18 Jun
2013
18 Jun
'13
1:30 p.m.
It was thus said that the Great Tony Duell once stated:
let me ask you a simple quesiton. You have to flash an LED at about 1Hz
-- the exact frequency is not important. Nor is the duty cycle (within
reason). You also have a suitable supply line (so no need to consider 3
terminal regualtors, etc)
Now, off the top of my head there are 3 obvious solutions (there are many
more too, of course ) :
A discrete component multivibrator -- 2 transsitors, 4 resistors, 2
capacitors, LED
A 555 astable --555 Timer IC, 3 resistors, 1 capacitor (2 if you are a
purist and want to decouple 'control voltage), LED
An 8 pin microcotnroller, 1 resistor, LED
Which of those 2 you consider to be the simplest?
I wasn't the one being asked, but as a software guy, the 8-pin
microcontroller, 1 resistor and LED sounds like the simplest of the
solutions, as it gives me the ability to easily change the flashing rate
(say, from a simple on-off to three fast flashes, three slow flashes, three
fast flashes, pause, repeat).
-spc (As a hardware guy, you probably have a different answer 8-P