Quote Originally Posted by Klaus View Post
I was using a 7-segment display driver/multiplexer IC, the MC14489, with the basic stamp. Now that I have switched to using a PIC18F4550, I'm wondering if I can do without that chip and have the PIC run this also.
A generic run-of-the-mill parallel LCD can take as few as 6 I/O lines to operate, plus Vdd/Vss. Or you can get a serial-backpack-LCD, 1 line, plus Vdd/Vss. Or you can use shift registers on a couple of outputs and clock the data out to the LCD, 2 lines plus Vdd/Vss.
But if you really must have a 7 segment drive, yes, a small PIC, anything with at least 11 I/O pins can easily handle mux'ing a 7 segment LED. And the more I/O, the more the digits/options.
But the parallel LCD is already directly supported with PBP, so why use 7 segment LEDs?