Consolidated Leo posted:Stan: Understood. I'm all in for a discussion of alternatives.
For my application, where I want a small integral value between 1 and 10, it would be better to have a more certain form of feedback on what number that is exactly. The rotary position switch with numbers on it would be better, I think. A 7 segment display would be okay but then you have to drive it and that almost requires an MPU just to do the work.
Just a quick update on this idea. I have come across a decade counter and seven segment driver on a single chip that might be useful for the feedback that I'm looking for. It's the CD4026BE from Texas Instruments.
It is an up counter only but will display 0 to 9 and then roll over (back to zero). Using a single pin from the Arduino, the correct number of clock pulses should display the position of the detent pot as it changes. Even though there are 11 selections, a 0 at the full CW position and a 0 at the full CCW position are noticeably different enough to do the job.
I've ordered the parts that I need from Mouser and will test this out when I can. I've got the Arduino code together and have started a DipTrace project to go with it. A one digit display.
