The CMOS version of the 555 timer, pin-for-pin compatible with the bipolar NE555 but far more efficient. It draws only about 1 mA (versus ~10 mA), runs from 2 to 15 V, reaches 2 MHz, and does not glitch the supply when its output switches, so it works well in battery and mixed-signal designs where the classic 555 is too noisy or thirsty. It builds the same astable oscillators and monostable one-shots: an RC network on TRIG/THRES sets the timing, RESET forces the output low, and CONT trims the threshold. Drop it in wherever an NE555 is called for and needs less power.

Pinout

Pin	Name	Type	Function
1	GND	power_in	Ground (0 V) reference for the device.
2	TRIG	input	Trigger input. Start of timing input: pulling TRIG below 1/2 CONT (~1/3 VDD) sets the output high and opens the discharge switch.
3	OUT	output	High-current timer output. Rail-to-rail CMOS output; sinks up to 100 mA and sources up to 10 mA typical.
4	RESET	input	Active-low reset input. Overrides all other inputs; when low, forces the output low and the discharge switch on to start a new timing cycle. Tie high (to VDD) when unused.
5	CONT	input	Control voltage. Sets the comparator thresholds (open-circuit value is 2/3 VDD); allows an external voltage to modulate timing or a bypass capacitor (typically 10 nF) to ground for noise immunity.
6	THRES	input	Threshold input. End of timing input: when THRES exceeds CONT (~2/3 VDD) the output goes low and the discharge switch turns on.
7	DISCH	output	Discharge. Open-drain (open-collector) output to discharge the external timing capacitor to GND during the low half of the timing cycle.
8	VDD	power_in	Positive supply voltage. Single-supply operation from 2 V to 15 V (TLC555C); IDD typically 250 uA at VDD = 5 V.

Key specifications

Parameter	Value
Type	CMOS timer (astable / monostable)
Supply voltage	2-15 V
Supply current	~1 mA (low power)
Max frequency	2.1 MHz
Output	CMOS push-pull
Compatibility	pin-identical to NE555
Timing	external RC on TRIG/THRES
Package	SOIC-8

Ordering variants

Same part, different packaging or reel option.

TLC555CD (SOIC-8, tube)
TLC555CDR (SOIC-8, tape & reel)

CAD (KiCad official)

Symbol: Timer:TLC555xD
Footprint: Package_SO:SOIC-8_3.9x4.9mm_P1.27mm
3D model: SOIC-8 (KiCad packages3D)

Provenance

Data extracted from the manufacturer datasheet, not a distributor listing:

Datasheet: Texas Instruments datasheet (47 pp, sha256 1bb22975b6bc1294, retrieved 2026-08-17, tier: manufacturer)
Extractor: ds2sf (Claude). Every pin and dimension is cited to a datasheet page; it refuses to fabricate.
CAD: KiCad official libraries (CC-BY-SA 4.0).

Datasheet PDF