µC LED Driver 7 Segment

Hi

I'm trying to build some funny addons for the best Computergame namend
Descent 2.

You can find it under open Sourcecode namend d2x here:
http://www.icculus.org/d2x/

So it would be great to have some nice looking 7 Segment Displays for some
stats. Mounted on a nice plate, it would give a good look and would be the
first step into a Simulator ... *dream on* ;-)

I learned some basics from here:
http://www.linuxfocus.org/English/March2002/article231.shtml
and here:
http://www.siwawi.arubi.uni-kl.de/avr_projects/pf_lcdlib_mod.zip

in programming ATmega16-µController.

The main Problem for my Game-addon-Project is that I do not know howto
connect a minimum of 20 7 Segment Displays to this Controller.
I need a good, a very good driver. It would be great to have on controlled
by I2C or SPI.

I googled and found a MAXIM MAX6956 here:
http://www.maxim-ic.com/quick_view2.cfm?qv_pk=3503&ln=

they sax it's a 28-Port LED Display Driver and I/O Expander,
does that mean 28 7 Segment Displays, or what?!?

It would be great if someone would know a example-Project that would fit
into my needs. May be a bit different, but useable.

Thx for your answers, regards

Rieker Flaik

 

The maxim MAX6956 driver can be used to drive 4 7seg displays.
There are others like the MAX7221 8 digit driver. You can address them on the SPI buss with the Uc port pins. Its not hard to do.

Cheers

 

The answer you are searching for is 'multiplexing'! That is, wire up the
segments from each of your 20 displays in parallel, then drive each common
seperately from an i/o pin (via a transistor) on your micro. If you dont
have 20 spare i/o's for the commons, you could use a shift register or a
binary decoder, such as a 74hc138 or (from memory) the bigger 74hc154.

 

To expand on this a little:

You do not need special driver chips for this, which might be hard to
get and fairly expensive. Since you've got a microcontroller, you can
use it to do the multiplexing of the display in software. The additional
hardware you need around the miorocontroller consists of standard parts
that are readily available.

Multiplexing means that you drive only part of the display at a time.
Rapid cycling through the separate parts creates the impression that all
parts light up simultaneously. This approach saves some expense in
driving electronics. The alternative would be static drive, which
provides a separate driver for each LED, but is simpler to deal with
because no rapid cycling is needed.

I understand that you need to drive 20 7-segment digits, so that amounts
to 140 LEDs (or 160 LEDs, if you add the decimal points). A convenient
multiplexing matrix would arrange those in a 10x16 matrix, where one row
of 16 LEDs is active at a time (a 10:1 multiplex). Lets suppose you have
common anode 7-segment displays. You would then have 10 groups of 2
digits each with the anodes of each group being connected to a row line
and the cathodes connected to their separate column lines. To activate a
row, you need to pull it up to the positive supply voltage. In this row,
individual LEDs are then switched on by pulling their corresponding
cathode line low.

Since a row is only activated one tenth of the time, you will need to
increase the current through the LED above the normal rating in order to
maintain brightness. If a LED in a 7-segment display would normally be
driven with 5mA, it would need 50mA pulses in your multiplexed array. So
the cathode drivers need to be able to sink 50mA. As there can be up to
16 LEDs in a row, which can be active at the same time, your row driver
must be able to source pulse currents of up to 800mA. The pins in a
microcontroller such as the ATmega16 are not able to handle such
currents, so you will need driver transistors. These are standard stuff
that can be bought everywhere.

For the row drivers, you need 10 PNP transistors of suitable current
capability and high current amplification. For the 16 column drivers you
can use just about any cheap NPN small signal transistor. There are many
types available and for actual part recommendations I'd need to know
what packages (manufacturing technique) you prefer.

The base of each transistor will be driven by a pin on the ATmega16
through a current limiting resistor. So this will consume 26 pins of the
ATmega16, leaving you with a few remaining pins for connecting to your
game computer.

The current through the LEDs will need to be limited using a resistor,
too. Each column line will need one that limits the current to 50mA.

So your bill of materials will include the ATmega16, 16 NPNs, 10 PNPs,
20 common anode 7-segment displays and a fistful of resistors. Add a
couple of decoupling caps. No fancy exotic parts needed.

 

On Fri, 09 Apr 2004 10:39:49 +0200, the renowned Stefan Heinzmann

You can also go with a couple of ULN2803s and a couple of source
drivers, plus 16 resistors (could be 2 or 4 networks). 6-8 parts
total, plus the displays.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany