Ex.

No:
ASTABLE MULTIVIBRATOR
Date:

AIM:

To construct and study Astable and Monostable multivibrator using IC 555 to produce output at
its output terminal for various duty cycles.

APPARATUS REQUIRED:

[Link] NAME OF THE APPARATUS PARTICULARS QUANTITY

1 IC 555 NE 555 1

2 Resistors According to design 2

3 Capacitors 10 µF, 0.01 µF Each 1

4 Regulated Power Supply (0-30V), 1A 1

5 Bread Board 1

6 CRO Dual Trace, 30 MHz 1

7 LED 1

5 Connecting wires As Required

THEORY:

A multivibrator is a one type of electronic circuit, that is used to implement a two state
system like flip-flops, timers and oscillators. Multivibrators are categorized by two amplifying
devices like electron tubes, transistors and other devices like capacitors and cross coupled by
resistors. Multivibrators are classified into three types based on the circuit operation, namely
Astable multivibrators, Bistable multivibrators and Monostable multivibrators. The astable
multivibrator is not stable and it repeatedly switches from one state to the other. In monostable
multivibrator, one state is stable and remaining state is unstable. A trigger pulse is the root to
the circuit to enter the unstable state. When the circuit enters into the unstable state, then it will
return to the normal state after a fixed time. A bistable mutivibrator circuit is stable that can be

1
changed from one stable to other stable by an external trigger pulse. This multivibrator circuit is
also called as flip-flop which can be used to store one bit of data.

An astable multivibrator is also known as a free-running multivibrator. It is called free-

running because it alternates between two different output voltage levels during the time it is
on. The output remains at each voltage level for a definite period of time. If you looked at this
output on an oscilloscope, you would see continuous square or rectangular waveforms. The
astable multivibrator has two outputs, but no inputs.

WORKING OF ASTABLE MULTIVIBRATOR WITH 555 TIMER CIRCUIT:

When initially power is turned ON, Trigger Pin voltage is below Vcc/3, that makes the
lower comparator output HIGH and SETS the flip flop and output of the 555 chip is HIGH. This
makes the transistor Q1 OFF, because Qbar, Q’=0 is directly applied to base of transistor. As the
transistor is OFF, capacitor C1 starts charging and when it gets charged to a voltage above than
Vcc/3, then Lower comparator output becomes LOW (Upper comparator is also at LOW) and Flip
flop output remains the same as previous (555 output remains HIGH).

Now when capacitor charging gets to voltage above than 2/3Vcc, then the voltage of non-
inverting end (Threshold PIN 6) becomes higher than the inverting end of the comparator. This
makes Upper comparator output HIGH and RESETs the Flip flop, output of 555 chip becomes
LOW. As soon as the output of 555 get LOW means Q’=1, then transistor Q1 becomes ON and

2
short the capacitor C1 to the Ground. So the capacitor C1 starts discharging to the ground
through the Discharge PIN 7 and resistor R2.

As capacitor voltage get down below the 2/3 Vcc, upper comparator output becomes
LOW, now SR Flip flop remains in the previous state as both the comparators are LOW. While
discharging, when capacitor voltage gets down below Vcc/3, this makes the Lower comparator
output HIGH (upper comparator remain LOW) and Sets the flip flop again and 555 output
becomes HIGH. Transistor Q1 becomes OFF and again capacitor C1 starts charging.

This charging and discharging of capacitor continues and a rectangular oscillating output
wave for is generated. While capacitor is getting charge the output of 555 is HIGH, and while
capacitor is getting discharge output will be LOW. So this is called Astable mode because none of
the state is stable and 555 automatically interchange its state from HIGH to LOW and LOW to
HIGH, so it is called Free running Multivibrator.

Now, the OUTPUT HIGH and OUTPUT LOW duration, is determined by the Resistors R1 &
R2 and capacitor C1. This can be calculated using below formulas:

Time High (Seconds) T1 = 0.693 * (R1+R2) * C1

Time Low (Seconds) T2 = 0.693 * R2 * C1

Time Period T = Time High + Time Low = 0.693 * (R1+2*R2) * C1

Freqeuncy f = 1/Time Period = 1/ 0.693 * (R1+2*R2) * C1 = 1.44 / (R1+2*R2) * C1

3
 Duty Cycle: Duty cycle is the ratio of time for which the output is HIGH to the total time.

Duty cycle %: (Time HIGH/ Total time) * 100 = (T1/T) * 100 = (R1+R2)/ (R1+2*R2) *100

Advantages of Astable Multivibrator

 No external triggering required.

 Circuit design is simple.
 Inexpensive.
 Can function continuously.

Disadvantages of Astable Multivibrator

 Energy absorption is more within the circuit.

 Output signal is of low energy.
 Duty cycle less than or equal to 50% can’t be achieved.

Applications of Astable Multivibrator

Astable Multivibrators are used in many applications such as amateur radio equipment,
Morse code generators, timer circuits, analog circuits, and TV systems.

PIN DIAGRAM OF IC 555:

PARAMETERS of IC 555:
 Power supply range: 4.5V to 16V
 Supply current at Vcc at 15V: 10 mA
 Output current, max.: 200 mA
 Power dissipation, max.: 600 mW
 Peak supply current transient: 400 mA

4
DESIGN WORKS:

5
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM:

OUTPUT WAVE FORM:

OBSERVATION:

[Link]: 𝑇𝑂𝑁 𝑇𝑂𝐹𝐹 𝑇 Duty Cycle: 𝑇𝑂𝑁 ⁄𝑇 Freq.: 𝑓 = 1/𝑇; Hz

6
CALCULATIONS:

RESULT: