hello guys,
i need please to know if there is any alternatives to the MAX7219 or MAX7221 Led drivers which can be used with arduino libraries of course ?
i will be using it for:
firashelou:
i need please to know if there is any alternatives to the MAX7219 or MAX7221 Led drivers which can be used with arduino libraries of course ?
There are lots of alternatives to the MAX7219 drivers but we need to know what type of LED your expecting to drive (monochrome/bi-color/RGB, single LED/matrix LEDs).
Also if/what level of dimming (PWM) you need and if it has to be per LED or per matrix.
Riva:
There are lots of alternatives to the MAX7219 drivers but we need to know what type of LED your expecting to drive (monochrome/bi-color/RGB, single LED/matrix LEDs).
Also if/what level of dimming (PWM) you need and if it has to be per LED or per matrix.
aha well great request i didn't know this
well what i need is to drive 7 segment displays four 7 segments of 2 digits each, i couldn't find the MAX72xx in the shops i buy from they don't sell that ship that's why i need an alternative
when i wanted to use the MAX72xx i needed to use two of it, because i have 4 7 segments of 2 digits and CA each and 13 LEDs connected bu 2 so 7 lets say and 1 7 segment of 1 digit CC and 6 LEDs independant
firashelou:
well what i need is to drive 7 segment displays four 7 segments of 2 digits each, i couldn't find the MAX72xx in the shops i buy from they don't sell that ship that's why i need an alternative
What LED drivers do they have then as this is going to be the deciding factor unless you can expand your range of suppliers or use shift registers (assuming they have them). A single MAX7219 chip can drive 8x seven segment displays so would probably be ideal for your 4x two digits you need.when i wanted to use the MAX72xx i needed to use two of it, because i have 4 7 segments of 2 digits and CA each and 13 LEDs connected bu 2 so 7 lets say and 1 7 segment of 1 digit CC and 6 LEDs independant
You lost me a bit there but the MAX7219 is really only suited to driving common cathode segment displays.
for your first answer i didn't understood the first part of it can you please explain what you mean by "What LED drivers do they have then as this is going to be the deciding factor unless you can expand your range of suppliers or use shift registers (assuming they have them)"
about the registers it was my first circuit but i wanted to reduce the pins that connects to the arduino that's why the LED driver would suit my application better
about the max for CC well i've been told on other post that i can make it work for CA by the software coding
firashelou:
for your first answer i didn't understood the first part of it can you please explain what you mean by "What LED drivers do they have then as this is going to be the deciding factor unless you can expand your range of suppliers or use shift registers (assuming they have them)"
You said your suppliers don't stock the MAX7219 chips you want so what 7 segment driver chips do they stock as this will limit your choice of options unless you find a supplier that can do the MAX7219 (eBay?)
Riva:
You lost me a bit there but the MAX7219 is really only suited to driving common cathode segment displays.
Wrong.
firashelou:
about the max for CC well I've been told on other post that I can make it work for CA by the software coding
Absolutely correct.
And you must if you want any characters other than digits 0 to 9, blank, "H", "E", "L", "P" and "-".
Paul__B:
And you must if you want any characters other than digits 0 to 9, blank, "H", "E", "L", "P" and "-".
i must what ?
and any idea about an alternative ?
firashelou:
I must what ?
The internal character generator of the MAX72xx which works only with common cathode displays, only generates those 16 "characters" (including the blank display). You have to generate (all) the patterns yourself if you want to use common anode displays or show any other characters at all. But that is of course quite easy and far more flexible. You can for example, turn the characters upside-down.
firashelou:
and any idea about an alternative?
There are other chips to be sure, but the MAX7xx is cheaper (certainly from China/ eBay and you can buy complete modules too) and it is being suggested to you that if you cannot get the MAX72xx from a supplier, you are even less likely to get the others.
You lost me a bit there but the MAX7219 is really only suited to driving common cathode segment displays.
Paul__B:
Wrong.
Hmm, I know it can drive CA segments (with effort) hence the "really only suited" part.
Paul__B:
The internal character generator of the MAX72xx which works only with common cathode displays, only generates those 16 "characters" (including the blank display). You have to generate (all) the patterns yourself if you want to use common anode displays or show any other characters at all. But that is of course quite easy and far more flexible. You can for example, turn the characters upside-down.
There are other chips to be sure, but the MAX7xx is cheaper (certainly from China/ eBay and you can buy complete modules too) and it is being suggested to you that if you cannot get the MAX72xx from a supplier, you are even less likely to get the others.
ok but can you please give me an alternative i found this AS1107 but it's unavailable in the supplier i get from
You need a new supplier, then. It sounds like they don't carry the parts you require
Most of us order online. Where are you located? We might know a supplier that ships there for a reasonable price
You can even get the max72xx off eBay for a pretty good price
DrAzzy:
You need a new supplier, then. It sounds like they don't carry the parts you requireMost of us order online. Where are you located? We might know a supplier that ships there for a reasonable price
You can even get the max72xx off eBay for a pretty good price
well the supplier i buy from the best one we have here but i asked many others and they don't have it,
my supplier said he can order it for me so i decided to ordered it myself and i just ordered it from Aliexpress.com
here it is the one i ordered it :
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-original-10PCS-Free-ship-MAX7219-dip-Brand-make-in-China-MAX-package-DIP-MAX7219CNG-TOP10/1832097487.html
i couldn't find the MAX72xx in the shops i buy from
If the shops don't have the MAX7219, then they probably don't have the alternatives, either. 
the Chinese TM1636 and TM1638 come to mind, along with the Holtek HT1632.
(all available from aliexpress, BTW.)
Genuine Maxim parts are pretty expensive. I wonder if the cheap (and probably counterfeit) versions have any features missing...
westfw:
Genuine Maxim parts are pretty expensive. I wonder if the cheap (and probably counterfeit) versions have any features missing...
The evidence seems to be their timing is a little suspect and that strings over about a dozen get unreliable quickly, but they do work. I can attest to this. I've never had them not work but I had a problem with a long string of them that got unreliable and had to rework it. But you can drive more than one string from a single Arduino anyway. Some discussion of measurable differences here:
http://tronixstuff.com/2013/05/16/the-max7219-led-display-controller-real-or-fake/
Die porn here and more discussion:
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=233109.0
P.S. If you are interested in getting an addiction to die porn, try this link out: http://zeptobars.ru/
MAX7219 from taydaelectronics seems to work well, despite tayda not being an authorized distributor per Maxim, and a picture comparison showing them to likely be counterfeit/fake/clone whatever you'd like to call them.
I have not had any issues with the parts, they seem to work okay.
CrossRoads:
MAX7219 from taydaelectronics seems to work well, despite tayda not being an authorized distributor per Maxim, and a picture comparison showing them to likely be counterfeit/fake/clone whatever you'd like to call them.
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=max7219
I have not had any issues with the parts, they seem to work okay.
thank you but what i meant is a chip other than the MAX not other number only 
Hey, I said it (#8), Riva said it (#3, #5) and westfw said it (#13), and you have said it yourself.
The MAX7219/ 7221 is basically the answer. It is the most popular one and if a stockist has any chip with this function, the MAX7219/ 7221 is the one they would have first. If they don't have that, they are extremely unlikely to have any other.
Paul__B:
Hey, I said it (#8), Riva said it (#3, #5) and westfw said it (#13), and you have said it yourself.The MAX7219/ 7221 is basically the answer. It is the most popular one and if a stockist has any chip with this function, the MAX7219/ 7221 is the one they would have first. If they don't have that, they are extremely unlikely to have any other.
well they have something else but not like this just for 4 digits max no more won't work for me