USB Blinky

My projects typically involve many LEDs and microcontrollers. However sometimes I just love the simplest of things with LEDs.

One of the very basic LED circuits is a blinky using astable multivibrator. This is the circuit that I've made - with hand drawn and etched PCB and with incandescent lamps - when I was in high school for a PCB making contest and won. I guess it still has sentimental value for me.

Now with LEDs instead of incandescent lamps, and USB power instead of batteries, here's the USB Blinkly.

I integrated the USB plug into the PCB, so it's simpler as well as economical. You can plug USB Blinky into any USB receptacles - computers, chargers, everywhere.

Step 1: Circuit

The circuit is an ubiquitous astable multivibrator. I used NPN type transistors and used the super-bright LESs. As the values shown in the schematics, the blinking rate is about 2 times/second. You can adjust the R2,3 and C1,2 to achieve different speed. Larger the values, the slower the speed. I recommend keeping the values of R2 and R3 between 1k and 47k ohm. At larger resistance transistors do not get enough bias current to fully turn on the LEDs. At smaller resistance than 1k ohm, too much bias current flow into the transistors. Capacitors can be as small as 1uF (very fast blink, more like flicker), or as large as 1000uF (super slow).

Current draw from the USB port is slightly under 5mA.

Comments

[ledartist]

USB Blinky kits are now available at The Maker Shed.

http://www.makershed.com/USB_Blinky_Green_p/mkla2.htm

Thanks!

[newbeatle]

congratulations, so simple and nice idea!!

[ledartist]

Thanks!

[Timofte Andrei]

this reminds me from my first electronic project... :D

[ledartist]

That's the idea...

[Insonicbloom]

Theres a cool LED Halloween, well.. decoration type project on stripboard HERE
I know it isn't quite a USB thing (which is pretty by the way) but I thought you might like to know.

[JVC-Force]

Very good, This may be the first LED blinky kit for USB plugs ever made! By the way, the shape looks like Jah Jah Binks, LOL!

[ledartist]

That's true - I was thinking more like a frog...

[binoyxj]

Nice. Great kit for anyone getting started.

[Awesome-aniac]

Well made project and instructable. Nice work!

[ledartist]

Thanks!