Instrument panel lamp dimmer control

his circuit uses an MC3392 low side protected switch and an MC1455 timing circuit to form an automotive instrumentation
panel lamp dimmer control. The brightness of incandescent lamps can be varied by Pulse Width Modulating the input of the
MC3392. The modulating signal can be obtained directly from the MC1455 timer (or a microprocessor). The MC1455 is
configured as a free-running clock having a frequency and duty cycle control. The typical timer frequency is approximately
80 Hz when the frequency potentiometer is adjusted to 1.0k. This frequency was chosen so as to avoid any perceptible lamp
flicker. The duty cycle potentiometer controls the duty cycle over a range of about 3% to 97%. When at 3% the lamps are
essentialy off, at 97% the lamps are essentially full on. Any number of lamps can be control, so long as the total load current
is less than 1 amp. The LED is used to signal the existence of a system fault (overvoltage, current limiting, or thermal
shutdown).