Help. Tried several NE555P circuits from online posts but can't get any to work, well except one that partly worked.

I basically need help understanding from a beginners point of view, the only issue I have seen consistently is all tutorials talk as if you have a grounding in electronics or building, I have neither.

What I want to do is build a circuit that is a variable timer in seconds
It has a start state with two LED's, A red one that is lit and green one that is unlit.
Press a button, the Red LED goes out
After the specified time, the Green LED lights up

IF at any point in the button press the button is released during the time to wait, the timer resets back to 0 and user has to press the button again and start the holding process again.

Once the timer has elapsed, the Green LED lights up and the button can be released, the timer then resets for next press.

Can someone point me in the right direction on how to do this? I have about 60 NE555P chips and want to make 20 of these timers for a game.

 

I think it will be easier if you proceed with the application circuits given in the datasheet first. https://drive.google.com/file/d/16ya5aiHvY-j5f3P-hfBln-J_YjYyUSjX/view
Datasheets are official and the circuits shown in them are functional. If you successfully build those, you will understand how to proceed with your own ideas.

 

You are trying to run a marathon without having learned to crawl or walk. You need to work up to your goal by starting to understand the simpler pieces of a complex circuit.

 

Welcome to AAC!

I have about 60 NE555P chips and want to make 20 of these timers for a game.

1. What makes you think that 555 timers are appropriate?
2. Can all 20 of these timers be on the same board with wires going to the switches? If so, how long will the wires be?
3. Do the LEDs need to be in a central place? Or distributed with the switches?
4. Will this circuit be used in bright lighting or outdoors?
5. What supply voltage do you have in mind?

 

Help. Tried several NE555P circuits from online posts but can't get any to work, well except one that partly worked.

I basically need help understanding from a beginners point of view, the only issue I have seen consistently is all tutorials talk as if you have a grounding in electronics or building, I have neither.

What I want to do is build a circuit that is a variable timer in seconds
It has a start state with two LED's, A red one that is lit and green one that is unlit.
Press a button, the Red LED goes out
After the specified time, the Green LED lights up

IF at any point in the button press the button is released during the time to wait, the timer resets back to 0 and user has to press the button again and start the holding process again.

Once the timer has elapsed, the Green LED lights up and the button can be released, the timer then resets for next press.

Can someone point me in the right direction on how to do this? I have about 60 NE555P chips and want to make 20 of these timers for a game.

Maybe use two timers. One to flash the red led to indicate time is running. One for the elapsed time.

 

You are trying to run a marathon without having learned to crawl or walk. You need to work up to your goal by starting to understand the simpler pieces of a complex circuit.

I understand.

I am a Learn By Example type learner, the problem I am having is the tutorials I have looked at and viewed on youtube all jump in as if you have a background in basic electronics.

I have built things from modules before and thats fine but don't want to be paying hundreds of pounds like the last project I just made cost. Examples in the images...

Its made up of modules and cost me £75 to make, you press a button, the counter (hidden underneath) advances one count, designed to stop people from resetting or switching off.

Looking at modules again for what I want to do, its working out to £30 per unit I want to make for this game, given I need to make 20 in total, thats price prohibitive for something that will be used once or maybe twice a year.

Not to go in to detail, I had a work injury to my head, so I have huge swathes of my past erased, some of which was basic electronics, I can generally work my way around things but find I am having to relearn like a beginner and this time its getting harder to grasp, which is why finding people to help is hard and have been ignored in many forums I have tried soliciting help from.

The only reason this project was easy is because it is consisted of wiring up a BMS, switches and button to a counter that does the leg work.

For the next project I want to undertake,I want to throw myself at a circuit that uses time and states.

 

Welcome to AAC!

1. What makes you think that 555 timers are appropriate?
2. Can all 20 of these timers be on the same board with wires going to the switches? If so, how long will the wires be?
3. Do the LEDs need to be in a central place? Or distributed with the switches?
4. Will this circuit be used in bright lighting or outdoors?
5. What supply voltage do you have in mind?

The thing is time based, each one is individual and I figure on using up to 3 555's per unit.

I figure one will be a timer from when a button is pressed, another as a logic gate the other drives one of two LED's

I will be using 18650's in series, so 5v to 8v power range.

The item is being used indoors and it can from time to time get bright because of sunlight but that won't be a problem in real terms as the LED light will be seen through a hole in the case and very visible.

 

The thing is time based, each one is individual and I figure on using up to 3 555's per unit.

1. Do the timers control anything other than the LEDs?
2. Will the LEDs and switches be centrally located?
3. Are the switches and LEDs independent of each other?
4. Are you set on the solution space? Or is something like an Arduino Mega an option?

 

Maybe use two timers. One to flash the red led to indicate time is running. One for the elapsed time.

That would be perfect, need to know where I can find circuit examples to try.

 

That would be perfect, need to know where I can find circuit examples to try.

lookup “555 monostable” for elapsed time timer.
lookup “555 astable” for flasher function.

however, the type of elapsed time timer will depend on the required accuracy and timeout duration.

 

1. Do the timers control anything other than the LEDs?
2. Will the LEDs and switches be centrally located?
3. Are the switches and LEDs independent of each other?
4. Are you set on the solution space? Or is something like an Arduino Mega an option?

Timers only drive LED's possibly at some point drive s piezo sounder to give audio feedback in addition to the Green LED.

Arduino os out, tried that option and programming them is a pain, too complicated to go in to and cost is the other issue, cheapest I can find is £8 each, considering I have the NE555's and bought 100 of them, sold 40 to get my money back, left with 60 that I would like to use for project(s) I need something reasonably simple.

I have two arduinos and hate them TBH, the programming interface is a royal pain, there are many aspects of Arduino that really should be automated like the programming language is convoluted and difficult to use and when I try to upload a program, its errors or too big or uploads and nothing happens. So I gave up with Arduino and not happy with the cost of them given that they are meant to help rapid development, find the opposite.

 

How about fixing one problem and a time. Show us one of the circuits you have tried, the way you constructed it, and what results you got.

 

Arduino os out, tried that option and programming them is a pain, too complicated to go in to and cost is the other issue, cheapest I can find is £8 each,

Considering the amount of wiring needed for 20 switches, a Mega could be simpler to implement. Programming what you want shouldn't be difficult. I'd offer to do that for you if it's something you don't think you're capable of doing.

I'm not a fan of the IDE either, but wiring up 60 555 timers won't be a walk in the park.

 

This is an example I have seen that would if it could be modified easily
give the two states rather than blinking alternately, controlling the one state until the second state is met.

 

How about fixing one problem and a time. Show us one of the circuits you have tried, the way you constructed it, and what results you got.

Wired one up like this.

It shoes LED on as in NOT state

Apply voltage to turn out the LED...

The LED wouldn't relight until the power was turned off and back on.

Not what I was expecting.

 

This is an example I have seen that would if it could be modified easily

That's an astable. You need 2 one shots.

That's a terrible schematic. We put pin numbers on the outside of the symbol and it would be appropriate to label pin function for those who don't have it memorized.

 

Considering the amount of wiring needed for 20 switches, a Mega could be simpler to implement. Programming what you want shouldn't be difficult. I'd offer to do that for you if it's something you don't think you're capable of doing.

I'm not a fan of the IDE either, but wiring up 60 555 timers won't be a walk in the park.

The cost alone would be too much, 20 Arduinos ... £8 each, each has to be individual in their own box, not connected, each would need a substantial power supply, so I guess 3 x 18650 at £6 each and holders at £1 each, the cost is rocketing up. If I were selling these items as finished products, then I would plunge in with some of my savings but I can not justify that amount of financial input.

I already have 60 odd NE555's laying around gathering dust and would like to try using them. WHich is why I looked at this option first as they are cheap as chips.

 

That would be perfect, need to know where I can find circuit examples to try.

What is the timeout duration you want to implement with the elapsed timer?

 

hi damnu,
Your posted circuit diagram is technically acceptable, with the numbers on the inside of the model, many datasheets are annotated in that way.

E

 

That's an astable. You need 2 one shots.

That's a terrible schematic. We put pin numbers on the outside of the symbol and it would be appropriate to label pin function for those who don't have it memorized.

Its what was on the internet, I have no control over what people put, I wouldn't know what pin is what if they were labeled.

I am trying to relearn, I suffered a major head injury a few years back.

To make it simple to understand my dilemma, imaging you go to sleep and wake up next morning not knowing what road signs mean but you can drive... You recognise faces of people and don't know if you know them or if you know their names... I have huge parts of my life missing including experiences and things like programming, I was a fairly adept C programmer but these days its all garbled. Stroke patients suffer the same with having to relearn things that they could do without thinking, if that helps you understand my situation.