You are right. It is not for everyone. The AMA is a very large group and includes a wide spectrum of interests.

That said, this timer includes 12 parts plus a pcb. If you eliminate the strobe LED, then there are only 7 parts. Most of those parts are for the power supply to filter noise in the ignition environment. In other words, without the power supply, you have the microcontroller, a resistor, and a very common transistor. The simplest project for flashing an LED for rank beginners with a microcontroller also has 3 parts plus the power supply, actually most have 5 parts excluding the power supply. It just can't get any simpler.

So, what you seem to be complaining about is building anything with a microcontroller in it. That is your choice. What stumps me is why you continue to read a thread that is obviously microcontroller related and criticize its complexity.

John

Edit: Considering the limitations of this site for posting electronic projects, e.g., it does not support png or zip files, maybe this this project should be moved to: http://www.rcgroups.com/diy-electronics-199/