Switch / Potentiometer

[bearpawz]

Ive concidered using an encoder but doesnt that mean I'll need more than one pin for the input? Right now my pin count is prety much maxed out

As far as using an 3914/5/6 display, they are only for 10segment LED's.
Furthermore, This 12segment display is over used in the dash, its just everywhere... one of the other applications Im working on is the fuel consumption displays which takes the Fuel level and an odometer pulse and computes MPG and distance left... which obviously would require more than a display driver. Plus with the PIC you get the bonus of little sound effects.

So while Im not opposed to an encoder I have no idea how they work... have always assumed they output a 4bit BCD number... As it stands now the only pin I have left for input is portA.5

[SteveB]

...doesnt that mean I'll need more than one pin for the input? Right now my pin count is prety much maxed out

Yes, for the Switch/Encoder combination you would need 3 Pins. 2 for the encoder (preferable on a pin with an interrupt on change feature) and one for the switch. There are different types of encoders, this probable being the most basic.

Here is a descent explaination, but it sounds like the POT will be best, given the pin count issue.

SteveB