[Tom] needed 8 displays for a project. He wanted to to control them over I2C, and was trying to reduce cost. Some vendors make I2C controllable seven segment displays, but they cost about $10 each.

The MAX6851 is billed as the market's first I2C-compatible, vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) controller with embedded fonts, multiplex timing control, and filament timing. The device controls ...