555 Timer

555 Timer

• The 555 timer IC was first introduced by Signetics Corporation in the year 1970.

• The 555 is now made by a number of different semiconductor manufacturers.

• Today, the 555 remains one of the most widespread IC devices on the market.
 Pin diagram of 555 Timer
• Figure shows the pin diagram of a
555 timer IC.

• It is an 8-pin IC DIP package.

• Pin no. 8 is connected to positive

supply voltage [This voltage must be at
least 4.5 V and no greater than 15 V]

• Pin no. 1 is the ground pin. It is

connected to ground.

• Pin no. 3 is the output pin. The output

Figure: Pin diagram of 555 IC is either low, which is very close to 0 V, or
high, which is close to the supply voltage
that’s placed on pin 8
 Discharge: Pin 7 is called the
discharge . This pin is used to
discharge an external capacitor
that works in conjunction with a
resistor to control the timing
interval.

Figure: Pin diagram of 555 IC

Pin no. 2 is the trigger pin. Input trigger signal is
applied to this terminal to change the output from
LOW state to a HIGH state.

Pin no. 3 is the output pin. There are 2 output

states. The output is either LOW, which is very
close to 0 V, or HIGH, which is close to the supply
voltage (VCC1.5V). The output pin is capable of
sourcing or sinking up to 200mA of current at an
output voltage equal to approximately VCC1.5V.
So small speakers, LEDs or motors can be
connected directly to the output.

• The output produced by a 555 is purely digital:

It’s either LOW (0 V) or it’s HIGH.
Pin no. 4 is the reset terminal. This pin is used to "reset"
the output state of the 555 timer to a LOW state. This is
an active-low input. Whenever the voltage at the Pin no.
4 goes below 0.4V, the output is immediately forced to
LOW state. This pin is generally connected to +VCC
when not used to prevent any unwanted resetting of the
output.

Pin no. 5 is the control voltage terminal. The voltage at

the control terminal is 2/3VCC and this voltage is set
by the voltage divider network within the 555 timer.
This internally set voltage can be overridden by applying
a voltage to this pin. When not used, it is connected to
ground via a 0.01μF capacitor to eliminate any noise
[This capacitor bypasses supply noise]

Pin no. 6 is the threshold pin. When the voltage at this

pin exceeds 2/3Vcc, the output signal switches from
“HIGH” to “LOW”.
Pin no.7 is the discharge terminal. This pin is
used to discharge an external capacitor to
ground.

Pin no. 8 is the +Vcc terminal. This pin is

connected to positive supply voltage. The
555 can operate at any supply voltage from
+5 to +15V.
Functional block diagram of 555 timer
 Circuit Details

• The figure shows the

simplified internal block
diagram of 555 timer.

• The block diagram of 555

timer IC has a resistive
network, 2 comparators, a
reset-set (R-S) flip-flop, two
transistors (Q1 and Q2)

Figure: Functional block diagram of 555 IC

𝟐
𝑽
𝟑 𝑪𝑪
Resistive network:

• Resistive network consists

of three 5k resistors (555
timer) and acts as a
voltage divider.
𝟏
𝑽
𝟑 𝑪𝑪
• It is connected between
the VCC supply and the
ground.

• The resistive network sets

the reference levels of the
two comparators.
 Upper comparator:
𝟐
𝑽𝑪𝑪 • The inverting input
𝟑
terminal of the upper
𝟐
comparator is set to
𝟑 𝑪𝑪
• The upper Comparator
compares the voltage at
the threshold terminal
𝟏 with 𝟐 𝑪𝑪
𝑽 𝟑
𝟑 𝑪𝑪
Lower comparator:
• The non-inverting input
terminal of the LOWER
𝟏
comparator is set to 𝑪𝑪
𝟑 .

• The lower Comparator

compares the voltage at the
𝟏
trigger terminal with 𝑪𝑪.
𝟑
• Output of both the comparators is supplied to the flip-flop.

• Flip-flop assumes its state according to the output of the two comparators.

• Q1 is a discharge transistor. The collector of Q1 is connected to pin 7. This npn

transistor operates as a switch. This transistor saturates or cuts-off according to the
output state of the flip-flop. The saturated transistor provides a discharge path to a
capacitor connected externally.

• Base of another transistor Q2 is connected to a reset terminal. A pulse applied to this

terminal resets the whole timer irrespective of any input.
 Applications of 555 Timer

 It is used in many applications, such as

• Monostable and astable multivibrators

• Linear ramp generator

• Missing pulse detector

• Pulse width modulator

• Traffic light control etc.

We can use the 555 chip for basic timing functions, such as
- turning a light on for a certain length of time, or
- creating a warning light that flashes on and off.
Modes of operation of 555 timer
[Operating modes of 555 timer]
 Modes of operation of 555 timer
• The 555 timer operates in 3 different modes: Monostable (one stable state) and
astable (no stable states), Bistable (2 stable states)

Mode of operation

Monostable Astable Bistable

• Monostable mode of • Astable mode of operation is • Bistable mode of operation is

operation is also known as also known as Astable also known as Bistable
Monostable multivibrator. multivibrator. multivibrator.
 Monostable mode of operation of 555 timer
• Note that the output of 555 is digital. ie it has only two states. ie HIGH (logic 1) or LOW (logic 0)
• In a monostable multivibrator, there is one stable state and one unstable state
• In this multivibrator, the output remains in the stable sate.
• When an external trigger signal is applied, the output goes into the UNSTABLE state and after
some time, it comes back to the stable sate.
• [By selecting R and C values, we can decide the time 'T' for which the output state in the
unstable state.]

• Here let us say 0V is the stable state

and 5V is the unstable state

• Whenever some triggering action

occurs, the output goes to the
unstable state (5V) and stays there
for certain time and returns to the
stable state (0V).
• Monostable mode is sometimes called one-shot mode because it produces a
single output pulse for every trigger input pulse.

• Monostable mode of operation is also known as Monostable multivibrator.

Monostable multivibrator using IC 555 Timer

IC 555 in the monostable operation

 IC 555 in the monostable operation

• The figure shows the schematic diagram of a Monostable operation of 555 timer

Figure: Schematic diagram of monostable multivibrator

• We need only one resistor, one capacitor and 555 timer to form a Monostable multivibrator
 Circuit details

• The figure shows the functional

Threshold diagram for monostable
operation.

• The IC 555 timer can be operated

as a monstable multivibrator by
connecting an external resistor
(R) and a capacitor (C).

Discharge
• Note that the discharge pin 7 is
connected to the threshold pin 6.
Threshold Operation

• Initially, the flip flop is reset. i.e., Q

= 0. =1. This will turn ON the
transistor Q1. The capacitor will
discharge completely and voltage
1
across it nearly zero. The output at
pin-3 is low.
Discharge 0

Output is ‘0’
 • Apply a trigger input, a low going
pulse.

• When the trigger voltage becomes

less than 𝟏𝟑 𝑪𝑪, then the output of
the bottom comparator goes HIGH.
This sets the flip-flop. i.e., Q=1 and
= 0.
• This makes transistor Q1 OFF .
𝟏
𝑽
𝟑 𝑪𝑪 • Hence capacitor starts charging
HIGH
0 through resistance R as shown by
the RED arrows in the figure. As
is low, output goes HIGH (=VCC).
1 The timing cycle now begins.
• During charging OUTPUT IS HIGH.
Q1 off

Output is ‘1’
 • During the charging, the
voltage across the
capacitor rises (increase)
exponentially through R
towards VCC with a time
constant RC .
𝟏
𝑽
𝟑 𝑪𝑪
HIGH
0

Q1 off

Capacitor charging
 • When the capacitor voltage becomes
more than (is just greater than) 𝟑𝟐 𝑪𝑪,
𝟐 then upper comparator output goes
𝑽𝑪𝑪
𝟑 HIGH.
HIGH
• This resets the FF. i.e., Q become low
(0). [R=1, Q=0) . This makes = 1.
• Transistor Q1 goes ON. Thus, the
capacitor quickly discharges through
1
the transistor. This is shown by dotted
arrows.
0
• During discharging, the output is low.
Q1 ON
• So, a pulse is produced at the output
• The pulse width is controlled by the charging time of capacitor.
• This charging time depends on the time constant RC.
• Thus RC controls the pulse width
 • The waveforms (capacitor voltage and the output voltage) are shown in the
figure given below.

Trigger

Capacitor voltage

Output voltage

• Pulse width depends on the time taken to charge the capacitor to two-thirds of the
supply voltage.
Derivation of pulse width
• The voltage across the capacitor increases exponentially and is given by
t
v c  Vcc (1 e RC )
T
2  ln(3)
At t = T, the voltage across the capacitor is vc  Vcc RC
3

2 T
T  RC ln( 1 )
Therefore, Vcc  Vcc (1 e RC ) 3
3
2 T T  1.0986RC  1.1RC
Or, 1  e RC
3
T
1
 e RC
3
• The pulse width, denoted by T, is given by

T  1.1RC

• It is evident from this equation that the timing interval is independent of the supply
voltage. It is dependent on the R and C values
 Applications in Monostable Mode (Applications of Monostable multivibrator)

 Missing pulse detector

• It can be used to detect missing pulses in an incoming pulse train. These circuits
are used in a variety of applications, including alarms.
Example: In a bottling plant, CANs are packaged into six-packs. As each CAN
passes, a photocell, a pulse is generated to the input of a missing pulse detector.
If a pulse is not received, however, the machine knows that the count is one CAN
short, so issues a alarm.
Example: This type of circuit can be used to detect missing heartbeat
 Linear Ramp Generator

• A linear ramp generator is a circuit that creates a linear rising or falling output
with respect to time.

• linear ramp generators find wide application in instrumentation and

communication systems

 Frequency divider

• Frequency Dividers are the circuits which divide the input frequency by n (any
integer number), means if we provide some signal of frequency ‘f’ then the
output will be the divided frequency ‘f/n’. Frequency dividers are very useful in
analog as well as digital applications.

 Pulse width modulator

 Astable Mode of operation of 555 timer

NOTE: Astable mode of operation of 555 timer is also known as astable multivibrator using 555 timer
 Astable mode of operation of 555 timer
• Astable multivibrator has no stable state

• In this multivibrator, the output oscillates continuously between the two states
without any external excitation. So, it produces a rectangular output signal. See the
figure.

• The 555 timer operating in the astable mode is sometimes called a free-running
multivibrator because no input trigger is needed to get an output.

• The 555 timer operating in the astable mode is sometimes called a free-running
nonsinusoidal oscillator because no input trigger is needed to get a rectangular
output signal

HIGH STATE

LOW STATE
• In an astable multivibrator, the output will not stay in any of the states. The output
signal from an astable multivibrator is shown below.

HIGH STATE

LOW STATE

• The time for which the output remains in a particular state can be decided by the
passive components like R and C.
 Schematic diagram of 555 astable multivibrator

RA • The figure shows the schematic diagram

of astable multivibrator using 555 timer.

RB • This circuit requires two external resistors

(RA and RB) and one capacitor (C)

• The pin 4 is tied to pin 8 and connected to

VCC.

• Pin 5 is grounded through a capacitor. The

capacitor is strictly for decoupling and has no
Figure: Schematic diagram of 555 effect on the operation.
astable multivibrator
 • The threshold input and trigger input
terminals are connected together. [The
threshold input (THRESH) is now
connected to the trigger input (TRIG)]
THRESH

TRIG

Figure: Schematic diagram of 555

astable multivibrator
 Internal block diagram
of
Astable multivibrator using 555 timer
 Circuit Details
• Figure shows the 555
connected as an astable
RA multivibrator.
7
RB • Two external resistors
RA and RB and a
capacitor C are used in
the circuit.

• The threshold input (pin

6) is connected to the
trigger input (pin 2).

• Pin 7 of discharging
transistor Q1 is
connected to the
junction of RA and RB.
Figure: Astable multivibrator using 555
 Circuit Operation

• Initially, when the

RA
power is turned on, (t =
7
0), the capacitor is
RB
uncharged.

0 • So, the voltage at pin 2

𝟏 is 0 V.
𝑽
𝟑 𝑪𝑪 HIGH
• Output of lower
comparator is HIGH. So,
SET is active. Hence Q =
0V
1 and ഥ
 • When ഥ the
Threshold pin transistor Q1 is OFF.

• So, the capacitor will

start charging through
the resistors RA and RB.

0 • The charging path is

Charging

𝟏 shown by solid line in

𝑽
𝟑 𝑪𝑪 HIGH the figure.

1 • Since the total

OFF 0 1
0V resistance in the
charging path is RA+RB,
the charging time
constant is (RA+RB)C.

• When charging, the output of the circuit is ‘1’.

• While charging, capacitor voltage increases. So, the threshold voltage (pin 6) increases.
 • When the capacitor voltage
Threshold pin is just greater than
𝟐
,
𝟑 𝑪𝑪
the upper comparator
output goes high. So,
R=1,which resets the flip-
HIGH flop.
• So, the flip flop output ഥ
𝟐 1 1. This make transistor Q1
𝑽 ON and capacitor C starts
𝟑 𝑪𝑪
discharging towards
ground through RB and
transistor Q1.
1 0 0
ON
• This path is shown by
dotted arrows in the
figure.

• Thus, the discharging time

 When discharging, the output of the circuit is ‘0’.
constant is R BC.
. So, the output at pin no3 becomes low.
 • During the discharge of
the timing capacitor,
when the capacitor
voltage is just less than
𝟏
𝑪𝑪 , the lower
𝟑
comparator output goes
high, setting flip-flop. i.e.
0
S=1, which turns ത
Charging

𝟏
𝑽
𝟑 𝑪𝑪 0. This turns off the
HIGH
transistor Q1. So, the
capacitor starts
0 1 charging.
• Another charging cycle
begins, and the entire
process repeats.
• The capacitor C is thus
periodically charged and
discharged between 2/3VCC
and 1/3VCC respectively.
Capacitor and output waveforms for astable operation

• Figure shows the waveforms for the capacitor voltage and the output voltage.
• The capacitor voltage is exponentially rising and falling between 1/3VCC and 2/3VCC.
• The output is a rectangular wave that swings between 0 and VCC.
• When the capacitor is charging, output is high. When the capacitor is discharging, output is low
• Since the charging time constant is longer than the discharging time constant, the output is non-
symmetrical. Depending on resistances RAand RB, the duty cycle is between 50 and 100 percent

Charging via RA+ RB Discharging via RA

Capacitor voltage

Output voltage

T1 T2

Figure: The waveforms for the output voltage and the voltage across the capacitor
Period of the output waveform

Calculation of Charging interval (T1)

• The time taken by the capacitor to charge
𝟐
from 𝟏𝟑 𝐂𝐂 to is equal to the time the
𝟑 𝐂𝐂
output is high.
• In general, voltage across the capacitor at
any instant during charging from 0V is
given by t
v c  Vcc (1 e RC )
• The time t1 taken by the circuit to charge from 𝟐
𝐕𝐂𝐂
𝟑
𝟏 𝟐𝐕
0 to 𝐂𝐂 𝐂𝐂
𝟑 t T1 𝟑
1 1

Vcc  Vcc (1 e RC ) 𝟏

𝐕𝐂𝐂 𝟏𝐕
3 𝟑
𝟑
𝐂𝐂
t2
t1  0.405RC t1
0 0
• The time t2 taken by the capacitor to charge from
0 to 𝟐 𝐂𝐂 is given by
𝟑
t
2 2

Vcc  Vcc (1 e RC )

3
t 2  1.09RC

• So the time taken by the capacitor to

charge from 𝟏 𝐂𝐂 to 𝟐 𝐂𝐂 is
𝟑 𝟑

TC  T1  t 2  t1  1.09RC  0.405RC  0.693RC

𝟐
𝐕𝐂𝐂
𝟑
𝟐
𝐕𝐂𝐂
𝟑
• Substituting R = (R A + RB) in above equation T1
we have 𝟏
𝐕𝐂𝐂 𝟏𝐕
𝟑 𝐂𝐂
𝟑 t2
T1  0.693(R A  R B )C t1
0
Calculation of discharging interval (T2)
• The time taken by the capacitor to
discharge from 𝟐 𝐂𝐂 to 𝟏 𝐂𝐂 is equal to the
𝟑 𝟑
time the output is low.

• Voltage across the capacitor at any instant

during discharging period is given as
t
2
v c  ( Vcc )(e R BC )
3
• Substituting v c = 𝟏 𝐂𝐂 and t = td in above
𝟑
equation we have
t d
1 2
Vcc  ( Vcc )(e R BC )
3 3
t d  0.693RBC T2  0.693RBC
 Period of the output waveform

• The time period of the output

waveform is the sum of T1 and T2 (sum
of charging time and discharging time).
It is given by

T  T1  T2

• We know that

T1  0.693(R A  R B )C T2  0.693RBC

 T  0.693(R A  2R B )C
Frequency of the output waveform

• The frequency of the output waveform is given by

1
f
T
1

0.693(R A  2R B )C

1.44

(R A  2R B )C
 Applications of 555 Astable Multivibrator

• Voltage controlled Oscillator

• Square-Wave Generator
• Ramp Generator
• Pulse width modulator (PWM).
• Pulse position modulator
• FSK (frequency shift keying) Modulator
Comparison of Multivibrator Circuits using 555