555 timer question: how to calculate required resistors and capacitor to achieve desired frequency?

[Impmon]

I tried Googling but all the formula for finding 555 timer frequency
is based on known capacitor and resistor values to find frequency.

I need to build a monostable timer to get 140Hz. I could throw in a
random capacitor and one resistor but my algebra skill is rusty (no
complex math formula in over 10 years!!)

The system will be running on 5v DC as it contains a few TTL chips.

 

[amdx]

I tried Googling but all the formula for finding 555 timer frequency
is based on known capacitor and resistor values to find frequency.

I need to build a monostable timer to get 140Hz. I could throw in a
random capacitor and one resistor but my algebra skill is rusty (no
complex math formula in over 10 years!!)

The system will be running on 5v DC as it contains a few TTL chips.
--

Monostable means you get out one pulse when the circuit is triggered.
I think you want an astable circuit.
Try R1 = 1k, R2 = 50k, C1 = .1 uf or pick your own at,
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/LM555.html#3

 

[Bill Bowden]

I tried Googling but all the formula for finding 555 timer frequency
is based on known capacitor and resistor values to find frequency.

I need to build a monostable timer to get 140Hz. I could throw in a
random capacitor and one resistor but my algebra skill is rusty (no
complex math formula in over 10 years!!)

The system will be running on 5v DC as it contains a few TTL chips.

Well, you can guess the values using this calculator. Just enter the 2
resistors and cap in the upper 3 boxes, and the time intervals and
frequency will be displayed in the lower 3 boxes.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Bill_Bowden/555.htm

-Bill

 

[redbelly]

I tried Googling but all the formula for finding 555 timer frequency
is based on known capacitor and resistor values to find frequency.

I need to build a monostable timer to get 140Hz. I could throw in a
random capacitor and one resistor but my algebra skill is rusty (no
complex math formula in over 10 years!!)

The system will be running on 5v DC as it contains a few TTL chips.
--

The resistors obey the equation:

Ra + 2Rb = 1 / (frequency x C x 0.693)

Here is a procedure you can use to get those resistors. Like others,
I'm assuming you mean astable operation.

I'm using the Texas Instruments data sheet, where:
Ra is the resistor between pins 4 & 7 (reset & disch)
Rb is the resistor between pins 6 & 7 (thresh & disch)
C is the capacitor between pin 6 and ground

You'll need to:

1. pick a capacitor

2. calculate the value of
(frequency x C x 0.693)
(Remember to divide by 1,000,000 if the capacitance is in
microFarads)
Take the RECIPROCAL of that number ("1/x" key on a calculator),
and call this number S2

3. decide on what duty cycle (%DC) you want. It must be more than 50.

4. calculate the sum
Ra + Rb = S2 x %DC / 100
and call this number S1

5. Now that you have values for S1 and S2, we can calculate Ra and Rb:
Rb = S2 - S1
Ra = S1 - Rb

If you find you want to use larger resistors, choose a smaller
capacitor and repeat the process. Or use a larger cap if you want to
use smaller resistors.

Hope this helps,

Mark

 

[Ross Herbert]

I tried Googling but all the formula for finding 555 timer frequency
is based on known capacitor and resistor values to find frequency.

I need to build a monostable timer to get 140Hz. I could throw in a
random capacitor and one resistor but my algebra skill is rusty (no
complex math formula in over 10 years!!)

The system will be running on 5v DC as it contains a few TTL chips.

You sure you aren't wanting an "astable" at 140Hz?

Using the 555 tool at
https://wwws.ee.ucl.ac.uk/facilities/teachlab/inter

You will still need to "select" a component to start with. Cap Ct is
easiest and experience suggests that for 140Hz a good starting value
is 470nF. Plug in the supply voltage and then experiment with Ra and
Rb values making sure they are equal if you want 50:50 duty cycle.
Just so you get a bit of practice start of with Ra = Rb = 8.2K and go
from there....

You can select another Ct value and experiment with Ra, Rb again.

 

[redbelly]

Using the 555 tool at
https://wwws.ee.ucl.ac.uk/facilities/teachlab/inter

Uh, that page seems to give erroneous results. According to the Texas
Instruments' 555 datasheet,

T1 (or T_high) = 0.693 * (Ra+Rb) * C

The ucl.ac.uk website has dropped the "Rb" term in their equation.

Mark

 

[Ross Herbert]

Uh, that page seems to give erroneous results. According to the Texas
Instruments' 555 datasheet,

T1 (or T_high) = 0.693 * (Ra+Rb) * C

The ucl.ac.uk website has dropped the "Rb" term in their equation.

Mark

You're right, I didn't pay much attention to the text alongside the
circuit. I know it has been like that for years so I thought it would
have all the bugs out of it by now.

Tony Van Roon's 555 tutorial
http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/gadgets/555/555.html looks to be a
pretty comprehensive teaching aid so maybe the OP can get more info
from it.

 

[HKJ]

I tried Googling but all the formula for finding 555 timer frequency
is based on known capacitor and resistor values to find frequency.

I need to build a monostable timer to get 140Hz. I could throw in a
random capacitor and one resistor but my algebra skill is rusty (no
complex math formula in over 10 years!!)

The system will be running on 5v DC as it contains a few TTL chips.

Your can use this program to calculate both monostable and astable
circuits for the 555 timer:
http://www.miscel.dk/MiscEl/miscelChargeTime.html

 

[redbelly]

You're right, I didn't pay much attention to the text alongside the
circuit. I know it has been like that for years so I thought it would
have all the bugs out of it by now.

Tony Van Roon's 555 tutorial
http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/gadgets/555/555.html looks to be a
pretty comprehensive teaching aid so maybe the OP can get more info
from it.

Funny how tough it is sometimes to be 100% error-free, whether it's
program code or just writing some text. It's mostly luck that I
bothered to check at all, but somehow the reference to a "50:50 duty
cycle" in your earlier post rang a warning bell in my head, because I
vaguely remembered that this was impossible with nonzero resistor
values.

Regards,

Mark

 

[Bill Bowden]

Funny how tough it is sometimes to be 100% error-free, whether it's
program code or just writing some text. It's mostly luck that I
bothered to check at all, but somehow the reference to a "50:50 duty
cycle" in your earlier post rang a warning bell in my head, because I
vaguely remembered that this was impossible with nonzero resistor
values.

Regards,

Mark

Yes, you can't get 50% duty with that configuration, but it can be
close. Ra needs to be a small fraction of Rb for near 50% DC which
means most of the resistance is in Rb. The values can be closely
approximated from Rb=0.693 / FC or C=0.693 / FRb and then just use 5 or
10% of Rb for Ra. But the error is big enough that .693 can be rounded
to 0.7. Also, Ra should be 1K or larger.

-Bill

 

[Rich Grise]

Yes, you can't get 50% duty with that configuration, but it can be
close. Ra needs to be a small fraction of Rb for near 50% DC which
means most of the resistance is in Rb. The values can be closely
approximated from Rb=0.693 / FC or C=0.693 / FRb and then just use 5 or
10% of Rb for Ra. But the error is big enough that .693 can be rounded
to 0.7. Also, Ra should be 1K or larger.

None of you seems to have noticed the diode across Rb. That takes it out
of the circuit for the charge half-cycle. The cap charges through Ra and
D1, and discharges through Rb.

Oh, by the way: a link might be useful:
http://www.ee.ucl.ac.uk/~amoss/java/555.htm

Were you guys looking at a different page? How did I get to that one? ?:-/

I felt so clever some decades ago when I came up with this on my own that
I almost dislocated my shoulder patting myself on the back.

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Bill Bowden]

None of you seems to have noticed the diode across Rb. That takes it out
of the circuit for the charge half-cycle. The cap charges through Ra and
D1, and discharges through Rb.

Oh, by the way: a link might be useful:
http://www.ee.ucl.ac.uk/~amoss/java/555.htm

Were you guys looking at a different page? How did I get to that one? ?:-/

I felt so clever some decades ago when I came up with this on my own that
I almost dislocated my shoulder patting myself on the back.

Cheers!
Rich

Yes, you are right. I forgot to look at the drawing. But actually the
diode isn't needed for 50% DC if you put Rb in series with pin 7, and
tie the cap from junction of Ra and Rb to ground. It's on page 10 of
the data sheet, but the ratio of Ra:Rb has to be 51:22 which makes
selecting the parts a little difficult. The diode is the easy way.

-Bill

 

[redbelly]

None of you seems to have noticed the diode across Rb. That takes it out
of the circuit for the charge half-cycle. The cap charges through Ra and
D1, and discharges through Rb.

You're right. I had also emailed them to tell them about their
"error",
and they replied pointing out the diode just as you did.

Oh, by the way: a link might be useful:
http://www.ee.ucl.ac.uk/~amoss/java/555.htm

Were you guys looking at a different page? How did I get to that one? ?:-/

Yep, that's the page.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Rich Grise]

Rich Grise wrote: ....

Yes, you are right. I forgot to look at the drawing. But actually the
diode isn't needed for 50% DC if you put Rb in series with pin 7, and
tie the cap from junction of Ra and Rb to ground. It's on page 10 of
the data sheet, but the ratio of Ra:Rb has to be 51:22 which makes
selecting the parts a little difficult. The diode is the easy way.

There's another one that I learned of quite recently - from one of the
posters in one of the electronics groups - it's where the output is
fed back to the timing cap, and that node goes to both threshold and
trigger, but it only works with a CMOS unit. It's the "less accurate"
one here:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/LM555.html#14

Cheers!
Rich

 

[[email protected]]

I tried Googling but all the formula for finding 555 timer frequency
is based on known capacitor and resistor values to find frequency.

I need to build a monostable timer to get 140Hz. I could throw in a
random capacitor and one resistor but my algebra skill is rusty (no
complex math formula in over 10 years!!)

The system will be running on 5v DC as it contains a few TTL chips.

I can give you the formula that you need but you'll have todo the math.
formula to find the frequency of an rc network is Fsub c =1 over 2 x
pie x RxC