low pin count chip count muitiplex idea

billbo said:

im using it to run a 11 digit vaccume fluresant that needs 80v so 11 shift registers is a little to much and 144 transistors is totaly overboard

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The VFDs I know are all multiplexed.

I have used upto 5 registers chained together, but is not easy sometimes at high data rates. You need damping resistors, and compensation coils, for instance, if you use longer wires.

Resistors for LED displays/serial buffers are totally superfluous by the way (but he wants to drive a VFD).

Yes if you can get/use a VFD driving IC this would be better than to use individual transistors.