How do you make a light blink?

[Hawkeye178]

I am going to make a miny runway and I was wondering how to make the runway lights blink.

Diagram:

. . <-- first this set
. . <-- then this set
. . <-- then this set
. . <-- then this set
. . <-- then this set
. . <-- then this set

*NOTE* one dot (.) = one led

[hawkeye177]

anybody know

[Axel]

Set up a bank of relays with a time delay between each one - possibly with a capacitor discharge that holds the relay closed until the charge is spent - then activates the next relay and charges it's capacitor.

I'm sure there's a better way - Have you surfed and model airplane sites for such a light set? - You might find something out there.... although, admittedly, not too many model airplanes fly at night.

[Hawkeye178]

what parts do I need.

[Graham]

Hawkeye
There is an IC which is designed to do just that, from memory it is a 4017 (cant remember the prefix).
It will flash a series of LEDs 1-10 then repeat. It will not supply much in the way of power, but it will light a pair of LED

[Hawkeye178]

Specify Please

IC?

I am an electronic idiot http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[Graham]

Hawkeye
There is an IC which is designed to do just that, from memory it is a 4017 (cant remember the prefix).
It will flash a series of LEDs 1-10 then repeat. It will not supply much in the way of power, but it will light a pair of LEDs with a suitable resistor.
I will se if I can find anything on the web, and get back to you.

G

[Graham]

Sorry about the double post, IC=intergarted circuit, or chip.

You must be hovering over the refresh button http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

G

[club_med]

If it works and looks cool send us a pic http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

cm

[Graham]

I did a search on Google for 4017 LIGHT CHASER, and it came back with several sites, all of which will do what you want.
Rather than list them all I suggest you do the search, post a reply if you need more help.

G

[Hawkeye178]

Thanks a lot Graham http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif, and once I'm done with the whole city, I'll take a picture and post it.

Hawkeye178

[DemonKnight]

We made of these in electronics and now I cant remember the name of the IC chips we used. 555 comes to mind but I think thats a timer chip.. we made binary counters and all kindas stuff.

[golfcart]

I've played with 555's before. Those are fun. Sooo many different things you can do with them. My favorite was a touch sensor like those lamps that you touch and they turn on/off. There is also the 556 which i believe is two 555's in one. It's been a while. wish I had time to do that stuff more. Still have my old bread boards in a box somewhere.

[Bsdboy]

I think the dual 555's were a 556,it's been a long time but you can have a lot of fun with a 555.

Bsdboy

[Warthog]

I read the thread topic and I thought, "Oh! I know the answer....turn up your stereo RFL (<---if ya know what I mean)"

THAT will make your lights blink a little bit http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

Warthog

ps - yes this was a totally unproductive post

[RustyGT]

Crikey what a question!
In the mid 70's I could've answered this. You would have found articles in the electronics mags, with step by step instructions. Making leds blink was some feat in those days!
Hands up! I built a Pong game from a kit back then, when we 1st got it going,we were SO COOL!
I suspect you'll need to find an older engineer, or backtrack thru those older mags, to get your answer.
Who'd have thought, it would come to this?
Cheers, Rusty.

[mds]

Here's a sites about 555 timer IC-They would be the most simple thing to use to make runway lights
http://www.555-timer.co.uk/

Also check Radio Shack or a local electronics supply store they should have the IC either 555 or the dual 555 (556), and also have some project circuits that would most likely work

[Hawkeye178]

I checked Radioshack and they said they didn't have what I needed

[dragonB]

Maybe on a similar vein, maybe not...

How about controlling lights with ur computer? Use the serial port...
Anyway, I think of this, cuz this guy near us does a whole setup of christmas lights that do really cool patterns that he controls with his computer. I don't know "how" he does it, just that he does.
Ideas?
dragonB

[Hawkeye178]

I'm probably not going to hook my computer up to becsuse I'm not sure they make a cord that long plus I don't know how. Thanks anywayz http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif.

Hawkeye178

[NeilWolf]

Radio Shack has the parts...
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F010%5F005%5F002%5F005&product%5Fid=900%2D6260

[hawkeye177]

How would you connect it?
This is the pic of the part.
<IMG SRC="http://www.radioshack.com/images/ProductCatalog/ProductImage/900/900-6260.jpg" border=0>

[Spanky]

I'm pretty sure if you wanted to control lights with little more power you could use the IC with relays for controling the higher power.

I remember in electronics class there was an ISA card that had a ton of data ins and outs. Boy I always wanted one of those, course I would need to learn how to program, but I think it just used basic.