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 ...

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 ...

This simple LED driver circuit allows us to drive up to seven LEDs by using a single NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) AA cell. The circuit produces voltage pulses at a much higher level than the input ...

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 ...

It’s back! The 555 timer contest wants to see you do something cool with the 555 timer chip. At stake is the adulation of electronics geeks everywhere. Three top winners will be awarded a $150 ...