Hello...

What is your favorite way to flash an LED? Or Two? Or Three even?

I recently built this:

 

A good circuit for a beginner learning electronics. Nicely made. Did you make the PCB yourself?

To flash a single LED probably can't beat a 555.

For flashing more LEDs in more complicated ways, you probably need some digital logic and counters. 4000 series CMOS is a good place to start.

Then, move on to using simple micro-controllers, such as the PIC.

 

Your capacitors are backwards.

 

Your capacitors are backwards.

They work either way around actually. At least I'm sure they do... lol you'll always be able to find at least one error in my originally drawn schematics and PCBs

 

A good circuit for a beginner learning electronics. Nicely made. Did you make the PCB yourself?

Yes SIR. All original artwork and software in my projects.

 

Not meaning to get too astray from the question in the O/P, as OBW0549 said, the capacitors are backwards, only slightly reverse biased (you can confirm with your DVM). Running with even a small reverse bias the capacitors are doomed to fail.

My favorite way to flash: An output pin from an AVR controller.

 

Not meaning to get too astray from the question in the O/P, the capacitors are backwards, only slightly reverse biased (you can confirm with your DVM). Running with even a small reverse bias the capacitors are doomed to fail.

Yes SIR. I will revise the schematic and upload again.

 

Here is the revised schematic:

 

Much better!

 

FWIW, R1 and R4 can be a single resistor. Since only one LED is on at a time, they can share the current-limiting resistor.

 

FWIW, R1 and R4 can be a single resistor. Since only one LED is on at a time, they can share the current-limiting resistor.

how? connect them together?

 

how? connect them together?

Yes, you can eliminate R4, then run a jumper from the anode of LED2 to the Anode of LED1. The workings of the circuit become harder to visualize when that is done and the aesthetics of symmetry go to hell.

 

http://www.solarbotics.net/library/datasheets/LM3909.pdf

I was given a pile of surplus electronics that included a couple of these chips. I probably wouldn't have bought them, but for free, they're great little LED flashers. I've used them as power-on indicators on circuits that I've tended to forget and leave on by mistake.

 

My favorite way to flash an LED is to not include any form of current limiting.. It will flash...once

 

my favorite way is to connect it to at least 120 vac, only one flash, but BRIGHT.

 

Hello...

What is your favorite way to flash an LED? Or Two? Or Three even?

A Picmcro, if in doubt use a big hammer.
Max.

 

my favorite way is to connect it to at least 120 vac, only one flash, but BRIGHT.

But I am sure you used a 1:1 transformer to get the 120VAC - otherwise you are out of compliance of the TOS.

 

The easiest way to flash an LED is to buy one that flashes itself. Done.

 

I use an old overcoat.

 

I use an an old overcoat.

Agree, same here but unfortunately they have laws against it around these parts. I sure miss LA.

Ron