HOME / SIMULATORS / SIMULATOR // VOLTAGE & FREQUENCY TINKERCAD TWIN
Arduino Uno R3 · 10k Potentiometer · 1602 I2C LCD · Piezo Speaker · 7-Segment

Arduino Voltage & Frequency Simulation

Explore the core relationship between analog voltage, resistance, and oscillating audio frequency in your browser. Rotate the virtual 10k potentiometer, observe real-time telemetry updates on the 1602 I2C LCD and 7-segment display, and hear the piezo buzzer sweep across the audio spectrum—powered by Autodesk Tinkercad Circuits.

BUILD SPECIFICATIONS LIVE DIGITAL TWIN
MCU BOARD:Arduino Uno R3
INPUT TRANSDUCER:10kΩ Potentiometer (ADC Pin A0)
PRIMARY DISPLAY:1602 I2C LCD (Addr 0x27)
AUDIO SYNTHESIS:Piezo Speaker (Pin 8 PWM Tone)
SIMULATION ENGINE:Autodesk Tinkercad
02 // Bill of Materials

Virtual Bench Hardware Components

CO-ENGINEERED BY TISHIN // POPULAR ON TINKERCAD & PROJECT HUB
Arduino Uno R3 MCU
CONTROLLER BOARD

Arduino Uno R3

Samples analog voltage on ADC pin A0, computes linear frequency mapping, and generates audio square wave via Timer PWM.

Master Controller
HD44780 1602 I2C LCD Display DISPLAY
VISUAL TELEMETRY

1602 Character LCD

Connected over 2-wire I2C bus (A4 SDA / A5 SCL) displaying live measured input voltage and active oscillation frequency in Hertz.

I2C Address: 0x27
Active Piezo Buzzer / Speaker AUDIO
AUDIO TRANSDUCER

Piezo Buzzer / Speaker

Driven on Digital Pin 8 via the Arduino tone() function to convert voltage-proportional pulses into audible acoustic frequencies.

100Hz – 5000Hz Tone
Solderless Prototyping Breadboard PROTOTYPE
VOLTAGE DIVIDER

10kΩ Potentiometer

Provides a continuous 0V–5V variable voltage divider rail feeding ADC Pin A0, demonstrating analog control over digital frequency synthesis.

Analog Wiper Input
03 // Interactive Bench Simulation

Live Autodesk Tinkercad Circuits Simulator

EMBEDDED DIGITAL TWIN ACTIVE
TINKERCAD ENGINE PROJECT: Understanding Voltage and Frequency
CREATOR: @tishin ↗
STEP 01

Start Simulation

Click the Start Simulation button in the top-right corner of the Tinkercad window to boot the Arduino firmware.

STEP 02

Turn the Potentiometer

Click and drag the virtual 10k potentiometer knob clockwise and counter-clockwise to alter the input voltage between 0.0V and 5.0V.

STEP 03

Observe Dual Telemetry

Watch the 16x2 I2C LCD display and 7-segment display update in real time with calculated voltage and mapped frequency in Hertz.

STEP 04

Hear the Audio Tone Sweep

Listen as the piezo speaker oscillates faster or slower, giving immediate acoustic feedback of analog circuit behavior.

04 // Circuit Physics & Math

Voltage-to-Frequency Conversion Principles

1. ADC VOLTAGE CONVERSION

Analog-to-Digital Quantization

The Arduino Uno uses an onboard 10-bit Successive Approximation Register (SAR) ADC. It maps the 0V to 5V rail into 1024 discrete integer steps:

V_in = (ADC_Reading / 1023.0) * 5.0

When the 10k wiper is centered, the ADC reads ~512, producing an exact 2.5V input.

2. FREQUENCY SYNTHESIS

Linear Scaling Function

The firmware scales the raw 10-bit integer reading into an acoustic audio frequency band using the built-in Arduino linear mapping formula:

freq = map(val, 0, 1023, 100, 5000);

This maps 0V to 100 Hz (deep bass hum) up to 5.0V to 5000 Hz (high-pitched treble whistle).

3. TIMER2 PWM GENERATION

Piezo Square-Wave Drive

The Arduino tone(8, freq) function uses an internal 8-bit hardware timer (Timer2) in CTC (Clear Timer on Compare Match) mode:

OCR2A = [F_CPU / (2 * N * freq)] - 1

This triggers a 50% duty-cycle hardware interrupt on Pin 8 without blocking the main CPU loop from updating the LCD.

05 // Verified C++ Sketch

Arduino Firmware Source Code

arduino_voltage_and_frequency_simulation.ino
ARDUINO UNO · C++
/*
 * ============================================================================
 * Project: Arduino Voltage and Frequency Simulation
 * Platform: Autodesk Tinkercad Circuits / Arduino Uno R3
 * Author: Tishin (VideotronicMaker)
 * ============================================================================
 * Hardware Wiring:
 * - A0: Center wiper of 10k Potentiometer (0V - 5V)
 * - Pin 8: Piezo Buzzer / Speaker Positive Terminal
 * - I2C SDA (A4) / SCL (A5): HD44780 1602 LCD (Addr 0x27)
 * ============================================================================
 */

#include <Wire.h>
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>

// Initialize 16x2 LCD at I2C address 0x27
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27, 16, 2);

const int potPin = A0;      // Analog input from 10k potentiometer
const int buzzerPin = 8;    // Output pin for piezo speaker tone

int rawADC = 0;
float voltage = 0.0;
int frequency = 0;

void setup() {
    Serial.begin(115200);
    
    // Initialize LCD with backlight
    lcd.init();
    lcd.backlight();
    lcd.clear();
    
    // Welcome splash
    lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
    lcd.print("VideotronicMaker");
    lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
    lcd.print("Volt-to-Freq Sim");
    delay(1500);
    lcd.clear();
    
    pinMode(buzzerPin, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
    // 1. Read 10-bit analog voltage (0 to 1023)
    rawADC = analogRead(potPin);
    
    // 2. Convert ADC counts to real-world voltage (0.00V to 5.00V)
    voltage = (rawADC / 1023.0) * 5.0;
    
    // 3. Map analog reading to acoustic frequency spectrum (100Hz to 5000Hz)
    frequency = map(rawADC, 0, 1023, 100, 5000);
    
    // 4. Update Piezo Buzzer Tone
    if (frequency > 110) {
        tone(buzzerPin, frequency);
    } else {
        noTone(buzzerPin);
    }
    
    // 5. Update Visual Telemetry on 1602 LCD
    lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
    lcd.print("Volt: ");
    lcd.print(voltage, 2);
    lcd.print(" V    ");
    
    lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
    lcd.print("Freq: ");
    lcd.print(frequency);
    lcd.print(" Hz   ");
    
    // 6. Transmit serial telemetry for VTM Studio Science Mode
    Serial.print("VOLT:");
    Serial.print(voltage, 2);
    Serial.print(",FREQ:");
    Serial.print(frequency);
    Serial.print(",ADC:");
    Serial.println(rawADC);
    
    delay(50); // 20Hz refresh cadence
}
06 // Maker Portfolio

Tishin's Autodesk Tinkercad Circuits

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FEATURED // DIGITAL TWIN POPULAR

Understanding Voltage and Frequency

Uno R3 · Potentiometer · 1602 LCD · Piezo

Interactive analog voltage-controlled oscillator demonstrating real-time ADC quantization, display telemetry, and audio frequency mapping.

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OFFLINE BENCH WORKFLOW

Want to run live serial telemetry on your physical bench?

Flash this C++ sketch in VTM Studio Code Mode and plot real-time VOLT:, FREQ:, and ADC: curves at 115200 baud in Science Mode.

SIMULATOR FAQ // HARDWARE TWIN SPECS

Frequently Asked Questions

Technical details on how this digital twin models analog voltage mapping, piezo buzzer audio synthesis, current limiting, and C++ sketch execution.

1. How does an Arduino convert analog potentiometer voltage into audio frequency? +
The Arduino Uno reads the voltage from the center wiper of the 10k potentiometer via analog pin A0 through its 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC), producing values between 0 and 1023 (0.0V to 5.0V). The firmware uses the map() function to scale this value linearly to a frequency range (typically 100 Hz to 5000 Hz) and outputs a square wave to the piezo buzzer via tone().
2. Can I test and modify this Arduino circuit without physical components? +
Yes. This interactive simulation runs in Autodesk Tinkercad Circuits right in your web browser. You can start the simulation, turn the potentiometer knob, inspect the C++ code, and click "Open in Autodesk Tinkercad" to copy and tinker with the project in your own account.
3. What is the difference between an active buzzer and a passive buzzer in frequency synthesis? +
Active buzzers have an internal oscillator circuit fixed at approximately 2.5 kHz and produce a continuous tone whenever DC voltage (5V) is applied. Passive buzzers lack an internal oscillator and function like small speakers; they require an external alternating square wave signal (generated by the Arduino tone() function) to vibrate the piezoelectric diaphragm across variable pitches and melodies.
4. Why should you place a series resistor with a piezo speaker? +
Piezo elements and small dynamic speakers present low AC impedance and capacitive inrush spikes to MCU GPIO pins. Inserting a 100Ω to 330Ω series resistor between digital pin 8 and the piezo element limits current draw, protecting the ATmega328P microcontroller pin from exceeding its 40mA absolute maximum rating.
5. How does this voltage and frequency simulation pair with VTM Studio? +
This simulation pairs with VTM Studio Reference Mode (for analog pin voltage divider schematics) and Code Mode (for flashing and debugging tone() and analogRead() sketches). In Science Mode, the mapped frequency and raw ADC voltage stream live into interactive dials and oscilloscope graphs without leaving the workbench.