proportional to IB and can be written as

IC =

hfE IB = BIs

Where hfE, the current gain (also called beta) is typically

about 100.

collector
collector
base

base

emitter

emitter

16

NPN
transistor

PNP transistor

Fig. 2.6 Transistor symbol

2.7 INTEGRATED CIRCUIT (IC)

The evolution of IC reduces the complexity of electronic
circuit.

Some active and passive discreet components are

integrated into a module called chip. There are three types

of IC used in this work, namely: the 555 timer IC which is
used to generate the tone, 4017 which are used to generate
a triggering pulse to the transistor and TDA2003 which is the
audio amplifier.
Below is the diagram showing the pin configuration of
the IC

17

Fig 2.7 Pin Configuration of 4017 decade

counter

18

2.8

RELAY
The relay is an electromechanical switch that makes

and breaks contact when current passes through the coil.

Relays are rated in operating voltage and the contact
current. The contact is for SPD7 (single pole, double thro).
There are many varieties, including latching and stepping
relays.

The latter provided the cornerstone for telephone

switching stations.

Relays are available for DC and AC

excitation and coil voltage from 5 volts up to 110 volts are

common.

Conta
ct

Coil
Fig. 2.8 Schematic diagram of a
Relay

19

CHAPTER THREE
3.0 RESEARCH/METHODOLOGY
3.1.0

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

The principle of operation of this work (Two-Way Wired

Intercom) will be properly understood by taking the analysis
of the stages that make up the entire system. The complete
circuit is run on 6 volts 4.5AH battery. The battery is where
all the sub circuits such as the audio amplifier and the tone
generator took their source. When the circuit is powered by
turning on the switch, all the sub circuits will be set to
receive power from the source as the phone handle is lifted
up except the tone generator circuit which is powered
immediately so that any tone received from UNIT 2 will be
amplified to tell the user of UNIT 1 that UNIT 2 wants to
establish conversation. Any of the users will tell the second
user that he wants to establish conversation by pressing the
ringer button. This sends a tone signal to the phone and

20

conversation is successfully established when the two users

must have picked up the phone.
The handle of the phone is where the microphone (mouth
piece) and the ear piece are located. Any sound or speech
made by any of the users is picked up by the microphone as
mechanical vibration and converted to electrical signal that
has a voltage which its amplitude varies linearly with time
(alternating), and a frequency which is a replica of the
frequency

of

vibration.

This

electrical

signal

has

low

amplitude and it is amplified by the pre amplifier built with

the transistor (C1815) connected in active region. It is then
sent to the power amplifier were the final amplification is
made. The ear piece is connected directly to the power
amplifier output but the loud speaker is connected through a
relay switch so that it is activated and deactivated by
pressing the voice out switch. On dropping the phone, other
sub circuits are deactivated leaving only the tone generator
activated. The internal battery can be charged by plugging
the mains wire to socket and switching on the system.

21

CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
This chapter explains the set of methods, principles and
standards used to accomplish this project (Two-way wired
intercom). It should be noted that there are about nine
blocks that make up the entire system of this project. Four of
these blocks make up an individual unit (i.e. four blocks for
unit 1 and another four for unit 2), while the remaining one is
being shared by the two as shown below.

UNIT 1

UNIT 2

TONE

TONE

GENERATOR

AUDIO
INPUT
SOURCE
OUTPUT
DEVICE

GENERATOR

AUDIO
AMPLIFIER

AUDIO

MEDIUM

AMPLIFIER

AUDIO
INPUT
SOURCE
OUTPUT
22
DEVICE

Fig 4.0 Block Diagram Of Two-Way Wired Intercom.

The explanation of standards used and calculations
made as regards to the execution of this project will be
properly understood by taking it blocks.

4.1

TONE GENERATOR
This block generates the ringing tone of the intercom.

Ringing tone is an audio tone that signals the user of one of

the two phones (e.g. unit 1) that the other user (unit 2)
wants to establish a conversation in the network. The
process of generating the ringing tone involves researching
on the datasheet of top semiconductor manufacturers, to get
a suitable IC (integrated circuit) for it.

The semiconductor

guide of Toshiba shows that the popular timer IC NE555 is

suitable since it can be connected to function as an astable
multivibrator and generate an audio tone. This IC, NE555 as
23

used in this project is connected as an astable multivibrator

to generate an audio frequency tone of 450HZ. The pin out
of the IC and the test circuit is as shown below.

Fig 4.1

4.1.1

Fig 4.2

Ground

VCC

Trigger

Discharge

Output

Threshold

Reset

Control Voltage

Pin Outs of Ne555 Timer IC

APPLICATION CIRCUIT

Application Circuit for the 555 Timer

24

The 555 monolithic timing circuits is a highly stable

controller capable of producing accurate time delays, or
oscillation. In the time delay mode of operation, the time is
precisely controlled by external resistors (R A and RB) and
capacitor (C). For a stable operation as an oscillator, the free
running frequency and the duty cycle are both accurately
controlled with two external resistors and one capacitor. The
circuit may be triggered and reset on falling waveforms, and
the output structure can source or sink up to 200mA.
Specification from producer shows that the IC operates at a
voltage range of 5 to 15 volts.

CALCULATION
The frequency of oscillation is calculated by using the
formula below.
T1 = Time Of ON = 0.693 (RA +RB) x C
T2 = Time Of OFF = 0.693 (RB) x C
Total Time(T) = T1 + T2
25

= 0.693 (RA + 2RB) x C.

From the above expression, one can easily compute the
frequency since it is the inverse of time.

Hence F = 1/T

(Hertz).
= 0.693 (1000 + 2 (15000) x 100 x 10-9
T = 2.1483 x 10-3
F = .1483 x 10-3
= 465.48

465Hz

The frequency of the oscillator is set to 465 hertz by

using 1000 ohm as the RA and 15000 ohms as RB and 100
nanofarad as C.

4.2 AUDIO INPUT SOURCE

This block contains the transducer which converts the sound
(speech) in form of mechanical vibration to electrical signal.
The electrical signal has a voltage which its amplitude varies
linearly with time. The transducer in this block is a capacitor
26

(condenser)

microphone.

Condenser

Microphones

are

electronic component which stores energy in the form of an

electrostatic field. The term condenser is actually obsolete
but has stuck as the name for this type of microphone, which
uses a capacitor to convert acoustical energy into electrical
energy. Condenser microphones require power from a
battery or external source. The resulting audio signal is a
stronger signal than that from a dynamic. Condensers also
tend to be more sensitive and responsive than dynamics,
making them well-suited to capturing subtle nuances in a
sound. They are not ideal for high-volume work, as their
sensitivity makes them prone to distort.

4.2.1

HOW CONDENSER MICROPHONE WORKS

27

Fig

4.3

Cross-Section

of

Typical

Condenser

Microphone
A capacitor has two plates with a voltage between
them. In the condenser microphone, one of these plates is
made of very light material and acts as the diaphragm. The
diaphragm vibrates when struck by sound waves, changing
the distance between the two plates and therefore changing
the capacitance. Specifically, when the plates are closer
together, capacitance increases and a charge current occurs.
When the plates are further apart, capacitance decreases
and a discharge current occurs. A voltage is required across
the capacitor for this to work. This voltage is supplied either
by a battery in the microphone or by external phantom
power.

4.2.2 MICROPHONE IMPEDANCE

When dealing with microphones, one consideration
which

is

often

misunderstood

or

overlooked

is

the
28

microphone's impedance rating. Perhaps this is because

impedance isn't a "critical" factor; that is; microphones will
still continue to operate whether or not the best impedance
rating is used. However, in order to ensure the best quality
and most reliable audio, attention should be paid to getting
this factor right.

4.2.3 WHAT IS MICROPHONE IMPEDANCE?

All microphones have a specification referring to their
impedance. This spec may be written on the mic itself
(perhaps alongside the directional pattern), or one may need
to consult the manual or manufacturer's website. It will be
seen that microphone with a hard-wired cable and 1/4" jack
are high impedance, and microphone with separate balanced
audio cable and XLR connector are low impedance. There are
three general classifications for microphone impedance.
Different manufacturers use slightly different guidelines but
the classifications are roughly:
29

Low Impedance (less than 600)

Medium Impedance (600 - 10,000)
High Impedance (greater than 10,000)
Note that some microphones have the ability to select
from

different

impedance

ratings.

The

microphone

impedance used in this project has impedance rating of

350.

4.3

OUTPUT DEVICE
The basic aim of every telephony system is for one to

successfully

transmit

or

receive

electrical

signal

with

minimum interference. The electrical signal which has a

voltage of varying amplitude cannot be seen or understood
by feeling, hence there must be a device which will
reproduce the equivalent of the electrical signal being
transmitted. This device is the speaker, and it does that by
converting the electrical signal into mechanical vibration

30

(diaphragm moving back and forth). The speaker contains

basically the diaphragm, coil and magnet.
The electromagnet is positioned in a constant magnetic
field created by a permanent magnet. These two magnets -the electromagnet and the permanent magnet -- interact
with each other as any two magnets do. The positive end of
the electromagnet is attracted to the negative pole of the
permanent magnetic field, and the negative pole of the
electromagnet is repelled by the permanent magnet's
negative pole. When the electromagnet's polar orientation
switches, so does the direction of repulsion and attraction. In
this way, the alternating current constantly reverses the
magnetic forces between the voice coil and the permanent
magnet. This pushes the coil back and forth rapidly, like a
piston.
When the electrical current flowing through the voice
coil changes direction, the coil's polar orientation reverses.
This changes the magnetic forces between the voice coil and

31

the permanent magnet, moving the coil and attached

diaphragm back and forth.

Magnet

Diaphragm
Fig 4.4 A typical speaker driver
When the coil moves, it pushes and pulls on the
speaker cone. This vibrates the air in front of the speaker,
creating sound waves. The electrical audio signal can also be
interpreted as a wave. The frequency and amplitude of this
wave, which represents the original sound wave, dictates the
rate and distance that the voice coil moves. This in turn,
32

determines the frequency and amplitude of the sound waves

produced by the diaphragm.
Different driver sizes are better suited for certain
frequency ranges. For this reason, loudspeaker units typically
divide a wide frequency range among multiple drivers.
The amplifier block of this project which will be treated
later is made of 10 watts audio amplifier IC. Therefore, the
resistance of the speaker is choosen such that it will not
overload the IC.
CALCULATION
From Ohms Law, V = IR (volts)
Power = V2 (watts)
R
Maximum output voltage = (supply voltage of the IC)
of any amplifier circuit
All the semiconductors in this project is powered using
6 Volts battery. This implies that:
Maximum output voltage of the audio IC = x 6
= 3V
33

Therefore, using a 8 speaker

Power = V2/R = 32/8 = 1.125 watts
This will not overload an IC rated at 10 Watts maximum
power.

4.4

AUDIO AMPLIFIER
The electrical signal from the transducer (microphone)

is considerably little to be fed directly to the speaker,

moreover, when electrical signal is being transmitted over a
long distance it degrades as it goes through the medium.
This calls for the introduction of an amplifier in this project.
The amplifier section of this work is built with the popular
low power consumption audio amplifier IC (TDA2003) from
Toshiba Semiconductors. The IC is most suitable for this work
(Two -

way wired Intercom) because of its low idle power

consumption. Below is the description and specification from

the Manufacturer (TOSHIBA SEMICONDUCTOR).

34

Fig 4.5

Outline Drawing of TDA2003

4.4.1 DESCRIPTION
The TDA2003 has very low number of external components,
ease of assembly, space and cost saving, are maintained.
The device provides a high output current capability (up to
3.5A)

very

low

harmonic

and

cross-

over

distortion.

Completely safe operation is guaranteed due to protection

against DC and AC short circuit between all pins and ground,
thermal over-range, load dump voltage surge up to 40V and
fortuitous open ground.
35

4.5

MEDIUM
In every communication system, there must be a

medium through which data is being sent or received. The

medium includes; air/space as in electromagnetic wave, fiber
optics cables as in Laser beam and strands of copper cable
as in electrical signal. The medium through which the data is
being transmitted in this project is flexible wires. The flexible
wire used offer a low opposition to the passage of current,
with minimum acceptance of noise (High noise immunity)
and this makes the system to have an increased signal to
noise ratio due to shielding.

Fig 4.6

Typical Flexible Wire

For signal-level wiring (such as the one done in this

project),

flexible

Cable

makes

an

Interlink

200-4R-CL

36

Standard Two-Channel Shielded Interconnect Cable. This is

about a 20-gauge wire pair cable, substantially heavier than
any normal pre-made RCA-jack type signal cable. Actually,
this cable is two pairs (4 conductors) for right/left channel,
and each pair is shielded separately then jacketed. Both
pairs are then covered by an outer UL-approved PVC jacket
for in-wall installation. If the 20-gauge nature of this wire
seems small, try dissecting a standard patch cable normally
provided with wired intercom equipment for connection to
the amplifier.

4.6 POWER SUPPLY

For any electronic circuit to function there must be a
source of power that energizes the semiconductors. This
source of power normally direct current (DC) is sometimes
kept regulated to keep the electrical characteristics of the
semiconductors constant. This project makes use of 6 Volts
4.5 Amp Hour (6V4.5AH) rechargeable battery. Rechargeable
battery is chosen so that there will be no extra cost on
37

running the system. A charging unit is incorporated to

maintain the voltage of the battery. The figure below shows a
charging unit suitable for charging a 6V4.5AH rechargeable
battery.

The circuit is first connected to project board and

powered. The circuit parameters were all measured and

corrected before soldering it with a veroboard.

Fig 4.7

Circuit Diagram of a Battery Charger.

Every battery requires a normal current of C/10 to be

charged (manufacturers Specification), while C is the
batteries maximum delivery current in an hour. In the above
circuit, the transformer is a step-down type that steps the
220 Volts A.C down to 9 volts A.C which is being rectified to
D.C by the diodes D1, D2, D3 and D4. The diodes D1 and D3
conducts on one cycle of the A.C oscillation, while D2 and D4
conducts on the other cycle. The DC output from the diodes
38

is a pulsating DC when there is no capacitor and it contains

considerably amount of ripples (mains hum).

Fig 4.8a

Fig 4.8b

Pulsating DC waveform

Straight line DC waveform

The capacitor is used to filter the pulsating DC

waveform to get a straight line DC as shown in fig 4.1b
above. Its capacitance is chosen such that R LOAD x C >> 1/f,
where F = ripple frequency (50 x 2 = 100Hz). 1K resistor is
after the capacitor limits the current flowing through the LED
39

and the LED shows the presence of mains voltage. The last
diode in the circiut (D5) blocks the back flow of emf from the
battery to power the LED when mains voltage goes OFF. With
the arrangement explained above, the battery charges at
450mA.

4.7 CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

This is the schematic capture of the circuit. It gives the
circuit representation with engineering legend. It shows the
system components forming a complete path for an electric
current.
The circuit below consists of two identical intercom
units. Each unit contains a power supply, microphone
preamplifier, audio amplifier and a voice out circuit. A
flexible cord that contains four wires is required to connect
the units together.

40

VOICE
C1815

OUT

C1815
TDA2003

V/
O

C1815

C1815
TDA2003

41

Fig 4.9 Circuit Diagram of an Intercom.

The schematic above can be broken into 4 parts, power

supply, mic preamp, audio amplifier and voice out circuit. A
42

standard 12V RMS secondary transformer of 500mA will

power the unit. The microphone amplifier is a 2 transistor
direct coupled amplifier.

C1815 transistor is used. The

microphone used is a 3 terminal condenser microphone

insert. The preamp is shown in the audio circuit section as
well, but has a very high gain and low distortion. The last
transistor is biased to around half the supply voltage, this
provides the maximum overload margin for loud signals or
loud voices. The gain may be adjusted with the 10k preset.
Sensitivity is very high, and a ticking clock can easily be
heard from the distant loudspeaker.
The

amplifier

is

based

on

the

popular

Toshiba

Semiconductor TDA2003. A 50mV input is all that is required

to deliver 2W RMS into an 8 ohm loudspeaker. The choice of
loudspeaker determines overall sound quality. A small
loudspeaker may not produce a lot of bass; an 8ohms radio
loudspeaker is used. The 1000uf capacitor at pin 4 of the
TDA2003 helps filter out any mains hum on the power
supply. This can be increased to a 2200uf capacitor for better
power supply rejection ratio.
43

The voice out contains the power amplifier that

amplifies the voice (speed) to the hearing of another person
other than the user. The voice out is enabled when the push
button switch is pressed down. The switch is connected to
the clock input of a 4017 IC which is used to drive a
+6v
transistor switch as shown below:

To output of Audio Amp

15

14

16

Relay
switch

4017
2
13

Sw1

Fig. 4.10

To loud speaker

4017 Decade Counter

The 4017 is a decade counter that belongs to the logic

family

of

C-MOS

(complementary

metal

oxide

semiconductor). The configuration is as shown above. The

chip divides any clock pulse received in pin 14 (clock input)
44

by 10 when the reset pin is connected to the ground. In this

project, the reset (pin 15) is connected to pin 4 which
generates the output the arrangement makes the 4017 to
divide the clock pulse and output 0 and 1 are selected.
Here, there is no external clock/pulse generator and the
clock is generated by down pressing the switch connected to
pin 14.

The two outputs (pin 3 and pin 2) changes state

from 0 to 1 any time the switch is tapped and the outputs

are complementary to each other.

One of the output is

connected to the base of the transistor such that the

generation of logic one saturates the transistor and thereby
energizing the relay. The relays function is to connect the
loud speaker to the output of the audio amplifier IC so that
the signal is amplified to the hearing of another person other
than the user. The 4017 is used so that the process resets
whenever a conversation is terminated by dropping the
phone handle. On picking a call, voice out is disabled even if
the user forgets to turn off voice out after the previous call,
until the switch is pressed.

45

4.8

CONSTRUCTION

4.8.1 BREAD BOARDING

Bread boarding is done in order to ascertain workability
of the circuit that is to be designed. It is very useful because
bad design can easily be verified and as such proper
corrective measures can be taken. The entire circuit above
was first bread boarded with up to two bread boards, one
containing a unit. This led to the discovery of some lapses
that occurred during the design, and a corrective measure
was put in place.

4.8.2 CIRCUIT LAYOUT

It is the veroboard wiring circuit diagram. It is also a
handy tool because it makes proper placements of circuit
components be achieved.

For example, the power supply

will be easily isolated from other circuit units. Before

soldering the circuit above, some precautions were applied
46

so that the components will be properly held to the

veroboard. This includes stripping the terminals of the
components with a sharp object to remove substance formed
during oxidation of copper.
4.9

PACKAGING
This work is housed with a soft wooden material and

finished with a hairy black leather.

The phone handle is

made of plastic material which contains only the microphone

(mouth piece) and a small speaker (ear piece). The wooden
box and the handle are both non-conductors of electricity.
There is no way the user will be exposed to electric shock as
a result of transformer leakage or main supply touching the
body of the casing. This property of being a non conductive
material also improves the noise rejection ratio of the
system as the path of external noise is restricted and only
inherent noise can be possible.

4.10 TESTING

47

Setup is simple; separate the two phones by keeping it

1m away from each other. Plug the connecting wire to
composite jack in the phone observing the color. Set the
volume to a comfortable level, and adjust the mic preset
while speaking with "normal volume" from one meter away.
Do not run the wire along with other wires carrying high
voltage as this will introduce noise into the system. If the
units are far apart, there is a tendency for the cable to pick
up hum, or radio interference. There are various defenses
against this. One way is to use a twisted pair cable; each
successive turn cancels the interference from the turn
before. Another method is to use a small capacitor of say
100nf between the common terminal of each relay and
ground. This shunts high frequency signals to earth. Another
method is to use a low value resistor of about 1k. This will
shunt interference and hum, but will shunt the speech signal
as well. However as the output impedance of each mic
preamp is low, and the speech signals are also low, this will
have little effect on speech but reduce interference to an
acceptable level.
48

Connecting wire

Fig 4.11 Diagram Representing Simple

Connection of Two Way Wired Intercom

4.11 PROBLEM ENCOUNTERED

Unavailability of some components such as the 4017 IC

and high fidelity microphone

Inability of the system to function after the first
soldering due to some problems caused by myself such
as short-circuiting lines, and the ones caused by

components such as breakdown.

The audio amplifier IC was heating up when powered
and producing hissing noise which I latter eliminated by

changing the chip.

Interruption of power supply from PHCN

4.12 TROUBLESHOOTING

49

PROBLEMS

The system cannot turn ON

CHECK
Make

sure

it

is

properly
when plugged to switch

connected to the socket

and
socket outlet.

Check for the continuity

of

User 1 cannot hear user 2

the main wire.

Your
microphone

may be
down, replace with the
Cannot establish a
of
Conversation between the
two units
two units.

same impedance rating.

Check for the continuity
the wire linking the
and also make sure one

of
the units is not down.
Voice out cannot function

Check the loud speaker

Check the relay
Check the tapping switch
and if possible change
the 4017 IC

50

4.13 BILL

OF

ENGINEERING

MEASUREMENT

AND

EVALUATION (BEME)
Quantit Description
y
2
6
2
2
1
3
15
2
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2

Light emitting diode

IN 5392 power diode
NE 555 Timer Chip
NE 555 IC Socket
D 882 Transistor
Small signal transistor
watt resistors
1000uf capacitor
470uf capacitor
0.47uf capacitor
100nf capacitor
4017 IC
4017 IC socket
6v 10A relay
Loud speaker
Small speaker
Hi Fi microphone
Plastic phone handle
Push button switch
Wooden casing
Yards leather

Price

Amount

N
15
50
100
40
140
30
5
150
80
40
40
210
90
200
350
220
600
800
80
950
300

N
30
300
200
80
140
90
75
300
80
40
120
210
90
200
350
220
600
800
80
950
600
51

Total

For two units

5555

5,555 x 2

N11,110 +

1 roll of screen wire =

Grand Total

N2000

= N13,110

52

CHAPTER FIVE
5.00 CONCLUSION
Building this project successfully has been a great
challenge to me, though it has exposed me to proper under
standing of basic principles electronics components.
project two -

This

way wired intercom is a communication

system which can be used as an intercom and door phone.

One can use an intercom system from house to house, or
from house to gate/door to screen visitors, and also in offices
(e.g. between the office of the HOD and the DEAN). It offers
a great advantage running with a rechargeable battery
which reduces cost. Also, the system is very easy to install.
Its disadvantages include being a stationary unit, which
means not to be carried about like we do with our GSM
phones. Also, it is wired and therefore any mechanical
damage to the wire interrupts establishment of conversation.

53

5.10

REMARK
The model design in this project is comparable with

those from the market and could be in organisations.

54

5.20 REFERENCES
5.2.1

Telecommunication Engineering by V. E.
Idigo, I.I Nsionu, C.O .Ohaneme (2004)

5.2.2

A Textbook of Electrical Technology B.L.

Theraja and A.K. Theraja. Thoroughly
Revised Twenty Third Revised Edition 2002

5.2.3

Electronic
and
Electrical
Engineering,
Principles and Practice (Second Edition) By
Lionel Warnes 1994-1998

5.2.4

ECG Semiconductor, Master Replacement

Guide- Ecg212u Copyright May 2000 by
Philips ECG

5.2.5

Electronics for Engineers (Second Edition)

By R.J. Maddock and D.M. Calcutta May
1993

5.2.6

The Art of Electronics (Second Edition) By

Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill Reprinted
2002.

55

5.2.7

Data Communications and Networking by

Engr. R.N. Ogbonna, Mnse, July 2003.

56