maybe this don't belong here but...
I know there has been a lot spoken at AAC (and everywhere else) over the years about the 555 but here we are 40 years after the introduction of "the chip" and look at the hits we get when 555 is in the title line.
http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=9026&page=4:
almost 5000 hits in 2 years!
http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=33015:
close to 600 hits in 5 days!
And also noticed is many people volunteer advice, experiences and opinions.
We know there are better, newer ways to achieve the same results but still, there it is!
When I started school in all this, it was all about building power supplys from 5U4 rectifier tubes, amps and tremolos from 12AX7s, triggers (flip flops) from 6N7s. In a word, it was tedious everytime something was made, it was made from scratch and required gobs of power, wires, hardware (the nuts and bolts kind) and knowledge.
Then 2N107s were the big deal. Other discrete semiconductors and components became readily available and that was good. A bit closer to the days of "hobby electronics".
I can remember it to the day. My first 555 IC. It was like the day Kennedy was shot, or 9-11, or Neil Armstrong's moon walk. The exact moment someone handed me one. Like the first hit of.....nevermind!
I was like, "what the hell is this?" Yeah, right!" "It can do what?"
But holy crap was I amazed.
Now armed with bridge rectifiers, 2N2222s, and 555s along with a handful of resistors and capacitors I could whip up all kinds of stuff immediately!
a "Pig Nose" on one hip and a funky little box on the other hip containing homemade guitar effects using 555 chips.
timers, oscillators, delays, it seemed no limit!
a lot of time has passed and a lot of innovation, we have long since moved on from the 1970 technology that gave birth to the 555. But here we are, 2010 and still the little critter is so versatile and popular.
Still talking about it.
Still using it.
go figure!
thanks for the ear...
I know there has been a lot spoken at AAC (and everywhere else) over the years about the 555 but here we are 40 years after the introduction of "the chip" and look at the hits we get when 555 is in the title line.
http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=9026&page=4:
almost 5000 hits in 2 years!
http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=33015:
close to 600 hits in 5 days!
And also noticed is many people volunteer advice, experiences and opinions.
We know there are better, newer ways to achieve the same results but still, there it is!
When I started school in all this, it was all about building power supplys from 5U4 rectifier tubes, amps and tremolos from 12AX7s, triggers (flip flops) from 6N7s. In a word, it was tedious everytime something was made, it was made from scratch and required gobs of power, wires, hardware (the nuts and bolts kind) and knowledge.
Then 2N107s were the big deal. Other discrete semiconductors and components became readily available and that was good. A bit closer to the days of "hobby electronics".
I can remember it to the day. My first 555 IC. It was like the day Kennedy was shot, or 9-11, or Neil Armstrong's moon walk. The exact moment someone handed me one. Like the first hit of.....nevermind!
I was like, "what the hell is this?" Yeah, right!" "It can do what?"
But holy crap was I amazed.
Now armed with bridge rectifiers, 2N2222s, and 555s along with a handful of resistors and capacitors I could whip up all kinds of stuff immediately!
a "Pig Nose" on one hip and a funky little box on the other hip containing homemade guitar effects using 555 chips.
timers, oscillators, delays, it seemed no limit!
a lot of time has passed and a lot of innovation, we have long since moved on from the 1970 technology that gave birth to the 555. But here we are, 2010 and still the little critter is so versatile and popular.
Still talking about it.
Still using it.
go figure!
thanks for the ear...
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