555 timer salvage

[jmille38]

I am just getting started in recycling used and broken electronics for parts. I know I could just buy in bulk on line but I think it is fun to take things apart and learn from them as well as I think it helps the environment to recycle. Any way my question is do you know what electronic devices are good for salvaging/finding 555 timer chips? Like maybe something that has flashing lights, toys etc.... Thanks for your time

 

[Hero999]

I doubt it, not many commercial appliances use 555s.

 

[gerty]

They are so cheap, why bother..

 

[jmille38]

I doubt it, not many commercial appliances use 555s.

Oh, ok. Thank you for the reply. I will just buy them then. Do you guys have any trusted sites to suggest that I order from? I am a little apprehensive of ordering online from random sites. Also if you have time to answer anther question, why are they not used in commercial appliances?

 

[duffy]

Digikey, Mouser, Newark, Jameco, Spark Fun, Dontronics, and eBay are places I've ordered from recently with no problems. Digikey's the best, but Mouser's cheaper. Newark's expensive, but has a lot of industrial stuff and transformers and things. Sparkfun, Dontronics, the Robot Store, American Science and Surplus and places like that have a lot of cool gizmos the others don't. Don't underestimate eBay, they have great deals on some things you wouldn't think they would carry.

 

[Hero999]

Oh, ok. Thank you for the reply. I will just buy them then. Do you guys have any trusted sites to suggest that I order from? I am a little apprehensive of ordering online from random sites. Also if you have time to answer anther question, why are they not used in commercial appliances?

Because most commercial appliances are too complicated.

The only things a 555 is useful for are short timing delays, flashing LEDs and making a speaker beep. Since LEDs with built-in flashers and speakers with built in beepers (called buzzers) can be bought fairly cheaply, this limits it to short delays (under a couple of minutes).

All of the above can be accomplished with an, PLA, FPGA or micrcontroller, if all a product does is have a short time delay the a 555 would be fine but most other products are more complicated. Complicated devices such as clocks, calculators, timers would be really, large, expensive and power hungry if they were implemented using discrete ICs (many 555s plus logic ICS) so manufacturers use a single programmable IC (microcontroller, PLA, FPGA) because it works out cheaper. Programmable ICs also are better because if the product needs to be changed, more often than not the IC can just be re-programmed - no component or PCB changes requireed.

I think the only product I've seen a real life 555 in was a timer relay and even then it was a CMOS 555, the TS555.

I wouldn't always recommend eBay, you need to be careful, it's often better to go with a 'real' local supplier even if it costs slightly more. You haven't filled your location in so we don't know what supliers to recommend.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Also if you have time to answer anther question, why are they not used in commercial appliances?

That's not strictly true - you do find them in commercial appliances, it's just that they are pretty uncommon.

Generally there's not that much use for a 555, but I've found them in TV's VCR's, PIR's - all sorts of domestic electronics - but they certainly aren't popular.

 

[jmille38]

Thanks so much

Because most commercial appliances are too complicated.

The only things a 555 is useful for are short timing delays, flashing LEDs and making a speaker beep. Since LEDs with built-in flashers and speakers with built in beepers (called buzzers) can be bought fairly cheaply, this limits it to short delays (under a couple of minutes).

All of the above can be accomplished with an, PLA, FPGA or micrcontroller, if all a product does is have a short time delay the a 555 would be fine but most other products are more complicated. Complicated devices such as clocks, calculators, timers would be really, large, expensive and power hungry if they were implemented using discrete ICs (many 555s plus logic ICS) so manufacturers use a single programmable IC (microcontroller, PLA, FPGA) because it works out cheaper. Programmable ICs also are better because if the product needs to be changed, more often than not the IC can just be re-programmed - no component or PCB changes requireed.

I think the only product I've seen a real life 555 in was a timer relay and even then it was a CMOS 555, the TS555.

I wouldn't always recommend eBay, you need to be careful, it's often better to go with a 'real' local supplier even if it costs slightly more. You haven't filled your location in so we don't know what supliers to recommend.

Oops I am at Indianapolis, Indiana. You guys are great and so helpfull thank you so much.

 

[sfttailpaul]

I, too, agree that I would stay clear of feeBay, but I paruse it occasionally. I recently saw a guy on there selling bags of parts for %5.00 + S/H of $4.00 1st; #2 and on just 1$, so 2-3 bags made S/H cheap. He was giving like, 10-555; another 6 CMOS; 50 LED's, etc, etc,, all in all, just one 555 ordered fro a supplier and their S/H of around $5 bucks made this guys deal look great. He gave about 100 parts in all in each $5.00 "auction".
Looks like someone is cleaning some NOS from days gone (sort of) by...
eBay Store - M C Howard Electronics Inc: IC's, COLLECTOR'S CORNER, Memory

 

[mneary]

[If you put your location into your UserCP we won't have to keep asking ]

I find that there are a lot of trustworthy sites on ebay. It helps to have PayPal. One of my favorites on ebay is dpi4parts, in particular since they have a lot of surface mount and they are within overnight postal range of me. User Feedback on ebay is very helpful in guiding you away from the unreliable. A seller with thousands of 100% satisfied customers is pretty safe. Find other good ebay sites by plugging the device you want into their search engine (just search ebay for '555' insted of 'antique doll' .) All Electronics and Electronic Goldmine are also good stores.

 

[Mikebits]

I get all my school books from ebay or Amazon. Never had a problem. Just buy from peeps with good ratings. I guess I am sorta repeating what neary said...