giftiger_wunsch
New Member
Hi,
I'm new to electronics and I'm currently trying to use a 555 timer IC to make two LEDs flash on and off alternately (I later discovered that this has already been dubbed "the level crossing problem"). The circuit that I am using is attached.
However, I have run into the problem that I don't have any electrolytic capacitors, so I decided to try replacing C1 (in the circuit diagram) with a 220nF ceramic capacitor (and hoping that it wouldn't make a significant difference). I have built the circuits using a breadboard, and when I connect the battery, both LEDs light up simultaneously rather than flashing between the two.
Firstly, is this what would be expected if C1 were replaced a ceramic capacitor, or have I made a mistake while wiring the circuits?
Secondly, could someone explain why C1 needs to be a polarised capacitor, and how/why a non-polarised capacitor would behave differently?
Thanks in advance for any help
I'm new to electronics and I'm currently trying to use a 555 timer IC to make two LEDs flash on and off alternately (I later discovered that this has already been dubbed "the level crossing problem"). The circuit that I am using is attached.
However, I have run into the problem that I don't have any electrolytic capacitors, so I decided to try replacing C1 (in the circuit diagram) with a 220nF ceramic capacitor (and hoping that it wouldn't make a significant difference). I have built the circuits using a breadboard, and when I connect the battery, both LEDs light up simultaneously rather than flashing between the two.
Firstly, is this what would be expected if C1 were replaced a ceramic capacitor, or have I made a mistake while wiring the circuits?
Secondly, could someone explain why C1 needs to be a polarised capacitor, and how/why a non-polarised capacitor would behave differently?
Thanks in advance for any help
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