LE GETTING STARTED: BUILD A SIMPLE LED FLASHER

D NOW YOU ARE READY TO BUILD THE LED FLASHER CIRCUIT ON PAGE 11. BUILDING
THIS CIRCUIT WILL HELP PREPARE YOU TO BUILD ALL THE CIRCUITS DESCRIBED IN
YOUR LEARNING LAB MANUALS. IIP: CIRCUIT BUILDING GOES MUCH FASTER IF YOU
FIRST GATHER TOGETHER ALL THE PARTS YOU WILL NEED. ALSO, BE SURE TO REMOVE
UNUSED PARTS FROM THE BREADBOARD.

PARTS YOU WILL NEED

6 7 <m
5nnn
n
R1-1.7K (YEL-VIO-RED) R2- J
D 555
UUUL) 10K (BRN-BLK-ORG) R3-1K Cl-10 UF LED 1-RED LED
I 111
(BRN-BLK-RED)

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM HOW IT

Rl THIS CIRCUIT IS A BASIC ASTABLE OR FREE-RUNNING
PULSE GENERATOR. THE PULSE RATE IS DETERMINED
PRIMARILY BY CI AND THE RESISTORS THROUGH WHICH CI
CHARGES (Rl AND R2). THE WIDTH OF THE PULSES IS
CONTROLLED BY R2. R3 LIMITS CURRENT THROUGH THE LED
THE CIRCUIT
TO A SAFE VALUE. NOTICE HOW ALL THE CONNECTIONS TO
SPECIFIES A RED
+4 VOLTS ARE SHOWN SEPARATELY. THIS STYLE IS USED IN
LED FOR LED 1. YOU
MOST OF YOUR LEARNING LAB CIRCUIT DIAGRAMS.
CAN USE A GREEN
1. BUILD THE CIRCUIT
LED IF YOU PREFER.
1. □ INSERT Rl ACROSS G19 AND VI
POWER SWITCH TO (+tV).
OFF. □ INSERT R2 ACROSS G20 AND H20.
2. □ INSERT R3 ACROSS Dl5 AND VI
555 IC (+W).
ACROSS SLOT 3 (PIN □ INSERT LED 1 ACROSS Dl3
(ANODE) AND H13 (CATHODE).
3. □ INSERT CI ACROSS Gil (+) AND Fll
(-).
5. □ CONNECT F20 TO VI (+W) (WHT WIRE).
t. □ CONNECT F13 TO GROUND (RED WIRE).
2. TEST THE CIRCUIT
CHECK THE CIRCUIT FOR ERRORS. WHEN YOU ARE SURE ALL THE WIRES AND
COMPONENTS ARE INSTALLED CORRECTLY, PUSH THE POWER SWITCH UP (ON).
THE LED SHOULD BEGIN FLASHING SEVERAL TIMES PER SECOND. PROBLEM? GO
TO PAGES It, AND 1& FOR HELP.

GOING FURTHER
THIS SIMPLE CIRCUIT IS EASY TO MODIFY. TO SLOW ThE FLASH RATE TO ABOUT
ONCE EVERY TWO SECONDS, INSERT A 100 UF CAPACITOR ACROSS CI AT G12 (-0
AND Fl2 (-). TO TRIGGER A SHRILL TONE FROM Tit BUZZER EACH TIME THE LED
SWITCHES ON, USE BLUE WIRES TO CONNECT SPRING t>7 TO Hll AND SPRING U,
TO VI (+W). THE 555 TIMER IS AMAZINGLY VERSATILE. MORE APPLICATIONS FOR
THE 555 ARE GIVEN LATER IN THIS MANUAL. BE SURE TO COMPARE YOUR
CIRCUIT WITH THE PICTORIAL VIEW ON PAGE lfc. YOU WILL FIND SOME TIPS
THAT WILL HELP YOU BUILD THIS AND OTHER CIRCUITS.

15
 GETTING STARTED: CHECKING OUT THE CIRCUIT
IF YOU ADDED TT€ 100 UF CAPACITOR, YOUR LED FLASHER CIRCUIT SHOULD NOW BE
FLASHING SEVERAL TIMES EACH SECOND. OR MAYBE IT S NOT WORKING. EITHER WAY,
COMPARE YOUR CIRCUIT WITH THE ONE BELOW TO SEE WHAT YOU DID RIGHT—OR
WHAT YOU DID WRONG.

FINDING AND CORRECTING ERRORS IN ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS IS CALLED

"TROUBLESHOOTING." TROUBLESHOOTING IS COVERED ON PAGE 18. YOU WILL GET A
GOOD IDEA OF WHATS INVOLVED IN TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR LEARNING LAB PROJECTS
BY COMPARING YOUR CIRCUIT WITH THE ILLUSTRATION BELOW.
WHEN A CIRCUIT 555IT SICOK 1 (THIS
PINFOR USUALLY MUST
MARKED
BE AS SHOWN)AT HOLE F15. ICS MUST BE
INSTALLED THE CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
FAILS TO WORK INSTALLED
BARE LEDOVER TO . THEIR INDEX MARKS SHOULD ALWAYS POINT
A SLOT
WIRE SHOWS THREE LEADS GOING
PROPERLY. PUSH TOUCH THE TO VOLTS (VI). HERE THEY
THE POWER ADJACENT ARE. BE SURE TO USE THE
INSULATED VOLTAGE GIVEN IN THE
SWITCH TO
CONNECTION WIRE. CIRCUIT.
OFF RIGHT
AWAY. CAPACITOR CI IS INSTALLED CLOSE TO THE LED. BE SURE THEIR BARE
LEADS DO NOT
IT S NOT OK FOR TOUCH ONE THESE LETTERS ARE
THE BARE WIRES OF
PRINTED ON THE LEFT
PARTS TO TOUCH
AND RIGHT EDGES OF
ANY OTHER BARE
THE BREADBOARD.
WIRE.
THEY ARE MOVED
CLOSER TO THE IC IN
THIS DRAWING SO
YOU CAN MORE EASILY
CHECK THE
CONNECTION POINTS.
THE ARROW AT LEFT
POINTS TO N2*1.

ANOTHER.

THIS LOOSE SINCE THESE TWO WHITE WIRES FOR BEST

CONNECTION WIRE ARE INSTALLED CLOSE TOGETHER, RESULTS, KEEP
IS RED. IT GOES TO BE SURE THEY GO TO THE CORRECT THE AREA
ANY OF THE 50 CONNECTION POINTS. THEIR AROUND YOUR
GROUND POINTS INSULATED PORTIONS CAN TOUCH. CIRCUITS FREE OF
BELOW. UNUSED PARTS.
NOTE THE FLAT SPOT ON THE RIM OF THE LED BASE. THIS MARKS THE CATHODE
(-) LEAD. THE LEADS OF CI ARE ALSO POLARIZED AND MUST BE INSTALLED
CORRECTLY.
TO PROTECT YOUR LEARNING LAB, AND FOR BEST RESULTS, ALWAYS SWITCH THE
POWER SWITCH TO OFF BEFORE BUILDING OR MODIFYING A CIRCUIT. AFTER YOU
BUILD A CIRCUIT, CAREFULLY CHECK FOR ERRORS BEFORE SWITCHING THE POWER
BACK ON.

15