Except, it's not an advantage in any practical sense. Programmers cost pennies, toolchains are free and easy to use, and there are ample examples for simple tasks such as "toggle a pin in a particular way". The overall learning curve is almost certainly less steep than the learning curve for all the modes and quirks of the 555.What matters in production is that a 555-based circuit will use more power, that it's four components to source and install instead of one, and so on. Don't get me wrong, I like the 555, just like I like vacuum tubes, but it's nearly as dead.
lightedman|1 year ago
The ATMega needs about ten components to get properly operational for programming vs a simple 555 timer circuit. Oh, and then you also need the programmer and toolchain for making the code.
Or you can just use some basic math and thrown down native hardware to do the job. One of the biggest off-road lighting manufacturers on the planet does exactly this with 555 timers.
I manufacture lighting controls of various sorts as my current profession.
unknown|1 year ago
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