Maybe something interesting starting here, it's been dreamed up by Jeri Elsworth. It's obviously in early stages, so keep an eye on it to see what happens.
(Go team Bill!!)
http://www.555contest.com/

 

I've bookmarked this page. I tried something similar for ElectroTech last year, it flubbed. One of the mods, Nigel Goodwin, couldn't believe I was who I said I was. AudioGuru ID'd me immediately. It was all very weird and kinda funny.

I suspect they were looking for gee whiz, not the addition to the AAC text book they got. If someone gives me a goal I try to solve it. It's my nature. I don't come up with original ideas that easily.

Any suggestions?

 

Hey Guys,

My name is Chris, I'm helping run the contest. I was glad to see people were already talking about this. I hope a lot of the smart electronics people on all about circuits decide to enter, it's really starting to pick up steam. We also have Hans Camenzind (the chip designer) and Forrest Mims (the writer of many 555 books) to be judges for us, along with some prizes. Be sure to check back on that website for more info.

~Chris Gammell

 

I'm rooting for Bill, unless he's a judge.

 

My money is on Bill M. If he chooses to enter, he will surely win one of the prizes. Few individuals are as intimate with the capabilities/shortcomings of this ubiquitous component.

hgmjr

 

How about getting a model police car and putting in the already documented project in there. Probably good for the artistic category.

 

Im good with ideas, i have no idea if these are possible but if anyone can make 'em work its Bill


1, Build a plasma speaker using only a 555/556 and a flyback, no fets, if its possible

2. use the pwm capabilities and build a remote controlled car using just 555's, or possibly a car with a wired controller, but i know motors can be controlled with pwm

3. Build a memory unit with 555's for an 8 or 4 bit computer, save something and load it?this might get the complex category.

I already have a few ideas for the car, but its not my project.

 

lol, the more I read of this thread the more worried I was getting, I was thinking, why re-design the 555 IC kinda like re-inventing the wheel with so many manufactures producing them...

Finally it clicked, it's a contest to use the 555 IC.... ooooo I got one, make an LED flash on and off - If this feels like a hijacking of the thread by this kinda follow up question about the contest, could a crystal oscillator be used to replace the 555 and if it could, what would the advantage be using a 555 over a crystal oscillator? or visa versa?.. obviously the 555 has the ability of sending out 1 pulse and end to create a timing routine, but the other functions left alone, could you use a crystal oscillator to do the same job ? anyway if you feel what i just said is kinda hijacking, i'd gladly edit, move the post. Thanks

 

As for uses with a 555 hmmmmm I personally think some kind of circuit to reduce your energy footprint would be kinda useful, to people in electronics, a few hundred milliamps from a standard 1.5v battery is a lot of power! but ask the person who buys batteries for the remote control how much power the remote control uses to say that of the vacuum cleaner..

2000 watt vacuum cleaner vs 0.1 watt the remote control uses to change the channel and what, 0.0001 watts on standby? i've not looked but considering how long my remote control lasts it's probably a lot more efficient than that.

Anyway for me it would have to be something that saves energy and most importantly money.. can't think what but i'm going to have a think about this I'm too stupid to make the circuit but I love to think of new projects and ideas i'd LIKE to be able to do

 

A crystal oscillator would be better if you want one very stable frequency, which happens to be available as a standard crystal frequency.
555s are pretty versatile, among other things the frequency can be controlled by a voltage and they have fairly high output currents

 

another idea, chain a bunch of 555's together and have them trigger each other, making a pretty loop of led's that goes on one at a time, and then off one at a time.

 

I've thought of trying to make a sine wave generator with a 555, that would be a challenge. It would be similar to make a crystal oscillator with one.

Wookie showed me a circuit here I found extremely interesting. I've been puzzling for years to use the comparators for more than what the 555 uses them for. For example, a single chip (555) switching power supply, the 555 driving a power MOSFET. Haven't got a handle on it yet, but my little voice is telling me it is possible.

 

I've thought of trying to make a sine wave generator with a 555, that would be a challenge. It would be similar to make a crystal oscillator with one.

Wookie showed me a circuit here I found extremely interesting. I've been puzzling for years to use the comparators for more than what the 555 uses them for. For example, a single chip (555) switching power supply, the 555 driving a power MOSFET. Haven't got a handle on it yet, but my little voice is telling me it is possible.

That is an excellent design by Wookie!

Alter it a bit, mostly the toroid since the MOSFET is big enough, to provide isolated +5V @ 500mA from a 9v-15v AC/DC source. It would score big points if you used the "large" SMD (SOIC, SOT-23 sizes) for a uC power supply from whatever is handy. The lower you can make the minimum input voltage, the better.

It could be the overall price of similar specialized ICs, and the most important part, be made from "common stock" with the DIY inductor.

 

I've thought of trying to make a sine wave generator with a 555, that would be a challenge. It would be similar to make a crystal oscillator with one.

Wookie showed me a circuit here I found extremely interesting. I've been puzzling for years to use the comparators for more than what the 555 uses them for. For example, a single chip (555) switching power supply, the 555 driving a power MOSFET. Haven't got a handle on it yet, but my little voice is telling me it is possible.

Bill,

A 555 SMPS in the last EDN: http://www.edn.com/article/512305-Power_an_LED_driver_using_off_the_shelf_components.php

Ken

 

I like the transistor changing the voltage on pin 5. Another good idea done, and not too many left. I may have a twist on it left though, I'm going to have to try an experiment to see if it works.

 

Maybe something interesting starting here, it's been dreamed up by Jeri Elsworth. It's obviously in early stages, so keep an eye on it to see what happens.
(Go team Bill!!)
http://www.555contest.com/

When I used that link, it went to online gambling??

 

Bill,

A 555 SMPS in the last EDN: http://www.edn.com/article/512305-Power_an_LED_driver_using_off_the_shelf_components.php

Ken

That link is also dead??

 

Try this: http://edn.com/design/analog/4345674/Use-a-555-timer-as-a-switch-mode-power-supply

Ken

 

Thank you, Ken.

Also on that page is this:


http://edn.com/design/diy

 

Also:http://edn.com/search?keyword=555

Ken