That timer has a fixed period + duty cycle. You could have easily programmed for user adjustable period + duty cycle through a pot or two.

 

from a hardware perspective, it is considerably simpler than a discrete solution.

In terms of the number of device pins that need a soldered connection, the 4060 design has 38 and the PIC design has 41, an *increase* of three pins. These pin counts assume In System Programing connections per Microchip Tech Bulletin TB016, "How to Implement ICSP™ Using PIC16F8X FLASH MCUs", plus two 2-pin connectors not shown on my schematic - power in and motor out. AND, a 78L05 3-terminal regulator (plus input and output capacitors) for the PIC, since the circuit runs on 12 V. Also, the PIC circuit is restricted to using a logic-level FET for the output.

Obviously, you will have to learn to code and program a mcu - it took me 5 minutes to get it going.

I think the actual code to implement this timer requires more than two lines.

ak

 

BTW, this can be done via ladder logic: there are lot of clock examples that makes such programming easy. Ladder-Micro allows you to program a few AVR/PIC graphically for example.

 

Just waiting for a couple more part to test this circuit. I assume there is enough power for the circuit to run an LED for testing? Is it me or is the mosfet just a transistor?

 

Just waiting for a couple more part to test this circuit.

Try to breadboard the core elements of the design to test for functionality / correctness. After you have proven the design, sold it.

 

Mosfet is a transistor, pinout is Source, Drain, Gate... Treat the Source as emitter, the gate as the base, you dont need to use a series gate resistor normally.

 

kool. I dont own a breadboard so I normally just kinda pop it in and use wire bridges for testing. Really should get myself one

 

Is it me or is the mosfet just a transistor?

That's what that "T" means in MOSFET.

 

Is it me or is the mosfet just a transistor?

Metal
Oxide
Semiconductor
Field
Effect
Transistor

It is "just" a transistor, but the physics of how it works and why are significantly different from a bipolar junction transistor (BJT).

ak

 

Ok, long time no speak, I have finally gotten around to building the circuit. Just waiting to see if it activates but the LEDS do not light up like I thought they would?

 

lets look at your work and diagram,,

 

I built the circuit from post 5 and well... it doesnt seem to be working at all

 

it will be your working thats faulty, can you supply pics of the breadboard or pcb?

 

There is my work and the schematic can be found here:
http://www.zen22142.zen.co.uk/ronj/rt8.html

I have checked it 8 times now and cant figure out why it isnt working!!!

 

I have no doubt it is me but I cant figure out what it is

 

I think it pays to be able to try out a circuit on a breadboard, in a simulator, or a reprogrammable environment before committing to it.

 

Ok you need a multimeter
First check the supply pins, 16,7 then pin 12..

on pin 7 yellow led, and see if its pulsing every 30 seconds, you can increase the oscillator speed to make the Yellow led pulse faster by turning the pot to minimum and lowering the 150k resistor R3, the green led maybe dim, if its oscillating fast, looking at the circuit you have only one electrolytic cap for C3, you need two caps back to back or one non polarised cap...

 

There is my work and the schematic can be found here:
http://www.zen22142.zen.co.uk/ronj/rt8.html

it is probably a little bit too complicated for what you want.

You need something that trips once every 6 hours. So if you feed a counter a given pulse train, it will roll-over after some time. With the hc4060, if you feed it a 0.75Hz signal, it will roll-over once every 1/0.75Hz * 2^14=22,000 seconds = 6 hours. So all you need is to take that signal on pin 3 and hold it for 6 seconds.

You are done. no need to be more complicated than that.

 

Ok you need a multimeter
First check the supply pins, 16,7 then pin 12..

on pin 7 yellow led, and see if its pulsing every 30 seconds, you can increase the oscillator speed to make the Yellow led pulse faster by turning the pot to minimum and lowering the 150k resistor R3, the green led maybe dim, if its oscillating fast, looking at the circuit you have only one electrolytic cap for C3, you need two caps back to back or one non polarised cap...

I used a bone polarised cap

 

I will pull out the old multimeter when I get home. The yellow led as it is right now does nothing same as green

OK. Just did the checks using the negative terminal from Battery and the positive probe on the multimeter on the pins on the chip. I seem to have nothing at the chip?

Can't seem to figure out what is wrong.

My mock up on the bread board worked (I went and bought one) but the first make up blew ( I put a diode in wrong) so I rebuilt it again and it just hasnt worked this time

I just identified a problem and rectified it now I probe positive down one side of the chip and negative down the other and get readings, is this correct?