← all projects

valentines day

2025, everything

  • pcb
  • ne555
  • soldering

the problem

valentines day needed a gift with more effort in it than a card. so: a running light, arranged in a heart shape, on a pcb of my own design.

the approach

a NE555 timer driving the chase sequence, parts sourced from reichelt elektronik, boards ordered at jlcpcb for very little money. runs on a 9V battery.

bare valentines pcb with NE555 footprint

the heart-shaped LED layout starts here, on the bare board.

the outcome

a heart that blinks for my close ones. cheap to build, hard to top as a gift.

it still blinks.

assembled board with red heart LEDs

the same board with the components and red LEDs fitted.

version two is on the way

i'm working on a thinner version that runs on a coin cell. here's a first look at the new board.

front and back of the second heart chaser board, showing its red LEDs and coin-cell holder

a render of the new board, with the heart on the front and the battery holder on the back.
the running light in motion.
a closer look at both sides of the new board.