what are the most common uses for these type of circuits? thanks guys.

 

In terms of volume? They are used in windshield wiper driver circuits.

 

The uses are timers, multivibrators, VCO, pulse strecher, pulse trigger, etc. This is one of the most versitle circuits around. Large volume users are winshield wipers (being replaced by customs today), toasters, noise drivers.

 

Thing is, this particular chip is like a Swiss Army knife. The number of uses depend on your needs and imagination.

 

Thing is, this particular chip is like a Swiss Army knife. The number of uses depend on your needs and imagination.

Funny.... I came up with a really clever new application for the 555 while I was at Nat Semi and so I submitted it through our "Author Approval" program inside the company, and also gave a copy to Bob Pease who was the ultimate approval authority then.

They all liked it but the bozo director in our product line didn't want to pay the $1k I would have gotten when it was published, so he refused to approve and said he did not want the "New National" having it's image associated with "Old commodity products" like the 555.



So, as tongue-in-cheek reply I mentioned to Bob that I was thinking of publishing an application manual for the "1000 Best 555 Circuits" and he sent it out in his news letter thinking I was serious.

I was immediately buried in circuits from all directions since everybody uses the part for everything..... had to tell them I was just kidding and that we weren't really publishing a 555 Application handbook.

Would have been a great book though....

 

thanks guys. the proffesor i have just seems to show us the material but doesnt seem to explain how it is used in computers which puzzles me. im taking computer architecture and i just dont get most of that stuff.

 

If you don't get it in class, come here and there will be lots of help.

 

There was a contest last year for the most creative thing to do with a 555. Submissions ran from digital adders to an AM radio (seriously!).

I ran into one in an off the line LED nightlight from Ikea where the 555 did a level detection and drove the LED.

Forget it's a timer and look at the parts inside and you can spin lots of things out of it.

 

There was a contest last year for the most creative thing to do with a 555. Submissions ran from digital adders to an AM radio (seriously!)...

You mean this contest. Yes there were some really cool entries into the contest, one contestant made a calculator.

 

I used one to make turn signals for my gokart