

This is the code I use to control the MAX7219 8x8 LED modules from my

Interactive scrolling led sign for Arduino and MAX7219 8x8 LED Display

Check below the code and a video to see it in action. If you want to connect a few of these cheap led matrixes that are based on MAX7219 to your arduino you are going to need a library such as LedControl or MaxMatrix.

MAX7219/MAX7221 are compact, serial input/output common-cathode display drivers that interface microprocessors (µPs) to 7-segment numeric LED displays of up to 8 digits, bar-graph displays, or 64 individual LEDs.
