“Lighthouse” Now that brought a smile to my face, as I recalled that old Navy myth of the confrontation, in the fog, of a US aircraft carrier and a Canadian lighthouse.
I wonder how many 4017 and 555 timers have been used to make flashing panel lights in sci fi movies over the years? The last time i used a 4017 was to divide a pulse signal by 2 for the tacho on my milling machine .The origional tacho required 2 pulses per revolution but a fitted a cheap chinese made unit that needed 1 pulse per revolution and to change the notched disk for the hall sensor would mean complete disassembly as it was mounted on the mill spindle deep inside the machine - after abit of head scratching i decided to divide the signal electronically and it was the 4017 to the rescue ! Thanks for the video !
I just soldered a little flash light thing with a smd 555 and a smd cd4017. It was a practice board from icstation with red LEDs that flash in sequence.
Man that new Micsig scope is sweet! Seems it's a clearer, more colorful resolution than the scope you'd been using. I can see how when you need to verify that timing (the blink, blink, wait that a scope is invaluable.)
Having been stationed at a lighthouse (Cape Blanco) for 2.5 years I'm pretty familiar with the way the light works. Ours rotated a mercury vapor bulb inside an 8-foot tall 6 sided Fresnel lens. The flashing came from the light shining through each side of the lens. So depending on your location you'd see a single flash at a particular timing. This is a cool circuit but it looked like you had two diodes in pin 3 and the other in pin 9. Maybe it was the lens or something that made it look that way? Thanks, Paul, I'm enjoying these videos!
I have a confusing issue with a circuit like this one. I am using a potentiometer to control and slow down the speed of the 555 and the LM4017 outputs. I'm wanting the LED's to fade when they come on and off and I am experienced with many different circuits that fade LED's. I have tried basic cap and resistor pairings at the LED's and also by using the 4017 outputs to drive bc547's transistors that turn on the LED's, again with different arrangements of caps and resistors on the base and/or emitter sides and I've also tried resistor/cap arrangements that can turn square waves triangle or sine, with and without the transistors. In all cases, I can get a very controllable fade out of the LED's but cannot get them to fade on. Is there something about the output of an LM4017 that will not allow it's waveform to change or for a capacitor to slowly charge? Or something else that I just can't figure out?
That's pretty neat. I set up a flip-flop circuit with a NE555 timer, and a couple of voltage regulators to switch the blinking between two lights. I have the schematic if anyone is interested. Just tell me where to send it..:)
Just about any diode will work. We are only using their "one-way valve" function to keep the signal from feeding back to other LEDs and lighting them out of turn.
Albert van der Merwe the diodes are connecting three different ic pins with one LED, only one ic pin can be high during the clock pulse, without the diodes the current would flow back to ground through one of the ic low pins instead of the LED.
Albert van der Merwe no they are not in parallel , and I admit not easy to see. Take a look at the 4017 data sheet on the TI website and it shows the cycles of pulses coming from the output pins. You will see that all the output pins are naturally low, therefore they have resistors pulling them to ground, meaning that without the diodes the current would short back through the low output pins to ground and only a small current would flow through the LED.
Albert van der Merwe True, I looked at it again 5:34 to 6:00, and that makes no sense whatsoever. I thought he had hooked up the pins mentioned about a minute earlier. Three diodes is serious overkill.
@@learnelectronics thank you for reply! Also what does it mean if you have say five LEDs in a row and they are all blinking together with timer but not very brightly! Damaged IC? Static?
“Lighthouse”
Now that brought a smile to my face, as I recalled that old Navy myth of the confrontation, in the fog, of a US aircraft carrier and a Canadian lighthouse.
Why 3 parallel diodes from pin 3
Nicely done, sir.
I wonder how many 4017 and 555 timers have been used to make flashing panel lights in sci fi movies over the years?
The last time i used a 4017 was to divide a pulse signal by 2 for the tacho on my milling machine .The origional tacho required 2 pulses per revolution but a fitted a cheap chinese made unit that needed 1 pulse per revolution and to change the notched disk for the hall sensor would mean complete disassembly as it was mounted on the mill spindle deep inside the machine - after abit of head scratching i decided to divide the signal electronically and it was the 4017 to the rescue !
Thanks for the video !
Nice hack Ian !! 😎👍☘️
Thanks Paul you're giving me more ideas on that 4017 I actually have one going on a scrolling message board
I never thought of doing that what a great idea. Great video Paul.
I just soldered a little flash light thing with a smd 555 and a smd cd4017. It was a practice board from icstation with red LEDs that flash in sequence.
you could easily jump over the center gap to extend the "bus" to the output LED.
Man that new Micsig scope is sweet! Seems it's a clearer, more colorful resolution than the scope you'd been using. I can see how when you need to verify that timing (the blink, blink, wait that a scope is invaluable.)
Yes it is. I couldn't quite see the timing with my eyes but the scope makes it clear.
Good learning... .
Having been stationed at a lighthouse (Cape Blanco) for 2.5 years I'm pretty familiar with the way the light works. Ours rotated a mercury vapor bulb inside an 8-foot tall 6 sided Fresnel lens. The flashing came from the light shining through each side of the lens. So depending on your location you'd see a single flash at a particular timing. This is a cool circuit but it looked like you had two diodes in pin 3 and the other in pin 9. Maybe it was the lens or something that made it look that way? Thanks, Paul, I'm enjoying these videos!
No they were all in different pins.
@@learnelectronics Why are you in total denial about this? You are acting really strange.
"Thank You", thank you very much ☺️ What type of application would this represent 🤔😎🤔
No real-world application I can think of other than creating custom pulses. Just showing an example of diode routing.
@@learnelectronics Okay 😎😀😎
My circuits have never looked this good :3
You are not alone bro
My circuits dont look good because i use jumper wires instead of hookup wires:)
Thanks Paul! Make a 6-LED Knight Rider with it. It only takes about 10 diodes.
i tried it it didnt work but i think it was the high voltage drop of the diodes
Have seen little lighthouse kits which probably use this technique. Will look out for a lighthouse ornament and try this myself!
Isn't a "Johnson counter" somebody who works in human resources in the adult industry?
Yours truly,
13 year old me.
Lol thanks for that. Now i have snot on my keyboard.
@@learnelectronics hehe couldn't hold back .
Use resistors of different values with out the diodes. I did that to get a mars light effect for a train way back.
Fantastic, dude! Thanks a lot! 😃
Great idea that I never thought of, great for an installation into a model lighthouse, i'll bet there are model railroad projects too :-)
Yes indeed
had a seizure couldn't finish watching. thanks!
Thank's a lot. That is what I am looking for my lighthouse model :)
I have a confusing issue with a circuit like this one. I am using a potentiometer to control and slow down the speed of the 555 and the LM4017 outputs. I'm wanting the LED's to fade when they come on and off and I am experienced with many different circuits that fade LED's. I have tried basic cap and resistor pairings at the LED's and also by using the 4017 outputs to drive bc547's transistors that turn on the LED's, again with different arrangements of caps and resistors on the base and/or emitter sides and I've also tried resistor/cap arrangements that can turn square waves triangle or sine, with and without the transistors. In all cases, I can get a very controllable fade out of the LED's but cannot get them to fade on. Is there something about the output of an LM4017 that will not allow it's waveform to change or for a capacitor to slowly charge? Or something else that I just can't figure out?
Wow the blue LEDs are super bright, even through a screen
Yes, I was surprised just how bright it was.
Nice hack Paul, I like it!
Don't you have all the outputs hooked to the same IC pin?? Or maybe I missed something. It worked so it's probably on me.....
Diode switching
@@learnelectronics Ahh......
Great video. Nice diode trick!
Great very useful thanks for sharing, I wonder if this could be used for a phase shift device for ‘soft switching’ mosfet or other bridge?
So cool!
Love that scope ...........
I'm curious, why diodes to the led? Would resistors work just as well, or are diodes required? Thanks in advance for your time and help.
Diodes are one-way switches. Used to prevent back end into the ic.
That's pretty neat. I set up a flip-flop circuit with a NE555 timer, and a couple of voltage regulators to switch the blinking between two lights. I have the schematic if anyone is interested. Just tell me where to send it..:)
Nice scope!
interesting videos I already subscribed you channel
Nice apprauch. ....
Hi, I'm just learning this electrics stuff. How do you choose what diode to use for something like this? Thanks
Just about any diode will work. We are only using their "one-way valve" function to keep the signal from feeding back to other LEDs and lighting them out of turn.
Great very useful thanks
I'm a little confused. Why is the 3 diodes in parallel? They all go to the same pin.
Albert van der Merwe the diodes are connecting three different ic pins with one LED, only one ic pin can be high during the clock pulse, without the diodes the current would flow back to ground through one of the ic low pins instead of the LED.
@@captainpugwash4100 Looking at the video it seems all 3 diodes connect to the same pin on the IC
You can even see in the thumbnail it goes to the same pin.
Albert van der Merwe no they are not in parallel , and I admit not easy to see. Take a look at the 4017 data sheet on the TI website and it shows the cycles of pulses coming from the output pins. You will see that all the output pins are naturally low, therefore they have resistors pulling them to ground, meaning that without the diodes the current would short back through the low output pins to ground and only a small current would flow through the LED.
Albert van der Merwe True, I looked at it again 5:34 to 6:00, and that makes no sense whatsoever. I thought he had hooked up the pins mentioned about a minute earlier. Three diodes is serious overkill.
you have 3 diodes hooked up to pin 3
No I do not
@@learnelectronics Thats what I see too?
@@learnelectronics 5:43
Yes he did, i see this also.
hmmmm?????
This looks like a job for an XR 2240 !
How much should I be paying for a 4 Chanel Micsig oscilloscope?
About 500-600 US
@@learnelectronics ok, very good. I was finding them in the high 400s, and was wondering if you paid that much. Thanks.
Just wondering what the purpose of the diodes is? Thanks
Keeping the outputs separated
@@learnelectronics thank you for reply! Also what does it mean if you have say five LEDs in a row and they are all blinking together with timer but not very brightly! Damaged IC? Static?
@@learnelectronics thank you Paul!
Never install an LM7905 in place of a LM7805, else it melts! 😱
I need a magnifier. 😫
Arrow Electronics spends way too much on its packaging. took my almost an hour to unpack everythng. :)