Keyboard Display Controller. Where can I get one ?

[JamesBond001]

Hey people

I am looking for a good selection of micro / tactile switch type keyboard / alphanumeric

display controller chips to build a couple of general purpose I/O modules for

all the PIC projects I seem to be doing lately.

I found a PT6961 by 'Princeton Technolgy Corp.' in an old VCR and built this,

but it's a bit dodgy.

Element14 don't seem to have anything, and when I google 'keyboard display

controller', all I get are pages of references to Intels '8279'.

I found 'CH432L and HD7279' at AliExpress.com but the data sheets are either

in Chinese or unavailable, and an LC75863W from 'On Semiconductor'.

I checked out Texas Instruments and a few other suppliers but wasn't real

happy. I want a nice concise list of all the chips and their parameters such

as number of key inputs, number of LED display segments, and package style

(like MicroChip offer with their range of PICS).

Here are the sort of bits I've got in mind.

Thanks guys

 

[betwixt]

That kind of job is normally done with a microprocessor these days rather than dedicated controller ICs. Is there a reason why you can't make your own from a PIC and some simple software?

You can still get Princeton Technology devices, the company still exists and they specialize in display/key interfaces for stand-alone devices like DVD players. I'm not sure they will seell them in small quantities though. See: **broken link removed**

Brian.

 

[JamesBond001]

Yea, I might just go with a low pin count PIC, but there is that extra level of complexity I was hoping to avoid.

I imagine the dedicated chips would have slightly more sophisticated algorithms for refreshing and debouncing, although I have built a couple of working modules using PICs, and there are some clever little routines out there that work fine, and my circuit and firmware are 're-usable'.

I was surprised though at how few dedicated chips seem to be out there, unlike the PICs etc.

I'll check out Princeton.

Thanks

Post Edit: I looked at Princeton, but I was hoping for a DIP package - easier to work with.