I needed a few drivers for a project with a Vacuum Fluorescent display (VFD) with 13 digits and 9 segments. It needed 25V and I needed another one for the filament. Ashrae psychrometric software free download. I didn’t want to make it from discrete transistors, the prospect of having 22 transistors and associated resistors did not appeal to me. And I wanted to connect it to a microcontroller using a serial protocol, preferably SPI. Abcd same game.

So I started browsing the internet for suitable ICs. I soon found out that most driver ICs that can withstand 25V or more have NPN open collector outputs. And that makes them unusable for a VFD, because the VFD digit and segment connections all sink current, so they need a driver that can source current. And NPN open collector outputs just can’t do that! License for microwind 3.5. PNP open collector ouputs don’t seem to exist, you can only build them yourself from discrete components.
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I ended up using the MAX6921, which is especially intended for driving VFD displays, has SPI input (good!), goes up to 76V (good) and has 20 outputs (just 2 short of the 22 I need). It’s €2.36 on Aliexpress. It can be cascaded, so two make 40 outputs (which is 18 too many). It comes from a whole family of ICs (MAX6920-6934) but only the MAX6921 seems to be currently (2017) available.
In my queste I found a whole bunch of driver ICs, so I decided to make an overview. I use the following definition. A driver IC is an IC that transforms signals from a digital circuit at digital level (5V or less) to a higher current and/or voltage so it can drive a display (incandescent/LED/VFD/Nixie/etc), a motor, a solenoid, etc.
So here is the overview. The price is in Euro per piece (if you buy 10 of them).
| Type | Price | from | Input | Output type | # ports | Umax Max Output Voltage (V) | Source Current (mA) | Sink Current (mA) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UDN6118 | 0,66 | Aliexpress | parallel | push | 8 | 85 | 25 | 0,5 | VFD |
| SN75468 | 1,06 | Conrad | parallel | open collector | 7 | 100 | 0 | 500 | pin compat ULN2003 |
| ULN2003 | 0,07 | Aliexpress | parallel | open collector | 7 | 50 | 0 | 500 | – |
| ULN2803 | 0,10 | Aliexpress | parallel | open collector | 8 | 50 | 0 | 500 | – |
| SN75480 DS8880 | 2,25 | eBay | bcd parallel | open collector | 7 | 120 | 0 | 1,5 | 7 segment decoder full hex; programmable current, for gas-filled displays |
| L293D | 0,24 | Aliexpress | parallel | push pull | 4 | 36 | 600 | 600 | – |
| SN754410 | 0,50 | Aliexpress | parallel | push pull | 4 | 36 | 1000 | 1000 | pin compat L293D, more current, peak current 2amp |
| MAX6921 | 2,36 | Aliexpress | SPI | push pull | 20 | 76 | 40 | 4 | VFD, SMD |
| SN74LS247 | 0,41 | Aliexpress | bcd parallel | open collector | 7 | 15 | 0 | 24 | 7 segment decoder |
| SN74LS248 | 1,10 | Aliexpress | bcd parallel | pull up resistor | 7 | 6 | 0,1 | 6 | 7 segment decoder |
| SN74LS249 | – | – | bcd parallel | open collector | 7 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 7 segment decoder |
| SN74LS47 | – | – | bcd parallel | open collector | 7 | 15 | 0 | 24 | 7 segment decoder with tailless 6 and 9 |
| ICM7218C | 1,80 | Aliexpress | bcd parallel | open collector | 15 | 6 | 0 | 40 | 7 segment decoder by 8 digits multiplexed common anode display |
| ICM7218B | – | – | bcd parallel | – | 15 | 6 | 20 | 0 | 7 segment decoder by 8 digits multiplexed common cathode display |
| MC14511 | 0,35 | Futurlec | parallel | push | 7 | 18 | 0 | 10 | 7 segment decoder with tailless 6 and 9 |
| MC14495 | 1,00 | Aliexpress | parallel | open collector | 8 | 18 | 0 | 1,25 | hex to 7 segment common cathode LED driver |
| MC14489 | 2,35 | Aliexpress | serial | push | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 segment decoder by 5 digits multiplexed common cathode display |
| MC14499 | 1,00 | Aliexpress | serial | push | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 segment decoder by 4 digits multiplexed common cathode display |
| DM9370 | 7,00 | ebay | bcd parallel | open collector | 7 | 5 | 0 | 3,2 | 7 segment common anode |
| DM9374 | 8,50 | ebay | bcd parallel | open collector | 7 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 7 segment common anode |
| OL7272 | 6,17 | eBay | parallel | tri state | 4 | 30 | 100 | 100 | differential outputs |
| UDN2981 | 0,57 | Aliexpress | parallel | push | 8 | 50 | 350 | 0 | or MIC2981 |
| UDN2982 | 0,81 | Aliexpress | parallel | push | 8 | 50 | 350 | 0 | or A2982, MIC2982 |
| MMH0026 | 0,31 | Aliexpress | parallel | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | pin compat with TC426 |
| DS0026 | 0,45 | Aliexpress | parallel | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | pin compat with TC426 |
| TC426 | 0,14 | Aliexpress | parallel | push pull | 2 | – | 1500 | 1500 | peak current; 2x inverting; mosfet driver |
| TC4426 | 0,23 | Aliexpress | parallel | push pull | 2 | – | 0 | 0 | – |
| TC427 | – | – | parallel | push pull | 2 | – | 1500 | 1500 | peak current; 2x noniverting; mosfet driver |
| TC428 | – | – | parallel | push pull | 2 | – | 1500 | 1500 | peak current; 1 inverting, 1 noninverting; mosfet driver |
| TC4423 | – | – | parallel | push pull | 2 | 18 | 3000 | 3000 | peak current; 2x inverting; mosfet driver |
| TC4424 | – | – | parallel | push pull | 2 | 18 | 3000 | 3000 | peak current; 2x noninverting; mosfet driver |
| TC4425 | 3,00 | Conrad | parallel | push pull | 2 | 18 | 3000 | 3000 | peak current; 1 inverting, 1 noninverting; mosfet driver |
| L9110 | 0,22 | Aliexpress | parallel | push pull | 2 | 12 | 800 | 800 | peak 1500mA; motor driver; eq HG7881; hi-low transition is slow: 30ms |
| 74HC595 | 0,05 | Aliexpress | serial | – | 8 | 6 | 35 | 35 | TTL shift register |
| 74LS596 | 11,00 | eBay | serial | open collector | 8 | 5 | 0 | 24 | open collector version of HC595 |
| TPIC6595 | 4,45 | eBay | serial | open drain | 8 | 45 | 0 | 250 | power version of 74HC595 not pin compatible |
| TPIC6B595 | 0,29 | Aliexpress | serial | open drain | 8 | 50 | 0 | 150 | power version of 74HC595 not pin compatible |
| TLC5925 | 0,62 | Aliexpress | serial | current sink | 16 | 17 | 0 | 45 | LED driver constant current common anode |
| SN74141 | 1,30 | Aliexpress | bcd parallel | open collector | 10 | 60 | 0 | 7 | Nixie driver |
| K155ID1 | 1,34 | eBay | bcd parallel | open collector | 10 | 60 | 0 | 0 | Russian equivalent of SN74141 |
| HEF4000 series | – | – | – | – | – | 18 | 0 | 0 | – |
| CD40109 | 4,80 | eBay | – | push pull | 4 | 18 | 6,8 | 6,8 | level shifter |
| HCF4094 | 1,00 | eBay | serial | push pull | 8 | 15 | 6,8 | 6,8 | 8 stage shift and store register |
| HEF4094 | 0,20 | Aliexpress | serial | push pull | 8 | 15 | 3,4 | 3,4 | 8 stage shift and store register |
| M66004 | 27,00 | Aliexpress | serial | – | 52 | 40 | 0 | 0,5 | VFD controller IC, 16 digit 7×5 segment |
| LC75710, 11, 12 | 1,00 | eBay | serial | – | 54 | 50 | 0 | 0 | VFD controller IC, 16 digit 7×5 segment |
| HA12010 | 3,70 | eBay | analog | – | 12 | 24 | 0 | 0 | VFD bar graph driver |
| LM9022 | 1,03 | Aliexpress | – | push pull | 2 | 5 | 430 | 430 | VFD filament driver 2W |