EEVblog #161 - 555 April Fools Revealed

No, the 555 Timer doesn't have an easter egg in it, Dave was pulling your leg.
Many people wanted to know how it was done, so here you go!

[uzairmughal]

Got a great lesson. Never consider any saying a fact unless you get to the reality yourself! Thanks Dave

[Pagweb]

It never crossed my mind it was a joke. I was seriously thinking there was additional circuitry in the chip.

[EEVblog]

@RandomApina The world is a big place, it was uploaded about 3 hours past UTC on April 1st, so I was spot on, thanks.

[EEVblog]

@TerminalJack505 Yeah, there probably was a bit of a smirk! And yes, thanks to those who kept up the gag. Even though within a few minutes of pasting someone had posted April fools, it seems, it seems not many people read the comments!

[jan.tichavsky]

Interesting that you have split power strips on your breadboard, all mine and others I've seen had it from top to bottom. They have only holes for screws in the ridge between the short strips.

[rampike]

Hell, I don't usually fall for these kind of things, but you had me there Dave. Ha ha ha.

[martinda]

Holy shit I was still looking and its 2015 AAAARRRGGHHH

[samverve]

Bugger Me! You almost had me until I saw the link to this video on the right! Well done Dave, very crafty!

[MajorQuux]

After watching the original, I noticed that he tested with a National Semiconductor 555, and a Texas Instruments 555. I had to check the date to see if he was pulling our legs with that bit: in less than a week after he'd posted that, TI announced that they were acquiring National.

[EEVblog]

@CorbyStarletCj1 It didn't really occur to me that many people would think it was the scope probes going off to something else!

[johnd]

I saw this in 2023, nowhere near April 1, 2011. But I was thinking, how in the heck could such an easter egg even have gotten through circuit review? And follow-on manufacture by other makers? It made no sense. I started scrolling comments to find out if it was an April Fool's thing... that led me here. :)

Very funny and entertaining. And I have learned a lot from your videos!

[theslawek]

I figured you were using the built in waveform generator on the same scope with the menu's hidden, but you were using an external one. Nice one. :)

[eddyt]

I was in a strange place with this 555 April fools thing, I "believed", but at the same time i was thinking it was funny to get a 555 to output with a 0.1Hz accuracy (55.5Hz) on a breadboard, but didnt really think too much about it.... more fool me!! :)

[ichigo_varactor]

I knew it was bs. You can't put an Easter egg in a chip like that.

[EEVblog]

@pvibien Yeah, I didn't notice that on the replay!

[CorbyStarletCj]

That's it, One less on my Christmas card list ! :)
I thought something was fishy when the leads to the scope magically left the camera shot....

[goingmentalwithevan]

I knew I smelled something fishy! I got to admit it though, you had me scratching my hair out! You're the best!

[EEVblog]

@kordunasNo1 I had fun doing it. A lot of people loved it. How does that make me a fool?

[jan.tichavsky]

@RandomApina Dave can fool you any day he wants, it's not law that you must do it on april 1st only and it's not possible with all the timezines either.

[andrewseaman]

More than two years later, Dave still manages to trick me.