When the microcontroller hangs due to a spike, EMI or RFI etc. the 7555 will reset the uC, if proper power supply design is done above circuit can also give a clean power on reset, the above circuit you should modify to suit your design.
80C39-8749 MCS-48 Examples and code
Better still use a uC with watchdog built in like some atmel chips, or use the watchdog chips from maxim which can also do RAM battery management.
This circuit is based on a very old application note from exar, in this the frequency is fixed by IC1 and IC2 -P1 controls the duty cycle. you need to compute the R and C values to get what you need,
Fixed frequency var DC 555
You have to study the circuit and do something more innovative perhaps, just copying is ok for learning but it will get you nowhere, so learn and then innovate.
IC1 astable gives a fixed square wave at pin 3, C1 and R1 derive uS trigger pulses from IC1 and this will trigger IC2 monostable or single shot, the voltage at pin 5 of IC2 will change the pulse width output of IC2, to get it working all the three RC combinations have to be figured out.
Optical Obstacle Switch.
This is the best Instrumentation OpAmp, Great CMRR, ensure supply has no ripple and keep analog and digital grounds separate. Ri can be replaced with a trimpot and resistor to alter gain. Connect a preset ends to pins 1 and 8 and preset wiper to VCC for Offset Null when high gains are configured.
3 Op-Amp Differential Instrumentation Amp
The Input zeners and diodes form a protective clamp for all voltages above VCC-VDD. If supply is changed to +12 -12 change zeners to 12V zeners. Use similar Zeners at output to protect Output from being zapped by overvoltages or high energy - voltage*frequency transients. Add plastic capacitors across Rf for damping AC operation or ripple. Also avoid floating inputs by providing a bias.
If output impedance of a point is a high value then connecting another circuit at that point will load it resulting in malfunction or error. Buffers are used as interface between circuits. Low impedance of an output means it can source sink lot of current, when you need 2 opamps use LF353 or TL072 which are dual opamps.
Buffer or Unity Gain Op-Amp
When no gain is required and you need to match impedance this can be use. Front end amps, Sensor amps. Polarity Inversion in Analog Computing or Signal Conditioning.