In this article, you will learn how to improve your collection of Snap Circuits blocks by adding a 555 Timer IC. You will learn the functions the pins on the 555 chip. You will learn that when the 555 is in astable mode, the output of pin 3 is a continuous stream of pulses called […]
This project is fairly simple, but should use a fairly large housing for good airflow. A good battery should last for a little less than an hour.
Have you ever heard that ringing sound coming from an old TV? Well, that never happens anymore because TVs today use LEDs or other advanced technology. That old high-pitched whine came from the transformer that drove the cathode ray tube. Even today when I hear that sound it sends a shiver down my spine, but […]
In this project, taken from Charles Platt’s book Make: Electronics, we’re going to breadboard a fairly complex circuit using 555 timers and an OR logic gate. Using these and some other, common components, we’ll build a game show button system. When one button is pressed, it automatically locks the other one out, until the quizmaster […]
This project uses a simple 555 timer chip and a feedback loop to control a servo-controlled wooden arm. Whenever an object comes close to a photosensor mounted on the end of the arm, it blocks the amount of light detected, which triggers the arm to swat the object away.
I’m absentminded in general, but especially when it comes to the dishwasher. I can never remember whether the dishes are clean, whether the machine needs to be run, or emptied, or whatever. I needed a solution to this problem. My first thought was to hang a flippable sign on the door that said “clean” on […]
