Some Samples

MAX6953 can control 4 5x7 dot-matric LED displays. It can be controlled over a 2-wire (I2C/TWI) interface which makes it perfect for integration with an Atmel microcontroller like the Atmega16 or Atmega32. You can prototype with the Atmega8 on the Arduino, but I've found that the TWI library takes up so much memory on the Atmega8 that you really don't have much room to do anything at all. A simple loop showing 11 characters in sequence maxed out the Atmega8. You _could_ squeeze more out of it by removing the bootloader, but I think if you want to stick with the Arduino, you'll be better served using the Atmega16 on the Arduino Mini or replacing the Atmega8 on your USB Arduino with an Atmega16.