
The only real problem with the 555 is that it’s a bit fiddly to breadboard as there are quite a lot of interconnections to make and it gets really dull and repetitive to keep making the same connections over and over again for projects.
People who read my ramblings will know that I’m an avid user of pre-built modules. They save construction time especially when bread boarding and as you know the module works, they make debugging your projects simpler, so I was pleased when Patrick Grady a high school senior in the US contacted me with this:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/555-timer-breakout-board-plus
It’s small, simple and efficient and I can imagine many beginners would find it useful, either to just experiment with the 555 on its own, or as a building block in a larger project. Since all the hard work is done for you, it will save space on your breadboard and give you more time to concentrate on the rest of your project.
Good luck Patrick.