THE555INTEGRATEDCIRCUIT(IC)TIMER-FacultyPages.docVIP

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING ECE 201 CIRCUIT THEORY I INTRODUCTION TO THE 555 INTEGRATED CIRCUIT TIMER BACKGROUND The 555 integrated circuit timer is a device used to generate accurate time delays or oscillations. It is packaged in an 8-pin MINI-DIP with the pin connections shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. Package and pin outline for the 555 IC timer “Under the hood” of the 555 timer are more than 20 transistors, 15 resistors, and 2 diodes. However, at this point, it is not necessary to understand how any of these individual devices operate in order to make simple use of the 555 timer! It turns out that we can think of the 555 as a SPDT switch that provides an output which is either a DC voltage (VCC) or 0 volts (GROUND). The position of the switch is determined by the voltage at pin #6 (THRESHOLD). This is illustrated in Figure 2. Figure 2. A simplified representation of the 555 timer If the voltage at pin #6 is 2/3VCC, the switch is connected to GROUND, and the OUTPUT at pin #3 is 0 volts (LOW). If the voltage at pin #6 is 1/3VCC, the switch is connected to VCC, and the OUTPUT at pin#3 is VCC volts (HIGH). The voltage across a capacitor in a simple RC series circuit will be applied to the THRESHOLD terminal (pin #6) of the 555 to control the state of the OUTPUT. TIME-DELAY CIRCUIT Generally, we think of activating a device or a circuit by closing a switch. Consider the case of “arming” an alarm in your car or home. It is beneficial to provide a time-delay which allows the person arming the system to leave the vehicle or premises without setting off the alarm. In the circuit of Figure 3, a 555 timer is used to close a relay which provides power to a load (simulated by a buzzer) after a certain length of time (the time-delay). Figure 3. A time-delay circuit using the 555 timer The circuit operates as follows. When the On/Off switch is closed, the ini