The 555 and How It Got That Way • Hacker News Board

Re: The 555 and How It Got That Way

#41

Post by agumonkey » Fri, Oct 12, 2018, 3:07 PM UTC

lisper wrote: post #39

amelius wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The 555 is already overkill if you want a simple oscillator with fixed parameters. You can build one with two transistors.

Transistors are essentially free nowadays. Packaging and assembly are the cost drivers.

I was wondering this, even the leads seem enormous and wasteful compared to the actual device.

Re: The 555 and How It Got That Way

#42

Post by lisper » Fri, Oct 12, 2018, 3:20 PM UTC

agumonkey wrote: post #41

lisper wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Transistors are essentially free nowadays. Packaging and assembly are the cost drivers.

I was wondering this, even the leads seem enormous and wasteful compared to the actual device.

Compare:

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Diodes-Incorporated/ZXT...

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Microchip-Technology/PI...

Notice that the discrete transistors actually cost more than the microcontroller.

Re: The 555 and How It Got That Way

#43

Post by pcamen » Fri, Oct 12, 2018, 3:25 PM UTC

baybal2 wrote: post #24

Hard to admit: people like Bob Pease and Hans Camenzind would not find any much employment in today's industry even if they were back in their prime. Work culture in America has changed since sixties.

Actually, Hans Camenzind was pretty busy up until the day he passed away in 2012. He continued to do analog circuit design, among other things (like writing books). (Good) analog engineers are not that common these days. At one point in the mid-2000's he mentioned to me that of his 15 most recent circuit designs, not one had an issue post-initial design. I don't think a lot of analog engineers today could say that. I suspect if he was still around and looking for work, he would not have much trouble finding it.

Re: The 555 and How It Got That Way

#44

Post by sdenton4 » Fri, Oct 12, 2018, 3:37 PM UTC

scarecrowbob wrote: post #22

Stratoscope wrote: post #5

If you're interested in these classic chips and know how to solder, you owe it to yourself to build a Three Fives Kit: https://shop.evilmadscientist.com/productsmenu/652

That seems totally useless. I gotta get one. Thanks for sharing that link.

Don't miss out on the plush 555 circuit that they also sell: https://shop.evilmadscientist.com/else/663

Re: The 555 and How It Got That Way

#45

Post by agumonkey » Fri, Oct 12, 2018, 4:17 PM UTC

lisper wrote: post #42

agumonkey wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was wondering this, even the leads seem enormous and wasteful compared to the actual device.

Compare: https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Diodes-Incorporated/ZXT... https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Microchip-Technology/PI... Notice that the discrete transistors actually cost more than the microcontroller.

Very telling

Re: The 555 and How It Got That Way

#46

Post by DonHopkins » Fri, Oct 12, 2018, 4:41 PM UTC

lisper wrote: post #42

agumonkey wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was wondering this, even the leads seem enormous and wasteful compared to the actual device.

Compare: https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Diodes-Incorporated/ZXT... https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Microchip-Technology/PI... Notice that the discrete transistors actually cost more than the microcontroller.

Wow, it's like the two extreme endpoints of "Powers of Ten".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0

Those two transistors had better be hella good to justify the price difference.

Re: The 555 and How It Got That Way

#47

Post by jeffwass » Fri, Oct 12, 2018, 8:32 PM UTC

Stratoscope wrote: post #5

If you're interested in these classic chips and know how to solder, you owe it to yourself to build a Three Fives Kit: https://shop.evilmadscientist.com/productsmenu/652

Oh man, I haven’t soldered anything in 10 years since my physics PhD, but damn, this thing is calling to me :-)

Re: The 555 and How It Got That Way

#48

Post by HeyLaughingBoy » Fri, Oct 12, 2018, 9:07 PM UTC

xxs wrote: post #11

fipple wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s the alternative? Is the Ne555 or is there better?

Arduino boards have pwm signal built in and tons of "other" functionality, on top of being programmable. You can get them below one dollar now.

They are also much, much, much larger than a 3mm x 3mm VSSOP part.

Re: The 555 and How It Got That Way

#49

Post by HeyLaughingBoy » Fri, Oct 12, 2018, 9:08 PM UTC

beezle wrote: post #17

A "mere $0.75" in 1972 is worth $4.60 today, perhaps not quite the bargain the article implies.

Compared to other parts cost at the time, it certainly was.

Re: The 555 and How It Got That Way

#50

Post by nine_k » Sat, Oct 13, 2018, 3:53 AM UTC

DonHopkins wrote: post #46

lisper wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Compare: https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Diodes-Incorporated/ZXT... https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Microchip-Technology/PI... Notice that the discrete transistors actually cost more than the microcontroller.

Wow, it's like the two extreme endpoints of "Powers of Ten". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0 Those two transistors had better be hella good to justify the price difference.

Those transistors can drive 60V and 1A; hardly any controller can do such things. You might expect some special controller pins to drive e.g. 100 mA at 5V; more often, something like 20 mA at 3.3V.