TolpuddleSartre:
I'm looking at Maxim's 7219/7221 datasheet,
Then look at this:
❝ For the MAX7219, serial data at DIN, sent in 16-bit packets, is shifted into the internal 16-bit shift register with each rising edge of CLK regardless of the state of LOAD. For the MAX7221, /CS must be low to clock data in or out. The data is then latched into either the digit or control registers on the rising edge of LOAD/CS. ❞