The MAX6953 is a compact cathode-row display driverthat interfaces microprocessors to 5 ✕ 7 dot-matrix LEDdisplays through an I2C™-compatible serial interface.The MAX6953 drives up to four digits (140 LEDs).Included on-chip are an ASCII 104-character font, multiplexscan circuitry, column and row drivers, and staticRAM that stores each digit, as well as font data for 24user-definable characters. The segment current for theLEDs is set by an internal digit-by-digit digital brightnesscontrol.The device includes a low-power shutdown mode, segmentblinking (synchronized across multiple drivers, ifdesired), and a test mode that forces all LEDs on. TheLED drivers are slew-rate limited to reduce EMI.For an SPI™-compatible version, refer to the MAX6952data sheet. An EV kit is available for the MAX6952.