lol, Ron, I draw up a schem a couple of days ago, and just realised its almost identical to yours in every way The phototransistor, comparator, the rising edge trigger circuit and the 555...even down to the values used for the timer!
I would say 'great minds think alike' but that would probably drag you down to my level..so glad I didn't post it now.
Does that mean there's only one way to skin a cat?
Just curious: Is "There’s more than one way to skin a cat” used in the British vernacular, or is it just an American phrase?
I was guessing that was the case, but a quick search for the origins came up with references to American authors (e.g., Mark Twain). Similar British idioms were cited, but they were not very similar.
Several sites proposed that it referred to catfish (often called "cats"), which must be skinned before they are cooked.
What, you guys aren't up on the latest one wire motors?, it's a follow on to the one-wire interface. Much more conserving of energy and should help make good progress for the war on global warming.