AN 265: Using Altera MAX Series as Microcontroller I/O Expanders

ID 683386
Date 9/22/2014
Public

1. Using Altera MAX Series as Microcontroller I/O Expanders

Many microcontroller and microprocessor chips limit the available I/O ports and pins to conserve pin counts and reduce package sizes. In designs that use these limited chips, you can use the Altera devices to implement I/O expanders. Using this method, you can increase the number of I/O pins without changing the microcontrollers or microprocessors in the design.

The design example in this document shows the method to implement microcontroller I/O expanders using these Altera devices:

  • MAX® 10 FPGA
  • MAX V
  • MAX II
  • MAX 3000A