It's been a while since I was here 'cause I was really into getting the Arduino/AC matrix going. AC matrix with triacs or SSRs does not work. The matrix part works but there is too much leakage between the rows and columns of incandescent bulbs. I abandoned that project and now going to high intensity 3-10 W RGB LEDs. I currently have a model where I can light individual RGB LEDs in any fashion or color, through port expanders (MCP23017) and 3 DIO from an Arduino UNO. Well, I'm about to abandon the Arduino!! It's a great development tool if you can get through that absolutely horrid C++. I've been using it for 5 months now and it is a real PITA! Syntax will kill you, and the error reporting may as well not exist because the error message NEVER relates to the problem. I never had problems with PBP, using a LabX-1 from MELabs for development, then making my own MCU board. I'm going back that way. I'd like to thank all those that replied to my initial question which was kind of ..uh..stupid, now that I know I'm doing!! You guys have given me some good insight on how to get variables properly defined to make coding easier down the line. I have "stuff" running (16 LEDs each on 5 boards with a 16 channel port expander ) but to go further means more C++ thrashing. I spend more time fixing syntax than I do programming. I'm tired of it. Giving up. Going back to PIC and PBP.