Make:

Check out http://www.circuitrydesigns.com/dc/1129/5x7-led-matrix-with-z8-encore.htm
for a circuit that can be used to drive a matrix of LED's that can be driven to display alphanumeric characters.
You should be able to just string multiple segments together to make a display as many characters long as you want, then you just need to find or write a program that can convert the RSS feed into a single line that can crawl the display...

This would be a fun project. You could use the enc28j60 for the internet connection with no need for a computer. The hard way: use the microchip tcpip stack to grab rss feeds with a pic, decode and display all on the pic. The easy way: setup a feed aggrigator that strips feeds to a bare minimum and connect to that with udp (?), less work is needed on the pic.

I like the pic18f2550 for this project, it has USB so a direct connection with a PC can be made for configuration and display. Since the enc28j60 is already an spi peripheral, it is easy enough to add external storage like an SD card or microchip memory IC (25xxsomething).

Here is a quick sketch of such an arrangement. I was inspired by your post.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26283760@N00/177714867/

One thing I love about the tech and maker communities is the ability to be inspired by someone elses ideas to the point of taking action instantly. This doesn't always happen in other circles. Thanks to both of you guys for some excellent sugestions. I think I am going to have to get a book out to totally understand ian-2's post. (Just a little above my level of competency at the moment) But hey thats why it's a project and I am in it to learn. I didn't know anything about lenses before I built my projector but I got through it. At least I am not afraid to fail thanks again guys.

Any more ideas or thoughts drop a post

It sounds complex, but the hardware would be the super easy part. I think the hardest part would be the software. I think the 18f2550 is good because it has so much code space - space for the tcp/ip stack (free from microchip, use with c18 compiler....student version...), space for usb driver (HID is easy, but microchip has a free library for virtual com port as well), space for a fat-16 library to read saved messages from an sd card. Yeah, the software is gonna be the tough part.

I'm busy working on another project with the enc28j60 and an sd card right now. I'd be interested in working on this project when I have some free time.

Do you have a width in mind? I wonder what the line count on commercial scrolling displays is. What kind of led driving arrangement did you have in mind? A mux makes it so much cheaper and easier to route. With a long board I would worry about the time it takes to clock all the data into the shift registers between each line display. If you make blocks with modules that have a second, addressable processor, you might as well buy readymade sparkfun block for all your time and money.

On second thought, it would have to be made of blocks (homemade or commercial), I have no idea how I would etch a 4 or 5 foot wide PCB. :)

Here's an idea.... 2 pic arrangement. Slap in a sub-processor to run the display. This would be a small UC with lines to a row of shift registers and some high-side switches. Give it a really high clock speed (48 mhz). Clock data into this pic through the SPI bus. The sub-pic would have a display buffer and handle all muxing/animation/scrolling/etc.

The more I think about this, the more attractive those sparkfun LED blocks are. I would like to work on the main control part, but I have no desire for the tedium of routing/constructing/programming this part.

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=760#

scratch that, 60 bucks a pop. ouch. I can DIY (DMS?) for 60 bucks a pop.

I have a link somewhere at home that a gentleman wrote some software to strip rss feeds and then output them to a led marquee that he picked up used. I will see if I can find it because I am pretty sure it was along the same lines. The only thing is a I don't remember what type of communication method he chose to communicate with his sign.

Anyway I will post the link when I get home tonight.

I wonder if their are any parts that could be salvaged for something like this. What about those road side signs that give traffic information. I know some are leds and they do get hit by cars every so often.

I was looking around for some more information on this project and I came across this Digg link http://www.digg.com/hardware/How_To:_Scrolling_LED_Marquee_Sign_(w_pics_and_videos) to an instructable project just about what I was looking for. Unfortunatley the instructable page has been removed. Does any one remember seeing this on instructables or have an idea how to view it after it has been taken down.

Here is the link I spoke of earlier. This person is using the rs232 connection to talk to a PIC. The interesting thing is the last comment he made

"I added Yahoo Buzz RSS feeds to the LED sign controller app. I will now get regular updates that keep me informed about what the rest of the world cares about. :)"

Unfortunately there is no more information on the site about this step. Anyway looks like a good execution of what he was going for. It is also nice to see that someone has finished this project on a DIY scale.

http://noisybox.net/electronics/LED_sign/

These guys did something simmilar with a big scrolling LED sign...

http://web.mit.edu/zacka/www/midas.html

In more information/updates on this project. Am interested in doing this as well.

Great minds must think alike. I'd love one of these! Why has this not been made into a mass produced product. This device could have multiple useful functions.

Hey would anybody happen to want to write some software? I made a simple "Pixel Clock" scroller that can display time, date, little animations (i coded a pong-game for it). It doesn't cost much to build and uses 96 LEDs and uses a PIC16f and a real time clock chip. Maybe around ~$30 for all the parts including leds.

I am not too great at programming, so maybe somebody wants to help out and I'll send them a board? (we'll have to maybe redesign the board for interfacing it to the computer, maybe wirelessly?)

Some videos are at the bottom of the link, kind of bad quality, but its very neat looking once you hang it on the wall.

http://s95417013.onlinehome.us/ktekx/index.php?dir=pixelclock%2F

RSS on LED scroller available NOW!

There now is a low cost combination of LED message sign and software to display any RSS feeds. you can find it at:

http://www.rssdisplaybridge.com

It has tons of features and I can tell you it is fun to watch. I have news, traffic and personal blogs displaying round the clock on my wall! Love it and it is inexpensive.

Now, I have to ask: steibeldj, are you <i>really</i> just a satisfied customer, or are you advertising your own product? I'm always suspicious of people who create an an account and post a single message expressing their 'opinion' about a product.

I have no problem whatsoever if someone wants to post a brief message about a product they sell, so long as it fits into the current discussion. People recommend products all the time, so someone appropriately recommending their own seems fine. I just annoyed by attempts at viral marketing. If the seller isn't going to be honest about the advertising, I can't trust the company after that, and will not buy their product.