CREATIVITY LAB – EE 223 B

EXPERIMENT NO. 2
AIM: To make Alternate LED Flasher Circuit using 555 Timer in Astable mode.

APPARATUS USED:

S.
Apparatus Name Specifications Quantity
No.
1. Bread Board - 1
2. Jumper Wires - 1 m (approx.)
3. Soldering Iron 25 W 1
Soldering Accessories (Wire, flux,
4. - -
etc.)
5. PCB 4’’ x 6’’ 1
6. IC 555 Timer - 1
According to ON and As per
7. Resistors OFF times of LEDs as required
selected by group circuit
According to ON and As per
8. Capacitors OFF times of LEDs as required
selected by group circuit
9. Battery 9V 1
10. LEDs - 2

THEORY:

1. Introduction:
The 555 timer IC was first introduced around 1971 by the Signetics
Corporation as the SE555/NE555 and was called "The IC Time Machine"
and was also the very first and only commercial timer IC available. It
provided circuit designers with a relatively cheap, stable, and user-
friendly integrated circuit for timer and multivibrator applications. These
ICs come in two packages, either the round metal-can called the 'T'
package or the more familiar 8-pin DIP 'V' package as shown in figure
 below. The IC comprises of 23 transistors, 2 diodes and 16 resistors with
built-in compensation for component tolerance and temperature drift.

2. Important Features:
• It operates from a wide range of power supplies ranging from + 5
Volts to + 18 Volts supply voltage.
• Sinking or sourcing 200 mA of load current.
• The external components should be selected properly so that the
timing intervals can be made into several minutes along with the
frequencies exceeding several hundred kilohertz.
• The output of a 555 timer can drive a transistor-transistor logic
(TTL) due to its high current output.
• It has a temperature stability of 50 parts per million (ppm) per
degree Celsius change in temperature, or equivalently 0.005 %/ °C.
• The duty cycle of the timer is adjustable.
• The maximum power dissipation per package is 600 mW and its
trigger and reset inputs has logic compatibility.

3. IC Pin Configuration:

Pin1: Ground: All voltages are measured with respect to this terminal.

Pin2: Trigger: The output of the timer depends on the amplitude of the
external trigger pulse applied to this pin. When a negative going pulse of
amplitude greater than 1/3 VCC is applied to this pin, the output of the
timer high. The output remains high as long as the trigger terminal is held
at a low voltage.
Pin3: Output: The output of the timer is measured here with respect to
ground. There are two ways by which a load can be connected to the
output terminal: either between pin 3 and ground or between pin3 and
supply voltage +VCC. When the output is low the load current flows
through the load connected between pin3 and +VCC into the output
terminal and is called sink current. The current through the grounded load
is zero when the output is low. For this reason, the load connected
between pin 3 and +VCC is called the normally on load (we will use this for
our circuit) and that connected between pin 3 and ground is called
normally off-load. On the other hand, when the output is high the current
through the load connected between pin 3 and +VCC is zero. The output
terminal supplies current to the normally off load. This current is called
source current. The maximum value of sink or source current is 200mA.

Pin4: Reset: The 555 timer can be reset (disabled) by applying a negative
pulse to this pin. When the reset function is not in use, the reset terminal
should be connected to +VCC to avoid any possibility of false triggering.

Pin5: Control Voltage: An external voltage applied to this terminal

changes the threshold as well as trigger voltage. Thus, by imposing a
voltage on this pin or by connecting a pot between this pin and ground,
the pulse width of the output waveform can be varied. When not used,
the control pin should be bypassed to ground with a 0.01µF Capacitor to
prevent any noise problems.

Pin6: Threshold: When the voltage at this pin is greater than or equal to
the threshold voltage 2/3 VCC, the output of the timer low.

Pin7: Discharge: This pin is connected internally to the collector of

transistor Q. When the output is high Q is OFF and acts as an open circuit
to external capacitor C connected across it. On the other hand, when the
output is low, Q is saturated and acts as a short circuit, shorting out the
external capacitor C to ground.

Pin8: +VCC: The supply voltage of +5V to + 18V is applied to this pin with
respect to
ground.
4. Functional Block Diagram of IC 555:

5. Operation:
The functional block diagram shows that the device consists of two
comparators, three resistors and a flip-flop. A comparator is an OPAMP
that compares an input voltage and indicates whether an input is higher
or lower than a reference voltage by swinging into saturation in both the
direction. The operation of the 555 timer revolves around the three
resistors that form a voltage divider across the power supply to develop
the reference voltage, and the two comparators connected to this voltage
divider. The IC is quiescent so long as the trigger input (pin 2) remains at
+VCC and the threshold input (pin 6) is at ground. Assume the reset input
(pin 4) is also at +VCC and therefore inactive, and that the control voltage
input (pin 5) is unconnected.
 The three resistors in the voltage divider all have the same value
(5K in the bipolar version of this IC and hence the name 555), so the trigger
and threshold comparator reference voltages are 1/3 and 2/3 of the
supply voltage, respectively. The control voltage input at pin 5 can directly
affect this relationship, although most of the time this pin is unused. The
internal flip-flop changes state when the trigger input at pin 2 is pulled
down below +VCC/3. When this occurs, the output (pin 3) changes state to
+VCC and the discharge transistor (pin 7) is turned off. The trigger input
can now return to +VCC; it will not affect the state of the IC.
However, if the threshold input (pin 6) is now raised above
+(2/3)VCC, the output will return to ground and the discharge transistor
will be turned on again. When the threshold input returns to ground, the
IC will remain in this state, which was the original state when we started
this analysis. The easiest way to allow the threshold voltage (pin 6) to
gradually rise to +(2/3)VCC is to connect it externally to a capacitor being
allowed to charge through a resistor. In this way we can adjust the R and
C values for almost any time interval we might want.

6. IC 555 Timer as Astable Multivibrator

There are basically three types of pulse generation circuits
depending on the number of stable states:
• Astable - has NO stable states but switches continuously between
two states this action produces a train of square wave pulses at a
fixed frequency.
• Monostable - has only ONE stable state and if triggered externally,
it returns back to its first stable state.
• Bistable - has TWO stable states that produces a single pulse either
positive or
negative in value.
The 555 can operate in either mono/bi-stable or astable mode,
depending on the connections to and the arrangement of the external
components. Thus, it can either produce a single pulse when triggered, or
it can produce a continuous pulse train as long as it remains powered.
a) Astable Multivibrator with duty cycle more than 50%
An astable multivibrator can be designed as shown in the circuit
diagram below (with typical component values) using IC 555, for a duty
cycle of more than 50%. The corresponding voltage across the capacitor
and voltage at output is also shown.
In the circuit diagram given below, pin 2 and pin 6 are connected
together allowing the circuit to re-trigger itself on each and every cycle
allowing it to operate as a free running oscillator. During each cycle
capacitor, C charges up through both timing resistors, R1 and R2 but
discharges itself only through resistor, R2 as the other side of R2 is
connected to the discharge terminal, pin 7.
Then the capacitor charges up to 2/3 VCC (the upper comparator
limit) which is determined by the 0.693 (R1+R2).C combination and
discharges itself down to 1/3 VCC (the lower comparator limit) determined
by the 0.693 R2.C combination. This results in an output waveform whose
voltage level is approximately equal to Vcc – 1.5V and whose output “ON”
and “OFF” time periods are determined by the capacitor and resistors
combinations.
The time for charging C from 1/3 VCC to 2/3 VCC, i.e., ON Time = 0.693 (R1
+ R2).C
The time for discharging C from 2/3 VCC to 1/3 VCC, i.e., OFF Time = 0.693
R2.C
To get the total oscillation period, just add the two:
TOSC = 0.693 (R1 + R2).C + 0.693 R2.C = 0.693 (R1 + 2R2).C
Thus,
𝟏 𝟏.𝟒𝟒
fOSC = =
𝑻𝑶𝑺𝑪 (𝑹𝟏 + 𝟐𝑹𝟐 ).𝐂
𝑹𝟏 + 𝑹𝟐
Duty cycle =
𝑹𝟏 + 𝟐𝑹𝟐
 b) Astable Multivibrator with duty cycle less than 50%
By connecting this diode, D1 between the trigger input and the
discharge input, the timing capacitor will now charge up directly through
resistor R1 only, as resistor R2 is effectively shorted out by the diode. The
capacitor discharges as normal through resistor, R2.
An additional diode, D2 can be connected in series with the
discharge resistor, R2 if required to ensure that the timing capacitor will
only charge up through D1 and not through the parallel path of R2. This is
because during the charging process diode D2 is connected in reverse bias
blocking the flow of current through itself.
Now the previous charging time of t1 = 0.693(R1 + R2)C is modified
to take account of this new charging circuit and is given as: 0.693 R1C. The
duty cycle is therefore given as D = R1/(R1 + R2). Then to generate a duty
cycle of less than 50%, resistor R1 needs to be less than resistor R2.
Although the previous circuit improves the duty cycle of the output
waveform by charging the timing capacitor, C1 through the R1 + D1
combination and then discharging it through the D2 + R2 combination, the
problem with this circuit arrangement is that the 555 oscillator circuit uses
additional components, i.e. two diodes.
TOSC = 0.693 (R1 + R2).C
Thus,
𝟏 𝟏.𝟒𝟒
fOSC = =
𝑻𝑶𝑺𝑪 (𝑹𝟏 + 𝑹𝟐 ).𝐂
𝑹𝟏
Duty cycle =
𝑹𝟏 + 𝑹𝟐

c) Astable Multivibrator with duty cycle equal than 50%

By simply moving the position of the charging resistor R 2 to the
output (pin 3), the 555 oscillator now produces a 50% duty cycle as the
 timing capacitor C1 is now charging and discharging through the same
resistor R2 rather than discharging through the timer’s discharge pin 7 as
before. When the output from the 555 oscillator is HIGH, the capacitor
charges up through R2 and when the output is LOW, it discharges through
R2. Resistor R1 is used to ensure that the capacitor charges up fully to the
same value as the supply voltage.
TOSC = 0.693 (2R2).C
Thus,
𝟏 𝟏.𝟒𝟒
fOSC = =
𝑻𝑶𝑺𝑪 (𝟐𝑹𝟐 ).𝐂
𝑹𝟐
Duty cycle = = 50%.
𝟐𝑹𝟐

CALCULATIONS (to be done before purchase of Resistors and Capacitors):

Assumed On time, Ton = ________ (To be assumed individually by each group)
Assumed Off time, Toff = ________ (To be assumed individually by each group)
C1 = ________
R1 = ________
R2 = ________

Note: Ton and Toff should be different for all groups, and students will have to
assume one of the three quantities – C1, R1 and R2, to calculate the other two
using above given formulae.
OBSERVATIONS (after making the circuit):
Actual On time, (Ton)’ = ________
Actual Off time, (Toff)’ = ________
(𝑻𝑶𝑵 )′− 𝑻𝑶𝑵 (𝑻𝑶𝑭𝑭 )′− 𝑻𝑶𝑭𝑭
Error (On time) = x 100, Error (Off time) = x 100
𝑻𝑶𝑵 𝑻𝑶𝑭𝑭

RESULT: