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DC to AC using a 555 chip

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Warlord_1011

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hi all, looking at a trying to convert 15VDC to 15VAC using a 555 timer, i have calulated using this diagram

**broken link removed**

i have calulated using this diagram:

R1 = 200k ohm
R2 = 20k ohm
C1 = 0.1mf/uf

points to note, the capacitance in the forumla is actuall in C*10^-6 to get the correct frequencey,

Now would this circuit be able to create 15vac at 60hz, no different to 15vac from a 240vac to 15vac transformer?

or would it output 15VDC at 60hhz?
 
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It only puts out pulsating 15VDC, not 15VAC. What are you trying to do with 15VAC?

Ken
 
i want to make a Christmas lights Tester, althought they run off of 240 ac Mains, i want it to be a bit safer than that, and i basically need to test the bulbs (they are old bulbs with a filliment NOT leds), and im also still rellevtively new to electronics especially IC's, and i wanted to experiment to get more of an understanding
 
well im not so sure on the voltages of the bulbs, mainly because it had 2 wires, Live and Neutral and was wired straight to the plug, these lights are about 20 to 30 years old, and i wish to test individual bulbs, with a 9volt batery the fillement lights up but it does not light the bulb, i thoguht this was due to it being DC and not the AC the bulb usually uses
 
or would i have to use a circuit like this:

**broken link removed**

without the transformer converting it to 230v, i would only want 12 to 24VAC
 
well im not so sure on the voltages of the bulbs, mainly because it had 2 wires, Live and Neutral and was wired straight to the plug, these lights are about 20 to 30 years old, and i wish to test individual bulbs, with a 9volt batery the fillement lights up but it does not light the bulb, i thoguht this was due to it being DC and not the AC the bulb usually uses

No, AC makes no difference - if it's only lighting slightly you've got too little voltage, or your source can't supply enough current (and a 555 certainly couldn't).

Divide your mains voltage by the number of bulbs, that tells you what voltage they are - so 240V and 10 bulbs would be 24V bulbs.

But you have no need to light the bulb brightly, if the filament glows with too low a voltage then it's fine.
 
oh ok, would a 555 timer, be able to control a transistor switch?, or would you not need it and wire the 555 up to do the same action?
 
if you have some other idea in mind to do with these bulbs, you better tell your idea. if what you need is only to test it and see wheather its ok or not, then what you get when you use 9V is enough to confirm it.
 
If all you want to do is test individual lamps, they are usually 6V each, and they do not care if you feed them AC or DC. I just use my Ohmmeter :D
 
Old outdoors Christmas tree lights were 120V each (in Canada) and were all in parallel. For years I used clear ones as "night lights" because they were extremely inexpensive and in packages of many the day after Christmas.
 
There's really not much difference, and feeding it through a simple capacitor removes even that difference.

15VAC has a peak-to-peak voltage of over 30V and a pulsating 15VDC has a peak-to-peak voltage of 15V; they are quite different, even with a capacitor.
 
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With a 15V supply, the output of a 555 is an 11V to 13V peak-to-peak square-wave.
A 15V RMS sine-wave has a voltage of 15V or 42.4V peak-to-peak.
 
Peak is irrelevant. RMS is more important.
 
15VAC has a peak-to-peak voltage of over 30V and a pulsating 15VDC has a peak-to-peak voltage of 15V; they are quite different, even with a capacitor.

If you don't specify what you're measuring in, your post is completely meaningless.

As long as you use the same measurements, and the same waveform, they are identical.
 
No idea what you're on about. 15VAC and pulsated 15VDC are completely different, both in amplitude, RMS, delivered power, etc. There are no 2 ways about it.
 
No idea what you're on about. 15VAC and pulsated 15VDC are completely different, both in amplitude, RMS, delivered power, etc. There are no 2 ways about it.

15VAC p-p square wave is exactly the same as 15V p-p 'pulsed DC' - you can't just call something 15V AC with out specifying what it is.
 
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