>I would like to make a 9 (maybe 12) character display using incandescent
>bulbs arranged in 7 segment format, so I could have 6 inch high characters.
>This would of course be driven by a PIC providing RS232 output to the
>display. Does anyone know of serial to parallel, or whatever it is I need,
>drivers for this type application. Something that would take the serial
>input and drive the appropriate segments of each character. I'm not
>necessarily looking for a moving display just able to flash a few  words
>one after another.
>

  The Allegro UCN58xx series can do the serial-in, parallel-out
  part of it. They're stackable to as many outputs as you need.
  You have to do your own character generation, but that
  shouldn't be too difficult.

  Reg Neale