electronic volume IC question

[dacflyer]

i am considering hakking my computer speaker set
the volume is controlled by 2 buttons
but it is hard to determine the volume level , if i wanted to use a led bar meter to indicate the volume level how should i connect the input to the meter? what do i tap off of on the IC if its possible,,
i want to use it as a level meter,

not a VU meter,

i want 10 bars to = full volume, and no bars to = lowest volume
is it possible ?
i do not know what IC is inside the box yet , but i think they might all be general in some what of a way,, ( volume up / down - sig. in/out - etc.)

someone give me some ideas , thanks

[JPKNHTP]

-JPKNHTP

[Chris Smith]

The LM xx14, 15 16 will do the job.

One is a VU but all can directly be connected to to the speaker.

[dacflyer]

chris >> like i said , i do not want a VU meter, i want to see if its possible to make a volume bar of sorts , or even a single digit to indicate same..

jpknhtp >> nope, the volume stays where i shut it iff from,,but you have to press both buttone at once to turn it off / on
if they loose power, then it starts off at a low level, but now all the way down.

the speakers are ALTEC lansing brand model ASC45.2
i do not know if it will be possible to do what i want with them,,but i am here fishing...

[jimandy]

dacflyer:

i want to use it as a level meter,

not a VU meter,

What's the difference in the two?

[haklesup]

He wants to know what the volume control is set to not the actual volume of the program material at the output.

If the volume control were a pot, this would be easy. But it seems to be a digital input to an integrated IC amp in which case, the signal you want to quantify is safely locked away inside that IC not to be measured in any useful way. If you are real lucky, there are unused features (pins) in the Amp IC you can make use of.

Tell us more about the level of integration in the actual amp and maybe what parts you see and the guesses might get better. Right now your fishing without bait or a sounder in a lake without a chart

[dacflyer]

i'll look, have to open er' up for that...
news @ 11

[VIRAND]

Common TTL logic if you can't program a PIC:
74169 or 74193 chip counts up and down in binary and can be connected to the buttons.
74154 decodes binary to up to 16 levels with a separate pin for each resistor and LED.