555 Timer Tester

This is a useful little circuit. When I first worked with 555s they were dying constantly, which becomes annoying quickly. This nifty little circuit will quickly tell you whether or not a 555 is functioning. Great for troubleshooting 555 related circuits. The LED will flash if the 555 is functional. If anything else happens the 555 has released it's magic smoke.

The frequency is set at about 1 Hz. By using a 555 timer calculator it can be adjusted easily. The maximum frequency is around 300 - 500kHz.

Disclaimer: I do not take responsibility for any injury, death, hurt ego, or other forms of personal damage which may result from recreating these experiments. Projects are merely presented as a source of inspiration, and should only be conducted by responsible individuals, or under the supervision of responsible individuals. It is your own life, so proceed at your own risk! All projects are for noncommercial use only.

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