555 Contest Entry: AM radio
555 timer based AM radio receiver published on Tube Time is one of many entries for the currently running 555 contest. This project uses a 555 timer as AM demodulator plus amplifier to drive the speaker. The radio signal is tuned with an LC tank circuit. The 555 timer is configured as a PWM where a ramp signal is created with a capacitor and a potentiometer. The radio signal picked by the LC circuit is superimposed on the ramp signal which varies the duty cycle of the output PWM wave. The variation in the duty cycle corresponds to the audio signal in the radio waves. Read more