How to pulse electric a current

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around how to create a pulsing electric current in a circuit using a 9V battery. Participants explore various components and methods to achieve this, including the use of a 555 timer and multivibrators, while considering the frequency and adjustability of the pulses.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks guidance on pulsing an electrical current through a circuit using a 9V battery.
  • Another suggests using an IC 555 timer chip configured as an astable multivibrator for this purpose.
  • A participant emphasizes the importance of specifying the desired frequency of the pulse for better guidance.
  • One idea proposed involves creating a multivibrator using two 9V DC relays, with the frequency dependent on the relay's resistance and inductance (RL), suggesting a possible frequency of around 20Hz.
  • The original poster expresses interest in adjusting the speed of the pulses, akin to flashing Christmas tree lights, and mentions the 555 timer as a potential starting point.
  • A participant provides a link to a Wikipedia page on the 555 timer series for further reading.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the potential use of the 555 timer for pulsing current, but there are multiple approaches suggested, including the use of relays, and the discussion remains open regarding the best method and specifics of implementation.

Contextual Notes

The discussion lacks specific details on the desired pulse frequency and the characteristics of the circuit components, which may affect the proposed solutions.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in electronics, circuit design, and those looking to experiment with pulsing circuits may find this discussion beneficial.

balbert99
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How to "pulse" electric a current

I'm looking for a way, or component, that will pulse an electrical current through a circuit, and I'm not sure where to start looking. I'm looking to hook a 9v battery to a small simple circuit and send the current through that circuit in pulses. For example on-off-on-off.
 
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Try looking at IC 555 timer chip circuits. What you want is an astable multivibrator.
 
It would help a lot to describe the frequency of the pulse. Please be specific to get an educated guess. Don't expect an exact answer but one that will point you in the right direction.
 
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After reading your question closer, one thing I could do is make a multivibrator out of two nine volt DC relays. The multivibrator frequency would be determined by the RL of the relays. I have never tried this but would give a guess at 20HZ? The frequency depends on the RL circuit and the larger the relays the slower it would flip-flop. But if all you want to do is use a simple 555 timer then go for it.
 
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Thanks guys for the help! I'm new to this, and find it very interesting. I don't think I know enough to answer your questions with a lot of detail. What I'm imagining is a circuit similar to (but not exactly like) a string of flashing christmas tree lights. Some strings give you the ability to set their speed: slow, fast, or solid/no flash. Since I'm new to this, I'd like the ability to adjust the speed the "pulses" travel through the circuit to see how things react at different speeds: slow, medium, fast, etc. From what I've read, the 555 timer would be a good start.

Any books or on-line articles you can suggest would be great too! Thanks again!
 

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