A computer-controlled LED stroboscope for measuring angular frequency

Abstract

A computer-controlled LED stroboscope can be put together using the computer's parallel port, a DB25 cable and an LED. This device provides a cheap alternative to stroboscopes that are built using integrated circuits and those that are commercially available. This paper describes the construction of such a stroboscope and its use in high school or college level physics courses as an apparatus to demonstrate the measurement of angular frequency and as a device in experimentation for characterizing the speed of DC motors.