I hope my rather negative response wasn't taken in the wrong way.  Reading
back it does sound a bit harsh, especially as this was your first post!  The
thing is, it worked for you, and as long as you aren't going to sell your
creation for a living, then there's no problem.  However, it's too easy to
do something like this, see that it works and assume that it's ok, when
there could be some big headaches around the corner.

I have to admitt, as a very quick and easy solution, it has it's merits.  If
there was a reliable way of synchronising the two chips, then I might even
be tempted to use it in an emergency (at home) :o)

If you need to drive higer loads then consider using something like a
ULN2803 which is a DIL packaged with 8 darlington transistors, each capable
of sinking 500mA at a maximum of 50 volts.  They are pretty cheap, however
the main disadvantage is that you can only sink, not source current.  But
for driving LED's this should usually be a problem.

Regards

Mike Rigby-Jones

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tony kathro [SMTP:anthonyk@NETSPACE.NET.AU]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 1999 6:33 AM
> To:   PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject:      Parallel Pics
>
> Many thanks to all who provided the inputs I lacked to evaluate my
> irresponsible Pic paralleling.
> As I look at my first creation I no longer see a thing of beauty and a joy
> for ever but a sneaky little generator of random pulses, a sheep in
> pyromaniacs clothing, even a battlefield of electronic warriors never
> knowing if they are attacking or defending and the rules of battle
> changing 2,500.000 times a second. I mourn the generations of ill assorted
> gates harnessed together for decades now, rise times all at odds as they
> attempt to provide some designers vision of enough drive for the next
> stage. Perhaps an organisation for the prevention of cruelty to silicon
> might be in order :-)
>
>  TK
>
> p.s You can't put me off Pics so easily. I like 'em.