Yes, you read that headline correctly, the 555 Micro kit listed here doesn’t allow you to make a particular gadget using a 555 timer, but instead allows you to make one out of discrete components! While most are content to take advantage of the 555’s pulsing operation and call it a day, this educational board lets you peer inside the inner workings of such a component; via a collection of resistors, diodes, and transistors.
Once constructed, you can hook the board up to pulse out square waves on an oscilloscope or to control another device. It really makes you appreciate what goes into components that we take for granted today, even the 555 which made its debut in 1971.
Notably the 555 Micro kit, while much larger than a typical 555 component, is actually the smallest in creator Sloth Byte Ltd’s lineup. Check out their store for the original, full-sized device and a mini version. The larger board especially may be a better way to learn and display than the micro, as things are nicely spaced out and you don’t have to deal with surface-mount components.
Of course, if you want a mobile way to display your love of the 555, this shirt might right up your alley!
