The 555 can behave as an astable multivibrator, or oscillator. By connecting components to the chip in your electronics, you can configure the 555 to produce a continuous series of voltage pulses that automatically alternate between low (0 volts) and high (the positive supply voltage, VCC).
![image0.jpg](https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/482747.image0.jpg)
You can calculate the low and high timing intervals using the formulas that follow:
![image1.png](https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/482748.image1.png)
![image2.png](https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/482749.image2.png)