Cheapo’s - or an Instable Multi Vibrator (!)

The ARDUINO is sometimes far too big, like a dinosaur in a cupboard. If you want to do a few switches or some simple sensor effects you can use an ATTINY13 for instance, lots of examples to be found on www.instructables.com. You have to program these insects, but the hex files are given too. So in fact it only resolves to loading the program another (clever) person made in assembler.

Another example of a useful IC is the 555 timer (also abundant on instructables), i came across some nice examples:

this is a switchlight, costing about 80 cents! http://www.circuitsonline.net/circuits/view/13

and then the instable multivibrator, or in normal language an ORGAN,

http://www.circuitsonline.net/circuits/view/130

very makeable, so i ordered some 555’s fast at conrad’s

The big advantage of these smaller IC’s is that they can be built/hidden into books, clothing, in toys without a problem, of course on itself they can do not too much, but with the help of the relais (see the blog before this one), they can steer processes as big as you want!