"Reference question" for 555-related questions

Question

A lot of electronics beginners use the NE555 as a learning tool, and that might very well be a good thing – but: in real-world applications, it's rarely the optimum (under any perceivable metric but "I only like the NE555") solution, and often not even an acceptable one.

The NE555 stands out here among other components, because the difference between popularity (at least on EE.SE) and applicability is quite singular.

So, following an answer Elliot gave, I came up with the idea in a comment:

it just appeared to me that we might want to have a "reference question (and answer)" that we can just refer this kind of askers to: "I've noticed the NE555 isn't appropriate for my application or makes it much harder, so is there a simple replacement for these common types of NE555 applications: {list of the typical things}" with a wiki answer, where we'd refer people to simple other one-off triggers, ramp generators, PWM generators…;

So, I'm about to write the reference question, and will start a reference wiki answer, in hopes it doesn't get downvoted to oblivion before it's really a solid reference.

• Are such reference Q&As desirable?
• If it works out, how can I encourage power users to link to it, or even close as duplicate thereof, often?

Answer 1

Are such reference Q&As desirable?

Absolutely! Look at Olin's Choosing power supply, how to get the voltage and current ratings?

If it works out, how can I encourage power users to link to it, or even close as duplicate thereof, often?

That's hard to predict or control. It all depends on the quality of the question and its answers.

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So, here it is: Replacements for NE555 circuits (or: WHY and HOW should I replace my NE555?)

OK, let's talk about that.

While I appreciate the evident level of frustration that drove this, the question and its lengthy answer come across as very one-sided — practically a rant against ever using a 555 under any conditions!

The question needs to address both the pros and cons of the 555 (and possibly its more modern variants), and the answer needs to avoid getting into the design of replacement circuits for specific applications — those should be references to separate questions.