General > General Technical Chat
Is the 555 still a viable IC?
ejeffrey:
--- Quote from: xrunner on February 19, 2024, 01:34:55 pm ---However, I did some research just now and i can't find any objective evidence of the total sales number for "555 timer". As others have stated, the One Billion number seems to have stemmed from some interview with this person Hans Camenzind. We simply do not know it's correct now.
--- End quote ---
It easily could have dropped but TI alone has about 14 million in stock. That's not counting stock at distributors, much less all the other manufacturers.
It's still a huge volume mass production part not significantly dependent on hobbyists and education markets.
--- Quote ---I just checked the price for 555 timer DIP package on Digikey. It's $1.31 ea., or $1.17 ea, for quantity 10.
--- End quote ---
But a reel of SOIC parts is $.07 each. The single part price is irrelevant.
baldurn:
The ATtiny 212 is about $.4 in the same 8 pin package as the 555 chip. It might be more compared to 555 if you buy the later in quantities, but you save on other components. It won't accept the same voltage or current ranges as 555, but for the saved components you could pair it with a mosfet.
In circuit programming is really easy. Just make three pads (vcc, gnd and program). Touch it with a pogo pin device for a few seconds and it is programmed. Can easily be automated.
factory:
Bigclive found a new product using the 555 only 2 years ago.
David
Zero999:
--- Quote from: factory on February 19, 2024, 05:39:22 pm ---Bigclive found a new product using the 555 only 2 years ago.
David
--- End quote ---
It uses the 555 as a Schmitt trigger oscillator to generate a sawtooth, which compared against a potentiometer, using a comparator to generate PWM. I would have used a quad op-amp/comparator IC: one channel for the Schmitt trigger oscillator and the rest as comparators for the PWM. The LM339 will directly run off 24V, so no voltage regulator is required.
SiliconWizard:
Definitely consider the TLC variant which is under $1 per 1 at Digikey, $0.37 per 1, $0.23 per 100 at LCSC. It's also better on almost all counts than the original.
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