document updated 18 years ago, on Apr 5, 2006
Input/output options for microcontrollers
- LEDs / Switches (can get complicated/expensive fast though... rally computer B-boxes are $500. Also MUCH harder to change the design. But brighter than anything else (sunlight isn't a problem), and easier for the non-touchtypist to use without looking (eg. while driving, in the dark...))
- LCD / standard keypad (probably PS/2 if you don't want to design a keypad into the case). Around $35 a pop, pretty flexible design-wise.
- General-purpose computer talking through serial. Alows front-end processing and memory (eg. mouse or touchpad... decent graphics... overlapping dialogs or scrollback... logging...). Essentially free if you have enough laying around, but hard to dedicate to a single perhipheral. Pretty massive compared to a small PCB.
- Desktop / Laptop computer
- Handhelds (palm pilot, ipaq, ...)
- TI-85 (maybe)