I want to build an electronic device but need help

[kornjack]

Hello,

I have limited experience with electronics and just trying to get some ideas on how to build an electronic device that I will describe below. Here are the specs

Description: The device I want to make is a light that blinks off and on at a set rate and runs off a small battery or can be hard wired.

• Small gadget the size of a quarter
• the light is similar or exactly like the light on a cell phones camera
• it's powered by a battery but has a long life or can be hardwired
• it blinks at a steady rate maybe once every 5 seconds

What materials would I need? And about what would it cost me to make? If these requirements are too much or this question is not part of this forum I'll be glad to remove it.

Thanks in advance

 

[donkey]

personally I would get a button battery and a flashing LED.......
http://www.ebay.com/itm/100pcs-5mm-...ter-Clear-Bright-LED-Light-3644-/301287478191 for the LED

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Genuine...148?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item3aa3e2e124 or similar for the battery

but what you are asking for makes me think little experience. saying last a long time..... how long? runs on battery or is hardwired.... hardwired to what?

 

[HellasTechn]

Friend all you need is an LM555 connected as an unstable multivibrator.

by using SMT components you can easily make it small as a quarter. If not it will still be very small

Here is the circuit :

by changing the R1 trimer you can adjust duty cycle and by changing VR trimmer you can adjust frequency.

P.S. you can use a high luminance LED. the 555 can handle 300ma output current without a problem that should be enough for a very bright LED.

As power supply you can use a 9v battery.

 

[kornjack]

Thank you Donkey and HellasTechn for your response. And I apologize for taking so long to reply my laptop died and I finnaly fix it. Donkey the bulb you recommend, this is only the bulb correct? And then I would need to connect it to a battery and encase it?

HellasTechn: The diagram I am totally lost on but would this be a circuit board with all these little transistor soldered on to it?

Thanks

 

[BobK]

There are no transistors in that diagram. There is a chip and some other components.

When you say "like the light on a cell phone camera", do you mean that bright? These are very bright and use a lot of power. They probably cannot be run from a button battery.

Bob

 

[HellasTechn]

Thats right there are no transistors. Only a DIP8 package 555 timer chip, two capacitors and two trimer resistors and a fixed resistor (you mey be able to skip that by selecting apropriate led). The high luminance led's (like cellphone camera flash led's can be driven from a battery (say a 9 volt battery)

you could use this (5w) LED
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hot-White-W...t=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item20e8c3e831

This circuit is really very simple to build but still it reqires a little experience in soldering and making pcb's in general.

OR

if you dont really want to make it yourself here you can buy it ready :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5pcs-Duty-C...196?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35e82734b4

 

[kornjack]

Thanks HellasTechn I really appreciate all the info. I am descent with soldering but electronic jargon sometimes escapes me. Could I commission you to build this for me?

 

[HellasTechn]

I guess you could but i dont really see the point why.

It is not that i wouldnt like to do this for you but isn't it kind of same thing like ordering it online from say E-bay ?

Plus shipping to the United States from Greece will take a long time (a month or so).

 

[kornjack]

OK Hellas I think I can do this myself but I may need more assistance as I stumble my way through it. I really do appreciate all your help including Donkey's. I will start soon and let you know my progress.

Thanks very much.

 

[HellasTechn]

No problem friend. I could lay out the pcb diagram for you (useing pcb express software) and then you could just follow it to make your board. Or you can try doing it yourself if you want to learn. It is really easy just takes time !

 

[cjdelphi]

regardless if the led is a 5mm consuming 20ma or a 5watt LED, the 555 will do the job, just add a transistor.

 

[HellasTechn]

Even with a 5 watt LED you dont need a transistor to boost current. like i said a 555 can well handle 300ma (tested) wich is enough current for a 5w led to glow bright.

I think that with a 9volt battery it should work fine (worse case you add a small value resistor in series with the battery to limit current down to say 300ma).