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#555timer — Public Fediverse posts

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  1. Everyone knows the versatile 555 timer chip, introduced by Signetics in 1971, and second-sourced or cloned by nearly every semiconductor company that ever made analog ICs.
    Somehow, it wasn't until today that I learned of the National Semiconductor LM122/LM322/LM2905/LM3905 timer chip, apparently the "also ran" of IC timer chips.
    National Semiconductor, had, like everyone else, offered their own 555, called the LM555, still made by their successor and once-competitor, Texas Instruments.
    #555timer

  2. Everyone knows the versatile 555 timer chip, introduced by Signetics in 1971, and second-sourced or cloned by nearly every semiconductor company that ever made analog ICs.
    Somehow, it wasn't until today that I learned of the National Semiconductor LM122/LM322/LM2905/LM3905 timer chip, apparently the "also ran" of IC timer chips.
    National Semiconductor, had, like everyone else, offered their own 555, called the LM555, still made by their successor and once-competitor, Texas Instruments.
    #555timer

  3. 555 timer Integrated Circuit

    This gem is now 55 years old! A wonderful history is described in this vid.

    Naturally I also looked in the wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica to find goodies of the time this wonderful timer was build. Since no patent was filed you can find a billion versions of it, which is a nice variant on the patent theme

    Wikipedia states

    The timer IC was designed in 1971 by Hans Camenzind under contract to Signetics.[3] In 1968, he was hired by Signetics to develop a phase-locked loop (PLL) IC. He designed an oscillator for PLLs such that the frequency did not depend on the power supply voltage or temperature. Signetics subsequently laid off half of its employees due to the 1970 recession, and development on the PLL was thus frozen.[6] Camenzind proposed the development of a universal circuit based on the oscillator for PLLs and asked that he develop it alone, borrowing equipment from Signetics instead of having his pay cut in half. Camenzind's idea was originally rejected, since other engineers argued the product could be built from existing parts sold by the company

    We are sure glad marketing was on good insticts then

    The first design for the 555 was reviewed in the summer of 1971.[8] After this design was tested and found to be without errors, Camenzind got the idea of using a direct resistance instead of a constant current source, finding that it worked satisfactorily.[8] The design change decreased the required 9 external pins to 8, so the IC could be fit in an 8-pin package instead of a 14-pin package.[8] This revised version passed a second design review, and the prototypes were completed in October 1971 as the NE555V (plastic DIP) and SE555T (metal TO-5).[9] The 9-pin version had already been released by another company founded by an engineer who had attended the first review and had retired from Signetics; that firm withdrew its version soon after the 555 was released. The 555 timer was manufactured by 12 companies in 1972, and it became a best-selling product.[6]

    Quite neat this was for us electronic tinkerers and engineers

    The 555 found many applications beyond timers. Camenzind noted in 1997 that "nine out of 10 of its applications were in areas and ways I had never contemplated. For months I was inundated by phone calls from engineers who had new ideas for using the device."[8]

    sources

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555_time

    youtube.com/watch?v=6JhK8iCQuqI

    #electronics #timer #timer555 #555timer #IC #engineering #mathematics #physics #no #TV

  4. 555 timer Integrated Circuit

    This gem is now 55 years old! A wonderful history is described in this vid.

    Naturally I also looked in the wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica to find goodies of the time this wonderful timer was build. Since no patent was filed you can find a billion versions of it, which is a nice variant on the patent theme

    Wikipedia states

    The timer IC was designed in 1971 by Hans Camenzind under contract to Signetics.[3] In 1968, he was hired by Signetics to develop a phase-locked loop (PLL) IC. He designed an oscillator for PLLs such that the frequency did not depend on the power supply voltage or temperature. Signetics subsequently laid off half of its employees due to the 1970 recession, and development on the PLL was thus frozen.[6] Camenzind proposed the development of a universal circuit based on the oscillator for PLLs and asked that he develop it alone, borrowing equipment from Signetics instead of having his pay cut in half. Camenzind's idea was originally rejected, since other engineers argued the product could be built from existing parts sold by the company

    We are sure glad marketing was on good insticts then

    The first design for the 555 was reviewed in the summer of 1971.[8] After this design was tested and found to be without errors, Camenzind got the idea of using a direct resistance instead of a constant current source, finding that it worked satisfactorily.[8] The design change decreased the required 9 external pins to 8, so the IC could be fit in an 8-pin package instead of a 14-pin package.[8] This revised version passed a second design review, and the prototypes were completed in October 1971 as the NE555V (plastic DIP) and SE555T (metal TO-5).[9] The 9-pin version had already been released by another company founded by an engineer who had attended the first review and had retired from Signetics; that firm withdrew its version soon after the 555 was released. The 555 timer was manufactured by 12 companies in 1972, and it became a best-selling product.[6]

    Quite neat this was for us electronic tinkerers and engineers

    The 555 found many applications beyond timers. Camenzind noted in 1997 that "nine out of 10 of its applications were in areas and ways I had never contemplated. For months I was inundated by phone calls from engineers who had new ideas for using the device."[8]

    sources

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555_time

    youtube.com/watch?v=6JhK8iCQuqI

    #electronics #timer #timer555 #555timer #IC #engineering #mathematics #physics #no #TV

  5. Someone here mentioned that the #555timer was designed 55 years ago en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555_time So I guess that makes 5/5 #555timerday!

    #TinkerCAD .com can simulate this quite nicely - No real breadboard required.

  6. Someone here mentioned that the #555timer was designed 55 years ago en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555_time So I guess that makes 5/5 #555timerday!

    #TinkerCAD .com can simulate this quite nicely - No real breadboard required.

  7. EEVblog celebrates the ancient 555 timer's birthday like it's a sacred relic 🕰️, while #YouTube and Google are gleefully counting down to 2026 to bless us with yet another update we'll never understand. 🎉 Seriously, who knew silicon could get so nostalgic? 😆
    youtube.com/watch?v=6JhK8iCQuqI #EEVblog #555timer #nostalgia #techupdates #siliconcelebration #HackerNews #ngated

  8. EEVblog celebrates the ancient 555 timer's birthday like it's a sacred relic 🕰️, while #YouTube and Google are gleefully counting down to 2026 to bless us with yet another update we'll never understand. 🎉 Seriously, who knew silicon could get so nostalgic? 😆
    youtube.com/watch?v=6JhK8iCQuqI #EEVblog #555timer #nostalgia #techupdates #siliconcelebration #HackerNews #ngated

  9. The 555 timer is now 55 years old. I've had some fun with these. How about you?
    youtube.com/watch?v=6JhK8iCQuqI

  10. Me: Why the hell is this opamp drawing half an amp when I turn it on?

    Also me, later: Oh. Because it's a 555 timer...

    #duh #idiot #electronics #breadboard #opamp #555timer

  11. Me: Why the hell is this opamp drawing half an amp when I turn it on?

    Also me, later: Oh. Because it's a 555 timer...

    #duh #idiot #electronics #breadboard #opamp #555timer

  12. Built my first little 555 astable timer today ⏱️⚡
    Just a humble LED blinker, but it feels like magic when the circuit comes alive.
    Maybe this is the start of my journey into electronics and 8-bit retro computing.
    #Electronics #555Timer #RetroComputing #Maker

  13. Built my first little 555 astable timer today ⏱️⚡
    Just a humble LED blinker, but it feels like magic when the circuit comes alive.
    Maybe this is the start of my journey into electronics and 8-bit retro computing.
    #Electronics #555Timer #RetroComputing #Maker

  14. 2025 One Hertz Challenge: Digital Clock Built With Analog Timer - You can use a microcontroller to build a clock. After all, a clock is just somethi... - hackaday.com/2025/08/13/2025-o #clockhacks #arduinouno #555timer #clock

  15. 2025 One Hertz Challenge: Digital Clock Built With Analog Timer - You can use a microcontroller to build a clock. After all, a clock is just somethi... - hackaday.com/2025/08/13/2025-o #clockhacks #arduinouno #555timer #clock

  16. The book shop has a magazine on sale from 2022. Not sure whether it's a reprint but I'm awfully tempted to buy it because of an article about the NE555. #555timer

  17. The book shop has a magazine on sale from 2022. Not sure whether it's a reprint but I'm awfully tempted to buy it because of an article about the NE555. #555timer