Sorry for the beginner question, but I am very confused about which is easiest when working with an Arduino for things like 7-segment displays... common cathode or common anode? I don't seem to be able to find much helpful information with my searches to differentiate between the two. A little additional explanation in examples like the "ShiftOut" tutorial would be really useful for beginners. That said...
Is it easiest to use common cathode or common anode devices with an Arduino? Is there some simple explanation/example somewhere to help understand why one might be easier/better than the other when using an Arduino? (e.g. required external resistors vs. internal pull-ups, or overall power requirements to drive the LED segments, or less complicated programming logic)
I am sure this is also closely related to the equally confusing (to me) notion of "sinking" or "sourcing" from Arduino pins. In trying to read data sheets for devices like TPIC6B595's and 74xx595's, it is very hard for a beginner to understand why and when to select a common cathode or common anode type of device.
I am trying to figure out how to make a cascaded 4 digit counter, using 7-segment digits, but I'm stumped with what to order/buy to get going.
Any help or hints greatly appreciated,
--Jon