Click here to view a PDF of all the Design Ideas from this issue. Using a CMOS 555 timer and a single NPN transistor, you can drive as many as seven LEDs using a minimal amount of voltage and power ...

LEDs find their way into applications that range from high-end video displays to low-end lighting applications. Designers often need only some of the functions of a dedicated LED driver but can’t ...

This voltage-booster circuit for driving one or more white LEDs uses a 555 timer as its main element (see the figure). The timer, IC1, functions as a resettable astable multivibrator where R1, R2, and ...

Semtech has introduced an analogue timer chip that runs from 0.9V, but can drive LEDs at over 3V. Called SX8122, to the timer it adds: a simple battery charger, a boost converter, and a power-down ...

Regular readers may recall we recently covered a neat Arduino trick that allowed you to “blow out” an LED as if it was a candle. The idea was that the LED itself could be used as a rudimentary ...

The venerable 555-type timer makes an effective driver for power MOSFETs, but you have to understand the drive situation when selecting the correct variation of the basic timer. This idea shows how ...

This stunning piece of art is [Emily Velasco’s] take on the Atari Punk Console. It’s a freeform circuit that synthesizes sound using 555 timers. The circuit has been around for a long time, but her ...