MAHARASHTRA STATE BOARD OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION,

MUMBAI
M.B.E. SOCIETY’S
T.B.GIRWALKAR POLYTECHNIC , AMBAJOGAI

PROJECT ON
“TRAFFIC LIGHT CIRCUIT USING IC 555 ”

SUBMITTED BY
PIYUSH RAUT

UNDER THE NOBLE GUIDANCE BY

PROF.A.A.KULKARNI

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONIC AND COMPUTER

ENGINEERING
YEAR 2025-2026
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MAHARASHTRA STATE BOARD OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION,
MUMBAI
M.B.E. SOCIETY’S
T.B.GIRWALKAR POLYTECHNIC , AMBAJOGAI

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONIC AND COMPUTER

ENGINEERING

Certificate
This is to certify that Mr. Piyush Raut , student of DEPARTMENT OF
ELECTRONICAND COMPUTER ENGINEERING. Has submitted
project report on “TRAFFIC LIGHTCIRCUIT USING IC 555 ” for full fulfillment for
the award of the course in ELECTRONIC AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
this volume has submitted a satisfactory report about the subject in academic
year 2024-2025.

Guide
Head of department
PROF.A.A.KULKARNI PROF.A.A.KULKARNI

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 Principal
PROF.LAXMIKANT BAGALE
Acknowledgement

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to our respected Principal PROF. L. V.
Bagle as well as our respected Head Of Department, PROF. A. A. Kulkarni who gave us golden
opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic “Traffic light LED Circuit using IC 555 ”
for which we have designed the web page. I would also like to express my thanks to our course
teacher PROF. A. A. Kulkarni to let us perform some new things find complete this project. I am
really thanks to them.

Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped me a lot in finalizing
this project within the limited time frame. They the project by performing my best.

This project being guided by our course teacher has taught us how to design web pages,
create hyperlinks and effective report. Such projects are beneficial to us to increase our
confidence level and practical skills.

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 Index

 Introduction and project overview

 Objectives
 Theoretical foundation
 Circuits design and components
 Theoretical background
 Circuit diagram
 Circuit operation implementations consideration
 Application
 Advantages
 Limitation
 Conclusion
 Reference

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 Introduction

Introduction and Project Overview

The LED Traffic Light Controller circuit is a classic electronics project that demonstrates the
principle of sequential timing using the NE555 Precision Timer Integrated Circuit (IC). The
objective is to accurately simulate the three-phase sequence of a road traffic signal (Red →
Green → Yellow → Red) for a single direction of traffic. The design typically employs two
interconnected 555 timers, both operating in the astable multivibrator mode, to manage the
independent timing for the long (Red/Green) and short (Yellow) phases.

Traffic lights are an essential part of road safety and traffic management systems. They control
the flow of vehicles and pedestrians at road intersections. Traditionally, complex
microcontrollers or relay-based systems are used for this purpose. However, for educational and
small-scale demonstration purposes, a 555 Timer IC can be used to design a simple traffic light
circuit.

The IC 555 is one of the most versatile integrated circuits, commonly used in timer, delay, pulse
generation, and oscillator applications. In this project, it is configured in Astable mode to
generate continuous clock pulses that drive the LEDs sequentially (Red, Yellow, Green),
simulating real-world traffic light operation.

Objectives

To design a simple traffic light controller using IC 555.

To understand the working principle of the 555 timer in astable mode.

To demonstrate how timing circuits control LEDs in a sequence.

To provide a low-cost educational project for electronics students.

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Theoretical Foundation: The 555 Timer IC

The 555 Timer IC is the core component, functioning as a stable pulse generator. It is an 8-pin
device whose internal circuitry consists of two voltage comparators, a flip-flop, a discharge
transistor, and a resistor voltage divider.

Pin
Pin Name Function
Number

1. GND Ground (0V reference).

The input that initiates the timing cycle (sets the flip-flop) when
2. TRIGGER
voltage drops below 31VCC.

3. OUTPUT The output signal (HIGH or LOW) used to drive the LEDs.

An active-low input. Must be connected to VCC for normal

4. RESET
operation.

CONTROL Provides external access to the 32VCC comparator reference. Usually

5.
VOLTAGE connected to ground via a small capacitor (0.01μF) to filter noise.

The input that stops the timing cycle (resets the flip-flop) when
6. THRESHOLD
voltage exceeds 32VCC.

An open collector output that connects the timing capacitor to

7. DISCHARGE ground when the output (Pin 3) is LOW. Often used to control the
Yellow LED.

8. VCC Positive supply voltage (typically 5V to 15V).

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Circuit Design and Components

The most reliable design uses two 555 Timer ICs (IC1 and IC2) in a master-slave configuration:

Typical
Component Quantity Role in the Circuit
Value/Type

IC1 (Master) sets the major cycle; IC2 (Slave)

IC 555 Timer 2 NE555
handles the Green/Yellow timing.

Red,
LEDs 3 Yellow/Amber, Visual indicators for traffic status.
Green

Determine the charge/discharge rates of

Timing Resistors 4 RA1,RB1,RA2,RB2 capacitors, thus setting the time delays. Values
typically range from 1kΩ to 100kΩ.

Timing The energy storage elements that set the pulse

2 C1,C2
Capacitors duration. Typically electrolytic 100μF.

Current-Limiting Protect the Red, Yellow, and Green LEDs from

3 ≈330Ω
Resistors excessive current.

Timing Formulas (Astable Mode):

Both 555 ICs are configured as astable multivibrators, meaning they continuously
oscillate between a high (ON) and a low (OFF) state, producing a square wave output
(clock pulse). The duration of the ON time (TON) and OFF time (TOFF) is determined by
the values of the external resistors (RA, RB) and the capacitor (C) connected to the timer.

THIGH = 0.693 × ( RA + RB ) × C

TLOW = 0.693 × RB × C

TPERIOD = THIGH + TLOW

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Theoretical Background: The 555 Timer IC

The 555 timer is a highly stable controller capable of producing accurate time delays or
oscillations. The key components within the 555 IC are:

 Two Comparators: Used to compare the voltage across the external timing capacitor to a
reference voltage derived from the supply voltage (VCC).

 Flip-Flop (FF): A digital memory element that holds the state (HIGH or LOW) of the
output based on the comparator signals.

 Discharge Transistor: Used to rapidly discharge the external timing capacitor.

Circuit Diagram

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Timing Calculations (Example using Astable Formulae)

Using the example values above and a VCC=9V:

1. IC1 Time Period (Sets the main cycle):

TON1(Output HIGH → Green/Yellow Phase) ≈ 0.693×(100kΩ+100kΩ)

×100μF≈13.86 seconds

TOFF1 (Output LOW → Red Phase) ≈0.693×100kΩ×100μF≈6.93 seconds

2. IC2 Time Period (Controls Green and Yellow within TON1):

TON2 (Output HIGH → Green Phase) ≈0.693×(47kΩ+1kΩ)×100μF≈3.32 seconds

TOFF2 (Output LOW → Yellow Phase) ≈0.693×1kΩ×100μF≈0.069 seconds (a very short pulse)

Circuit Operation

The two 555 timers are wired such that the output of the first IC controls the power supply
(VCC) of the second IC, creating the interlocking sequence:

A. Red Light Phase

1. IC1 State: The Master Timer (IC1) output (Pin 3) is LOW for the duration of TLOW1.

2. IC2 State: Since Pin 3 of IC1 is connected to Pin 8 (VCC) of IC2, IC2 is unpowered (OFF).

3. LED Status: The Red LED is connected to IC1 Pin 3 (or is independently powered when
IC1 is LOW). With IC2 off, the Green and Yellow LEDs remain off. The Red LED is ON.

4. Duration: This phase lasts for TLOW1 (e.g., 7 seconds).

B. Green Light Phase

1. IC1 State: The capacitor C1 charges until TLOW1 is complete. IC1's output (Pin 3) then
goes HIGH for the duration of THIGH1.

2. IC2 State: IC2 is now powered (ON), initiating its cycle. IC2's output (Pin 3) immediately
goes HIGH for the duration THIGH2.

3. LED Status: The Red LED turns OFF. The Green LED is connected to IC2 Pin 3 and turns
ON.

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 4. Duration: This phase lasts for THIGH2 (e.g., 5 seconds).

C. Yellow Light Phase

1. IC1 State: Remains HIGH.

2. IC2 State: The C2 capacitor charges, completing THIGH2. IC2's output (Pin 3) goes LOW
for the duration TLOW2.

3. LED Status: The Green LED turns OFF. The Yellow LED is typically connected to IC2's
Discharge pin (Pin 7) or controlled by a logic gate tied to Pin 3. It turns ON for a brief
period.

4. Duration: This phase lasts for TLOW2 (e.g., 2 seconds).

D. Cycle Reset

1. If THIGH1 is set correctly, it will expire just after the Yellow phase completes (i.e.,
THIGH2+ TLOW2≈THIGH1).
2. IC1's output returns to LOW, turning off IC2 and initiating the Red Phase again, restarting
the entire cycle.

Implementation Considerations

 Capacitor Selection: Use high-quality electrolytic capacitors for C1 and C2. Their
tolerance and leakage current directly impact the accuracy and stability of the time
delays.

 LED Connection: All LEDs must use a dedicated current-limiting resistor to prevent
damage. The value (R) is determined by R=(VCC−VLED)/ILED.

 Supply Voltage (VCC): The minimum recommended voltage for the NE555 is 4.5V, and
the maximum is 16V. A stable 9V or 12V source is ideal.

 Duty Cycle: For a perfectly symmetrical square wave (THIGH=TLOW), RA would

technically need to be 0Ω, which is impractical. In astable mode, THIGH will always be
greater than TLOW because the capacitor charges through RA+RB but discharges only
through RB.

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Applications
 Demonstration model for educational purposes.

 Mini-project for electronics students.

 Can be extended to real-world traffic signal prototypes.

 Used for timing and sequential control applications.

Advantages

 Simple and cost-effective design.

 Uses easily available components.

 Provides clear understanding of timing circuits.

 Compact and reliable for demonstration purposes.

Limitations

 Not suitable for real traffic control, only for learning/demonstration.

 Timing accuracy depends on resistor and capacitor tolerances.

 Limited scalability (for larger intersections, microcontrollers are preferred).

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Conclusion

The traffic light LED controller circuit successfully demonstrates the power and flexibility of the
IC 555 timer as a fundamental building block for sequential electronic systems. By configuring
two timers in a master-slave configuration, a realistic and repeatable light sequence is achieved.
The adjustability of the timing components offers a practical avenue for experimentation and
optimization of the circuit's performance.

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Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org

https://www.electronicsforu.com

https://www.elprocus.com

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