Cathode-row display drivers simplify design of A/V apps

Maxim Integrated Products released new compact cathode-row display drivers that interface microprocessors to 8 x 8 dot- matrix red, green and yellow (R, G, Y) LED displays through a high-speed 4-wire serial interface.

According to the press release, the MAX6960-MAX6963 are feature-rich LED drivers that offload the display tasks from the microprocessor, simplifying design, reducing software overhead and improving time-to-market for message board, gaming machine and audio/video equipment applications.

The MAX6960-MAX6963 devices feature LED fault detection, and provide both analog and digital tile-segment current calibration to allow 8 x 8 displays from different batches. The MAX6963 and MAX6962 drive monocolor displays with two-step intensity control, while the MAX6962 also offers four-step intensity control. The MAX6961 and MAX6960 drive monocolor or RGY displays with two-step intensity control, while the MAX6960 also offers four-step intensity control.

Other driver features include automatic memory-map sharing and allocation between interconnected drivers, factory-trimmed 40mA or 20mA peak segment current, and 256-step panel intensity control. All display drivers operate at 2.7V to 3.6V, and over a -40°C to 125°C temperature range.

Offered in compact, high-heat-dissipation 44-pin QFN and MQFP packages, the MAX6960-MAX6963 devices are priced at $6.75 (1,000-up, FOB USA). Evaluation kits for the MAX6960-MAX6963 are also available.