Disco LED Lights Circuit using IC 555

Disco LED lights Circuit was a fun thing. Anyone can construct this by their own. In this circuit we are going to use NE 555(IC 1) and CD 4017(IC 2). Usually NE 555 is used in variety of timer circuits, pulse generation and oscillator applications. It can also be used as a Flip-Flop element.The IC2 CD4017 was Johnson counter which gives decoded outputs with inputs of clock signal, clock inhibit, carry out and thus it produces counters as output.

WORKING OF DISCO LED LIGHTS CIRCUIT:

This circuit uses NE 555 as an astable multivibrator . Read about the working of IC 555. In astable mode the 555 timer puts out a continuous stream of clock pulses for the IC 2 CD 4017.Since in this circuit the NE 555 was working in normal condition so the 5th pin of the NE 555 were not used. Moreover in Astable condition the NE555 can work without external triggering so this was preferred than other multivibrator circuits.Thus it provides a series of clock pulses as output to IC2 CD 4017.

The CD4017 (IC 2) takes clock pulse input from multivibrator as input and it provides the counters(decoded outputs).These counters are advanced by one during every positive cycle of the clock pulse if the Clock Inhibit signal is kept low. Carry Out pin will give high signal finally and it indicates one cycle of count from Q0….Q9 is completed and it cycles back to begin from the first LED D1. Thus it makes a disco light.The speed of the LEDs depend on the frequency of the clock pulses generated. Pin diagrams of these IC 1 & IC 2 was given for your better understanding.

CD 4017 (IC 2) PIN DIAGRAM:

 

Using Multicolor LED’s will provide a great disco effect in this circuit. The speed of the lighting can be varied by means of the POT R2 connected to the IC 555.  

WORKING VIDEO: