556 dual led flasher?

Hello. Does anyone have a schematic for a dual led flasher using one 556 chip or one 555 chip? I've searched google and I couldn't really find anything.

Could you not just use the 555 timer in the standard astable configuration?

Then just link up the LEDs so they light alternately as in the attachment, presuming that is what you are after.

flasher.png

Nope, that didn't work.

Wait, never mind. I got it to work! I was just using the wrong pin, stupid me. Is there some way I can use a rgb led for this?

How about using an ardunio instead?

You could use the output of the 555 as clock input to a counter/decoder ( 4022, 4017 ).
This would seem stupid to MCU experts nowadays, but if that´s all You want, why WASTE an Arduino?

Why use Arduino? Well I could use a nano, but I don't have one. And my UNO sucks up 9 volts super fast. So a 555 timer and a 5 volt power regulator will do. I also have a switch and a potentiometer on it. Works great.

You can also use a 4060. It has an integrated osc. so You save an 555.

Well setting up some 555's to run 1 or more rgb led's is of course possible but a lot of messing about and very restrictive in what you can do with it without adding a load more circuitry. By the time you have put it all together you would have been better using a £20 arduino imo.
And if it doesn't do what you want you still have the ardunio so no money really wasted. If it's very simple then sure the 555 is better but it doesn't have to get very complicated before it get's to more trouble than it's worth, unless you enjoy doing it that way. A year ago i would have agreed with you, but i am a true convert now.

The Atmel chips are cheep as chips as well.

If you just want to blink the RGB LED, then a attiny85 will be fine, and you only need 3 resitors beside the chip.

Cost - > about 2$

Yoy can see how to program it here:

http://hlt.media.mit.edu/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.ArduinoATtiny4585

And:

http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,51984.0.html

You write the sketch the same way as you would using the Arduino, just change the pin numbers