Can the NE 555 be used on 12 Volts?

Hello,

You just hijacked a submission thread:
http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=14018

Now you have your own thread.

Bertus

 

The typical maximum voltage for conventional 555's is 15VDC, however the example given by beenthere's actual datasheet is 16VDC.

http://www.national.com/ds/LM/LM555.pdf

With a device like the 555, being made by so many manufacturers, there is a bit of variation in specs.

With the CMOS versions it is generally 18VDC, though they have reduced drive.

So it will work with 12VDC very well. This part was designed for automotive applications (and some military/space versions exist). Used properly it is very tough, though I've found some fast ways of burning them out through wiring errors.

No one is born knowing electronics, you just have to be willing to jump in there.

 

I looked up the value from the PDF link for the data sheet in the link you gave. There is another part that has bitten me several times, the LMC555, which is the CMOS version of the part. It was also listed on your link. The part number is so close it is easy to miss the "C" designation, and I have.

To the OP, as you can figure out, reading datasheets is a skill unto itself, and the 555 is very straight forward compared to some. The shear quantity of manufacturers, each with their own techniques, means it can be even more challenging since individual specs can vary a little per manufacturer.

My series of articles have published in the AAC book, and I'm not done. You can read it from the beginning here.

Chapter 8: 555 TIMER CIRCUITS