Keyboard/Display Controller

-8279
Microprocessors & Microcontrollers/ By Roshni Y/ Leave a Comment

The Intel 8279 is a keyboard/display

controller that interfaces keyboard and
display devices with the microprocessor
based system. Through the use of this
controller, processor utilization reduces in
correspondence to time-consuming tasks
such as keyboard scanning and display
refreshing.

Basically, it is a general-purpose controller

that performs the function of drivingthe
display unit as well as interfacing the
keyboard and the CPU simultaneously.
Intel's 8279 is a dedicated controller
designed by Intel that offers simultaneous
keyboard and display operations. It provides
interfacing for 64-contact keys that are
arranged in 88 matrix format. Also, through
8279 multiplexed interfacing can be
obtained for 7-segment LEDs as well as
other popular display devices.

It has a display RAM of 16*8 matrix,

however; the arrangement can be organized
in dual 16*4 RAM.The RAM is loaded by the
CPU however, once data loading is done, the
8279 performs data displaying and
refreshing functions.

It works in a waythat the keyboard display

interface keeps the keyboard under
scanning inorder to check if any key is
pressed. If a pressed key is detected, then
the keycode of the pressed key is sent to the
CPU.Also, after the operation, the data
which the CPU forwards it, is transmitted to
the display device. These two operations
take place within the system in a
synchronized manner without disturbing the
the keycode of the pressed key is sent to the
CPU. Also, after the operation, the data
whichthe CPUforwards it, is transmitted to
the display device. These two operations
take place within the system in a
synchronized manner without disturbing the
other ongoingoperations of the CPU.
Methods of Interfacing Keyboardwith
CPU

Mainly there are two ways by which the

keyboard can be interfaced with the CPU,
these are as follows:

" Interrupt Mode: In this mode of

operation, the CPU continues to perform
its original task until and unless any
request is generated to that a key is
pressed and is required to be serviced.
"Polled Mode: Inthe polled mode of
operation the CPUitself checks for any
pressed key in aperiodic manner by
reading the flags of 8279. So, in this case
whenever the CPUgets a signal that
shows the pressed key then the
requested service is served.
There is a 40pin IC of 8279 which exists in
the Dual In-line Package (DIP).

Block Diagram of 8279

The functional block diagram ofthe Intel
8279 keyboard/display controller is shown
below.
DB - DB,
RD WR CS Ao IRQ
RESET
CLK
Data
IO Control
FIFO/Sensor
Buffers RAM Status

Internal Data Bus

Display 16*8
Address Display
Control 8*8 Keyboard
and Timing FIFO/Sensor Debounce
Register RAM
Registers RAM and Control

Timing
and
Display
Control Scan
Registers Return
Counter

OUT A-As BD sFT

OUT Bo -B, SLo - SLy RLo-RL, CNTðSTB
Block Diagram of 8279

Let us understand the operation of this

architecture by considering its 4 separate
sections.

1. Keyboard Section: Thissection is

composedof Return Buffer and Keyboard
Debounce andControl. It holds the & return
lines denoted by RLo to RLz that forms the
1. Keyboard Section: This section is
composedof ReturnBuffer and Keyboard
Debounce and Control. It holds the8 return

lines denoted by RLo to RLy that forms the

columnof the keyboard matrix. Shift and
Control/Strobe are the two additional inputs
provided to this unit.
The two operating modes are 2-key lockout
and N-key rollover. Inthe 2-key lockout
mode of operation, if two keys are pressed at
the same time then the first recognized key
willbe considered by the system. While N
key rollover mode, whenever it is found that
two keys are pressed at the same time then
key codes of both of them get stored with
the FIFO and are further serviced.

It has 8*8 FIFO RAM that works on the

First-In--First-Out approach and can store 8
keycodes (code of pressed key) at a time in a
sequential manner. The status of two
additional input keys i.e., shift and control
are also stored within FIFORAM.

In scan keyboard mode, 8 keycodes are

stored and anytime whenever an entry is
Inscan keyboard mode, 8 keycodes are
stored and anytime whenever an entry is
made in the FIFO RAM then 8279 generates
an interrupt signal that tells the processor to
perform FIFO read operation till the time
everything within FIFO isserviced. While in
sensor matrix mode, the FIFO RAM holds
the condition of 64 switches within it

regarding whether these are open or closed.

Whenever the condition of any switch is
changed then 8279 generates an interrupt
request for the processor.

2. Display Section: This section is constituted

by display address registers and display
RAM. This section contains 8output lines i.e.,
Ao-A3 and Bo-B3 and these are connected to
the 7-segment LEDs.There is a16*8 display
RAM and the processor simply performs
read and write operations within this RAM.

The display address registers contain the

address of that wordon which the processor
iscurrently performing the read/write
operation.

3. Scan Section: The scan counter and four

Scan lines (SLoto SLa) are part of this section.
There are two modes of scan counter
namely, encode and decode. In encode mode,
a binary count will be obtained as the output
of scan lines and this requires external
decoding to give rise to decoded output.
These output scan lines are the same for the
keyboard and display and 4 scan lines can
drive up to 16 displays.

However, in decode scan mode, internal

decoding is performed that will provide a
decoded 1 out of 4 scan lines and thus can
drive up to 4 displays. Through scan lines,
rows of the matrix keyboardare formed, and
also it forms the connection to the drivers of

the display unit.

4. CPU Interface Section: This section is

composed of l/O control and Data Buffers
along with Timing and Control Registers. The
timing and control unit is also a part of this
unit. This section is responsible for data
transfer between 8279 andthe CPU and
4. CPU Interface Section: This section is
composed of I/O control and Data Buffers
along with Timing and Control Registers. The
timing andcontrol unit is also a part of this
unit. This section is responsible for data
transfer between 8279 and the CPUand
hence consists of bidirectional data lines
DBo to DB7.
There are two internal addresses whose
specifiedvalue i.e., either 0 or 1 makes the
selection for either data buffer or control

register. Here we have pins Ao, CS, RD, and

WR that are used for command, status, read
and write operations. The IRQ is an interrupt
request line that is specified for data
transfer that is associated with generated
interrupt requests.

It operates on an internal clock frequency of

100 kHz. The RESET s0gnal provided to the
8279 is responsible for setting its 16
character display. The control and timing
register holds the modes and operating
conditions which program the CPU.

Onerating Modes of 8279

conditions which program the CPU.

Operating Modes of 8279

Mainly,the operating modes of 8279 is
classified as:

Input Modes

The input which is provided by the keyboard

to the system specifes the input mode. This
mode is classified into the following
categories:

1. Scanned Keyboard Mode: Inthis

operating mode, the key matrix is
interfaced with either encoded or
decoded scan. In encoded scan, 8*8
keyboard is interfaced while in the
decoded scan, 4*8 keyboard is interfaced.
The keycodes are stored in the FIFO
RAM.

2.Scanned Sensor Matrix: This helps in

interfacing the sensor array with 8279 by
making use of an encoder or decoder
scan. Similar to scanner keyboard mode,
8*8 sensor matrix for encoder scan and
4*8 sensor matrix interfacing for decoder
 2. Scanned Sensor Matrix: This helps in
interfacing the sensor array with 8279 by
making use of an encoder or decoder
Scan. Similar to scanner keyboard mode,
8*8 sensor matrix for encoder scan and

4*8sensor matrix interfacing for decoder

Scan.

3. Strobed Input: This mode of operation, if

control is not offered by the processor
and the control line shows low signal
then the datapresent on the return lines
is stored in FIFO RAM byte by byte.

Output Modes

This mode is also known as a display mode. It

is further classified into two modes. This
mode helps in selecting the display options.

1. Display Scan: The 8279 generates 8 or 16

characters multiplexed displays that are
organized in either dual4-bit or single 8
bit display units.
2. Display Entry: The data which gets
displayed can be either displayed starting
from either the right side or left side.
Display Modes

This mode is associated with data display and

has two further classifications.

1. Left Entry Mode: It is also known as

typewriter mode. In this,the first type of
character is present at the left-most
position while further incoming
characters appear successively towards
the right. This means data begins to
appear from the left side of the display
unit. So, the bit value at address O in the
display RAM will appear at the left-most
position whereas the bit value at address
15 willappear at the right-most position.
2. Right entry Mode: This mode is also
known as calculator mode. This is so
because in the calculator the first
enteredcharacter appears at the
rightmost position and then successively
when a new character has entered the
position of the former one is shifted
towards the left. Thus, in this mode, the
first entry will appear at the rightmost
position but as soonas a newentry is
made then the previous one willget
 appear from the left side of the display
unit. So, the bit value at address O in the
display RAM will appear at the left-most
position whereas the bit value at address
15 willappear at the right-most position.
2. Right entry Mode: This mode is also
known as calculator mode. This is so
because in the calculator the first
entered character appearsat the
rightmost position and then successively
when a new character has entered the
position of the former one is shifted
towards the left. Thus, in this mode, the
first entry willappear at the rightmost
position but as soonas a new entry is
made then the previous one will get
shifted towards the left by one and the
present entry willtake the rightmost
position.

Hence in this way, keyboard/display

controller 8279 operates.