The MAX7219 LED driver saves microcontroller pins and processing time. It uses only three IO pins of an Arduino. It is easy to connect multiple displays by connecting DIN and DOUT pins.
Using a single MAX7219 you can drive 64 LEDs while you only need 4 wires to interface it to a microcontroller. In addition you can daisy chain multiple MAX7219 chips for bigger displays. Continue reading Moving message display using arduino
The keyboard matrix is the arrangement of circuit connections between the keyboard controller and all the keys on the keyboard. Each key does not have its own dedicated circuit; instead, each key is placed at the intersection of a matrix row and a matrix column. The keyboard repeatedly applies current to each column in turn, and checks to see which rows output current. From this, the keyboard can deduce which keys in that column have been depressed. The matrix takes the form of a printed circuit, either on a conventional PCB, or on membrane sheets. Continue reading Matrix Keypad Interfacing with Arduino