CircuitSourcery: Schematics, Manuals, & Modifications

Tutorials, tools, techniques, methodologies......

Moderator: Modulators

User avatar
UnderstandDavid
Noise Person
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2020 6:40 am
Location: Glasgow
Been thanked: 2 times
Contact:

Re: CircuitSourcery: Schematics, Manuals, & Modifications

Post by UnderstandDavid »

Lads, this is an absolute wet dream of a thread. Thanks so much for posting all of this, there's some absolute gold here!

I'm currently sitting in my studio, surrounded by electronics and tools...let the games begin.
User avatar
FAP
Merzwow
Posts: 633
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2020 11:50 am
Has thanked: 129 times
Been thanked: 278 times

Re: CircuitSourcery: Schematics, Manuals, & Modifications

Post by FAP »

I've been looking for a way to make a 555 IC flash an LED in a sine wave-like pattern; the LED would become a vactrol and eventually the whole circuit would basically be a sine wave LFO.
I wanted to have an alternative to the much easier square wave flashing you get out of 555's, to add some variety and subtlety to the patterns I could make.
Well it took many days of dicking around, but I've finally come up with a working schematic.
I figure this may be of interest to you fine folks:
breathing led 555 - edited by CR.png
This circuit was heavily troubleshot & modified from a schematic posted on this long-defunct and unsecured website (click if you dare):
http://www.pcbheaven.com/circuitpages/5 ... lsing_LED/

To get an idea of what it does, you can see the original version of the circuit in action here:


Please note that I don't have an oscilloscope, so I can't confirm if my circuit yields a 'sine' wave in the strictest sense.
What I do know is that you can adjust the fade-in & fade-out of the LED's flashes, essentially creating sawtooth, reverse sawtooth and de-facto sine or possibly triangle waves through various combinations.

TL;DR I figured out a way to make a sine wave-like LFO with a 555 and a vactrol (and some other parts).
User avatar
NoiseWiki
Wiki Bastard
Posts: 3811
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:38 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Has thanked: 1084 times
Been thanked: 1249 times
Contact:

Re: CircuitSourcery: Schematics, Manuals, & Modifications

Post by NoiseWiki »

User avatar
crochambeau
Merzwow
Posts: 599
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2019 11:21 am
Location: Cascadia
Has thanked: 241 times
Been thanked: 184 times
Contact:

Re: CircuitSourcery: Schematics, Manuals, & Modifications

Post by crochambeau »

Nice! Chua circuits can be fun.

I drafted a PCB a while back after some protoboard builds, but over all I haven't sunk a lot of time into them. They seem to prefer singing in the higher frequencies. Aside from some open ended connectivity (which demands very high impedance loads and floating differential inputs) I pretty much lifted the schematic directly from that site.
Chuachewchoo.JPG
Viewed 770 times
When in doubt, add resistance.

http://www.rochambeau.net/
User avatar
FAP
Merzwow
Posts: 633
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2020 11:50 am
Has thanked: 129 times
Been thanked: 278 times

Re: CircuitSourcery: Schematics, Manuals, & Modifications

Post by FAP »

What do you use to draft your PCBs, and who makes them?
User avatar
crochambeau
Merzwow
Posts: 599
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2019 11:21 am
Location: Cascadia
Has thanked: 241 times
Been thanked: 184 times
Contact:

Re: CircuitSourcery: Schematics, Manuals, & Modifications

Post by crochambeau »

FAP wrote: Sat Apr 01, 2023 2:16 am What do you use to draft your PCBs, and who makes them?
KiCad is the software I use, I recommend it absolutely. That particular PCB is from OSHpark, I have also used JLCPCB (cheaper, but without the feel-good of domestic production).
When in doubt, add resistance.

http://www.rochambeau.net/
Post Reply