The Famous NE555 Timer-IC, Original and a Bit Larger

Intro: The Famous NE555 Timer-IC, Original and a Bit Larger

Integrated circuits (IC) are indispensable today. They're made up of many thousands of electronic components (transistors, diodes, resistors, etc.) and still don't take up much more space than a fingernail. One of the most well-known ICs is the NE555 timer chip.

The NE555 integrated circuit is an active electronic device that turns an output on or off under certain conditions. It is very suitable for time controls and clock generators and is sometimes even used in switched-mode power supplies. The NE555 – often abbreviated to just the 555 – was first introduced in 1972 by the US semiconductor manufacturer Signetics. Due to its robustness and reliability, it is still used today, with its areas of application ranging from toys to space travel. The NE555 is the world's best-selling integrated circuit.

STEP 1: The Discrete IC

The entire discrete circuit is placed on a 15x9 cm prototype board. On the underside you have to connect some parts of the circuit with cables. The IC has a total of 8 legs. I made these out of aluminum.

My discrete NE555 measures around 10x10x4 cm, which corresponds to a volume of 400 cm³. The original NE555 is only 1x1x0.5 cm, which is 800 times smaller compared to my model. Today it is possible to make an even smaller IC (look at the picture). You don't have to forget that this 8pin NE555 has been developed 50 years ago.Today millions of transistors find place on just 1 cm².

STEP 2: Testing Your Huge IC-model

With the NE555 you can implement a lot of different timer circuits. The most important are the monostable multivibrator, the bistable multivibrator and the astable multivibrator.

With the monostable multivibrator, the output of the NE555 goes HIGH for an adjustable time after a button is pressed and then automatically drops to LOW.

With the bistable multivibrator, the NE555 changes its state after pressing a button, i.e. changes from LOW to HIGH, then from HIGH to LOW and so on.

With the astable multivibrator, the NE555 automatically changes its state without pressing a button. So it constantly jumps from LOW to HIGH and back again. The times in which it is in the LOW state and HIGH state can be set with an external resistor and an external capacitor. An astable multivibrator is therefore a blinker with an adjustable lighting time and dark time.

I've tested the astable multivibrator and it worked well. With the two potentiometers R1 and R2 in combination wit the capacitor C you can adjust the lighting time and the dark time.

If you are interested in further physics projects visit my homepage or my youtube channel. In this sense stay curious and eureka

Comments

[Franks Instructables]

Interesting project, it's hard to imagine that in the 50s and early 60s, if you, as a design engineer wanted an OP amp or comparator in a computer, this is how you did it. I have a few old books in my collection from that era that show you how to build anything we have on chips today with discreet transistors.

[CMoz]

This is the best idea ever for a go large project! I wish you had made a black cover for it afterwards so it looked like the 555 when stored. It's really great to be used for an educational demo too. Thanks so much for sharing!

[stoppi71]

You're welcome, I'm happy that you like it....

[leshemeli]

Great product you did. Educating!
In the 70 'th, as a young engineer I was excited by the 555 versatility and simplicity.
In those days, no PC, no PLC, no Arduino, no Raspberry pi. just logical gates. I was in the automation of machine control, that was done with a cabinet using hundreds of relays, as logical gates. Just thing of the beautiful "noise" of the switching relays.
In a machine that moves to a limit switch, you want a delay after that to have a good touch. So we had expensive timing relays for that. I dreamed to use the 555 as a timer with good de-bounced output. But the usual usage of the 555 did not allow it.
So I configured ten's of usages of the trigger / reset / output / threshold / ... pins to achieve it.
I attached my favorite.

[stoppi71]

Thanks for your comment and your story, very interesting...

[JohnC430]

So many people and so many accolades. Good work.
Nobody asked.....Why did you make it?

[stoppi71]

Hi! Thank's. To be honest, because I'm still curious like a child and I love physics/electronics...

[TerryM140]

Wow!!! Can you make one using thermionic valves for us old-timers please?

[ashutoshpande421]

Thanks for sharing this unusual project! I want to build a circuit which will switch off an exhaust fan after 2-3 minutes of pressing a button. Suggestions will be welcome.

[stoppi71]

Hi! Then I would recommend a monostable multivibrator. When you press the button the monostable multivibrator will go high for a certain time and then automatically low. The time can be adjusted with an external resistor and capacitor. You will find a lot circuits on Google with the NE555

[ashutoshpande421]

Thank you! :-)

[nearly_trainable]

Oh, this is brilliant electronics nerdliness! You've made me very happy today!

[Matthieu1]

This stuff is awesome ! ;-))
With a real serigraphed circuit (and not a breadboard), it would be great!
For school use, add a bit of connector, that was the first time that we can connect a voltmeter into an IC, and not on the outside pin !!!

[Mad4400]

I thought it was made using 26 transistors.
But you look to have dropped one each of NPN and PNP in favour of diodes. How do they substitute?

[m1interactive]

I was obsessed with the 555 chip when I was a kid and how I really got into electronics. This is a great project. Nice work!!

[Palingenesis]

Nice.
Don't forget the underside cover and make the pins with the thin bits. (could make the pins SMD)

There is a "Go Big Challenge" contest.
Have you entered it?

[stoppi71]

Thanks for the hints. I have already entered the big-contest...

[zolv]

Nicely done!
Please add a detachable black cover so it looks like an IC, with all the NE555 markings on it :)

[stoppi71]

Thank's. Good idea, I will do this in the next days and make an update here....

[zolv]

Haha! Now it looks cool. I like that you imitated also the circle on the bottom-left.