So he thought of experimenting with those, and built a ‘Binoctular’ LED clock which uses the Neopixel rings as 7 segment displays. Each digit is made using one pair of Neopixel rings, stacked ...

Using them as inputs would just be crazy talk, right? Perhaps, but we like where [Dave Ehnebuske] is going with “InSlide,” the seven-segment input device.

By using these driver ICs, the complexity of wiring and control is significantly reduced. “I’ve built a digital clock made out of 144 seven-segment displays controlled by an Arduino Nano.

Many options exist to drive seven-segment LED displays, but most are limited to low output currents. The approach described here uses one 74ALS374 or 74AS374 octal latch, wired ...