The problem with PICs is that I don't have the programmer and the IC I
need is for a specific circuit.
Thank you gentlemen. I'll try the ICM7217
Or just get some counters and latches (if you need them) and decoders and
wire them up. That's the way it used to be, and of course if you needed
fewer digits you'd just leave one off. If you needed more, you'd add more.
You can even do it easier than in the old days, because unlike thirty years
ago, you can get two decade counters in a single package (the 74390, unless
its time has peaked), and 8 bits of latch in a single package. IN the old
days, the best you could get (at least easily in the common logic families)
was a decade counter per package and a 4-bit latch.
And then you can decide whether the added circuitry to allow multiplexing
is worth saving some decoders. Those 8-bit latches would include tri-state
outputs nowadays, making the multiplexing easier, but you have to decide
at what number of digits it's time to do away with the extra decoders.
Michael