The “555 Timer”

A quick Intro

What is a Timer?

• a small chip which generates a constant electrical pulse.

• Used extensively in electronics

• The CPU has a timer which regulates it’s speed. Ex: 500 MHz, 2 GHz

The 555 Timer

• This is the most widely used timer chip

• Generates a pulse using a capacitor and some resistors

• The resistors and capacitors regulate it’s frequency.

A Capacitor?

• Capacitors accumulate and release electric charge

• Used in almost all electronic devices

• Units: Farad – A Farad is a very large quantity our capacitors

will be measured in microfarads (F)

The Timer

The dot indicates pin 1

Your Job(s) For today:

• Use the wiring instructions found in the assignment to set up your timer.

• Create a schematic of your circuit in Tina– Include a Key!

• Create a chart matching the different resistor values with the output