The MAX6960–MAX6963 are compact cathode-row display drivers that interface microprocessors to 8 x 8 dot-matrix red, green, and yellow (R,G,Y) LED displays through a high-speed 4-wire serial interface. The MAX6960–MAX6963 drive two monocolor 8 x 8 matrix displays, or a single RGY 8 x 8 matrix display with no external components. The driver can also be used with external pass transistors to control red, green, blue (RGB) and other displays at higher currents and voltages. The MAX6960–MAX6963 feature open- and short-circuit LED detection, and provide both analog and digital tile segment current calibration to allow 8 x 8 displays from different batches to be compensated or color matched. A local 3-wire bus synchronizes multiple interconnected MAX6960–MAX6963s and automatically allocates memory map addresses to suit the user’s display-panel architecture. The MAX6960–MAX6963s’ 4-wire interface connects multiple drivers, with display memory mapping shared and allocated among the drivers. A single global write operation can send a command to all MAX6960s in a panel. The MAX6963 drives monocolor displays with two-step intensity control. The MAX6962 drives monocolor displays with two-step or four-step intensity control. The MAX6961 drives monocolor or RGY displays with two-step intensity control. The MAX6960 drives monocolor or RGY displays with two-step or four-step intensity control.
The MAX6960‑MAX6963 family are compact cathode‑row LED display drivers that interface microprocessors to 8 × 8 matrix red, green, and yellow (RGY) or RGB displays via a high‑speed 4‑wire serial interface. They support two monocolor displays or a single RGY display without external components, and can be extended with external pass transistors for higher‑current RGB panels.
The datasheet provides detailed electrical characteristics, pin configurations, functional features such as open/short‑circuit detection, 256‑step panel intensity control, and timing requirements for animation. It also includes ordering information, package drawings, and a quick‑start guide for evaluating the drivers in signage and message‑board applications.
| Operating Supply Voltage (V+) | 2.7 V to 3.6 V |
|---|---|
| Peak Segment Current | 40 mA or 20 mA (trimmed) |
| Operating Temperature Range | -40 °C to +125 °C |
The drivers operate from a supply voltage of 2.7 V to 3.6 V.
Each segment can be driven with a trimmed peak current of either 40 mA or 20 mA.
The device is rated for operation from –40 °C up to +125 °C.