Simple flashing light for prototype

[waz-d]

I am a design student making a model prototype of a project. The product has a button on it that when pressed the button glows 6 times for 1 seconds each time. (this configuration can vary but the button just needs to glow several times to alert the user that the pressing action has been recognised) . Unfortunately my knowledge of electronics is very basic. I was wondering if there was a way of making this with a simple circuit board? or will it be more complex as the light is required to flash for a specific time?

Thanks in advance!

 

[dknguyen]

Getting the light to turn on for a specific amount of time and then off isn't so hard. You can do that with a 555 timer circuit. I think flashing it 6 times is the more difficult part.

I don't suppose you are able to use a small microcontroller to flash the LED? That would get you the simplest circuit but then you need to program it.

Isn't just flashing once for a long time enough to let the user know the action is recognized?

 

[AnalogKid]

This can be a pretty simple circuit.
1 - CD4060 oscillator/counter to set the blink rate, count the number of blinks, and stop at the end of the cycle.
1 - transistor to drive the indicator light

This circuit works best for a fixed number of blinks per cycle. A 2-chip circuit (LMC555 + CD4017 + transistor) can be built to be adjustable from 1 to 9 blinks by moving a removable jumper.

What is the indicator light? LED? small incandescent? Voltage? Current?

At the end of the cycle, does the light remain on or remain off until the next button press?

ak

 

[atferrari]

I am a design student making a model prototype of a project. The product has a button on it that when pressed the button glows 6 times for 1 seconds each time. (this configuration can vary but the button just needs to glow several times to alert the user that the pressing action has been recognised) . Unfortunately my knowledge of electronics is very basic. I was wondering if there was a way of making this with a simple circuit board? or will it be more complex as the light is required to flash for a specific time?

Thanks in advance!

Out of curiosity: what is the reason for that specific number (6)? Is the operator (or whoever sees that light), expected to count the flashes?

Have you realized that one second the light ON, if not watched, let's say, "permanently" could be construed as "all the time ON"?

Unless there is an unusual reason, I suspect you will be flashing maybe six times but with much shorter ON times.

And the question I am afraid to pose: are other flashing signals, similar (but not equal to the above) also used as a warning of something else to the user?