Trying to design a circuit board

[machy]

This is for an activity with my explorers (scouts), which is why not "just buying one" 

This is also the closest form I could find 

 

What I am trying to do it is basically design a rescue strobe light, think the kind of thing you would have on a life jacket.

 

So have Batter > Resistor / Other power control > Multi part Switch > Something > LED Banks (2x)

Id like to be able to have 5/6 Options on the switch.

 

I Want to know if i can do this without a Micro controller 

Options would be

Off

Bank 1 Flash

Bank 2 Flash 

Both Banks Flash

Both Banks Strobe

Bank 2 Solid On 

 

Anyone got any good suggestions for a free PCB Designer too? 

 

 

[tom_newton]

Feels doable with a few simple components - you are just switching between off/on/strobe/flash - some sort of time chip like a 555 could probably generate your flash, and maybe even strobe lines.

[Rob_D]

20 minutes ago, machy said:

Anyone got any good suggestions for a free PCB Designer too? 

Easiest option might be to get a breadboard and do it IRL.

[machy]

18 minutes ago, tom_newton said:

Feels doable with a few simple components - you are just switching between off/on/strobe/flash - some sort of time chip like a 555 could probably generate your flash, and maybe even strobe lines.

Thank you, ill have a look at that and see what i can do!

 

8 minutes ago, Rob_D said:

Easiest option might be to get a breadboard and do it IRL.

That will be what i do for testing, but wanting to get them to do some soldering and have something solid as an end product 

 

Thanks both!

[6Foot2]

1 hour ago, machy said:

... Anyone got any good suggestions for a free PCB Designer ...

 

I posted about this in 2016. Perhaps you will find it useful:

 

Link 1: EasyEDA - Online PCB design & circuit simulator

 

 

Also:

 

Link 2: CircuitLab | Editing "Welcome to CircuitLab"

 

[dmj]

17 hours ago, machy said:

Anyone got any good suggestions for a free PCB Designer too? 

 

 

KiCad is the standard for free tools: https://www.kicad.org/

There's loads of usergroups for it, and most free circuit designs use KiCad 

[dmj]

17 hours ago, tom_newton said:

 some sort of time chip like a 555 could probably generate your flash

A 556 is two 555's which sounds like what you need for this. 

I just happen to have some 556's on my desk for another project! I bought them here for 18p each

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002042668828.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.29.67e51802ltRAhD

[machy]

Thank you!

Looks like imma have to get some and play! hah

[southhamster]

Dear old 555's. Incredible to think they were first rolled out in the early 1970's! A very useful little chip.