A simple hand-solderable red LED blinker powered by a 9V battery through an on/off switch. The circuit uses an LM555 timer in astable mode to blink the LED at about 1 Hz.
Architecture
Diagram
Design Decisions
Use a through-hole LM555 in DIP-8 for easy hand soldering.
Use through-hole axial resistors and radial or disc capacitors for hand assembly.
Use a 5 mm through-hole red LED.
Use an SPST on/off switch in series with the battery positive lead.
Target oscillator frequency: about 1 Hz.
Initial Timing Choice
Astable equation: f = 1 / (0.693 x (R1 + 2R2) x C)
Initial values: R1 = 10k, R2 = 68k, C = 10uF
Estimated frequency: approximately 1 Hz
LED Drive Choice
Assume red LED forward voltage about 2 V and LM555 output drop about 0.2 V.
Choose LED current about 10 mA for visibility and battery life.