crossroads,
I'm looking at your block diagram in this forum and if I'm interpreting it correctly, you dont have the data pins in parallel...you have the data out pin on each max7219 interfacing the next chips data in pin...Thats what I was trying to say about the website on the playground earlier......
Then I don't get the ss0-ss3 now...
I'm about to scrap the mega2560 for this and try it with an Uno or Duelminove....