All-Soft-555
HollyMinkowski
Posts: 1,398
Several months ago someone on the forum asked me about emulating a 555
with a uc. I can't remember who it was but I was reading through the Jan, 2011
issue of Elektor and came across a really nice article about using a tiny25/45/85
to emulate the 555 timer chip, it's on page 38. It's cool that the tiny chip is in the
same package as the 555 and is so cheap. I wonder how hard it would be to modify
an 8pin socket somehow so you could stick the tiny on it and make the tiny a pin
compatible drop in replacement for a 555 in an existing product.
Elektor 01/2011 "All-Soft-555 ATtiny plays 555 MMV and AMV"
It is pretty easy to swap in a tiny to emulate a 555, It would be fun to see what you
could emulate with a prop....I have not had a chance to try that yet. It should be able
to emulate things like older processors or perhaps even old computers. I know some
of the smart guys here on the forum have done this but I have not really delved into
it.
with a uc. I can't remember who it was but I was reading through the Jan, 2011
issue of Elektor and came across a really nice article about using a tiny25/45/85
to emulate the 555 timer chip, it's on page 38. It's cool that the tiny chip is in the
same package as the 555 and is so cheap. I wonder how hard it would be to modify
an 8pin socket somehow so you could stick the tiny on it and make the tiny a pin
compatible drop in replacement for a 555 in an existing product.
Elektor 01/2011 "All-Soft-555 ATtiny plays 555 MMV and AMV"
It is pretty easy to swap in a tiny to emulate a 555, It would be fun to see what you
could emulate with a prop....I have not had a chance to try that yet. It should be able
to emulate things like older processors or perhaps even old computers. I know some
of the smart guys here on the forum have done this but I have not really delved into
it.
Comments
Also sometimes the emulation is not just viable but way way better than the real thing :-)
It's not really the same thing as emulating a particular ic but I have worked with a team that replaced the
functionality of parts of old mil equipment using uc based modules....these turned out to be much more
reliable than the originals and saved a load of cash compared to just replacing the equipment with new stuff.
Also new stuff would have meant re-training crews where the rebuild with new modules left everything
working the same as before only more quickly, accurately and reliably.
Programming a uC to be pin compatible with a 555 would be difficult even if the uC used pins 1 and 8 for GND and Vcc as the 555 does. Keep in mind that pin 5 can be used as an analog input to modulate the frequency/pulse width. For other timing functions the uC would be great.
As for using a uC based module to replace functional blocks of old equipment I have to agree 110%. The prop has been fantastic for that.
http://electronicdesign.com/article/digital/What-s-Better-For-Timing-Chores-A-555-Or-A-Microcontroller-.aspx