The 555 timer is one of the most popular integrated circuits in electronic designs. These versatile devices are incredibly flexible and suitable for many applications.
As British electronics expert Kelvin Brammer tells us, the project began a few years ago while trying to master EDA (computer-aided design of microelectronics) and teach students about the inner workings of a timer chip. The result was a 555-equivalent circuit on a PCB with through-holes with components neatly arranged into functional blocks on the chip.
A few years passed and Kelvin decided to repeat the 555 project. It was also a good time to take a step into SMD design. While the updated schematic doesn't show off the 555's internals as clearly, the visual triple nickel triumph is more than worthy.