It features at least once in every Small Circuits collection: the 555 timers. In this simple circuit, we give the chip a little more attention than usual (refer to ‘The Eternal 555’ in the July/August 2004 issue). It is astonishing what can be built with a 555. Here at Elektor Electronics, we are always infatuated with simple circuits using this IC, such as the one shown here. The 555 is used here so that a single pushbutton can operate a relay. If you press the button once, the relay is energized. When you press it again the relay turns off. In addition, it is possible to define the initial state of the relay when the power supply is switched on. The design is, as previously mentioned, very simple. Using R1 and R2, the threshold and trigger inputs are held at half the power supply voltage.
When the voltage at the threshold pin becomes greater than 2/3 of the power supply voltage, the output will go low. The output goes high when the voltage at the trigger input is less than 1/3 of the power supply voltage. Because C2, via R3, will eventually have the same level as the output, the output will toggle whenever the pushbutton is pressed. If, for example, the output is low, the level of the trigger input will also become low and the output will go high! C1 defines the initial state of the relay when the power is applied. If the free end of C1 is connected to Vcc, then the output is high after power-up; the output is low when C1 is connected to the ground.
