Problem with 8 digit 7-segment-display module

Hello,

I recently bought a 8 digit display module
Click here for a link to the module
and I am having problems finding any clues on how to control it with my Raspberry Pi version B.

As you can see it's running on two 74HC164 shift registers (74HC595 seems to work the same?).

The most confusing part for me atm is that for every guide I seem to find, it seems like the 74HC164 would need to have one more input. So not four but five pins on the module. eg (**broken link removed**)

I only found some aduino guides that work with the 4 input module. (https://www.instructables.com/id/The-74HC164-Shift-Register-and-your-Arduino)
Maybe this module in only compatible with an aduino?!

The Pins are labeled VCC DAT CP and GND. I am not quite sure if it would work if i would just hook up both the DAT and CP to normal GPIO pins on the Raspberry Pi or if I can even run them over the SPI bus.

I would very much appreciate some pointers into the right directions.

First of all, the 74hc164 and 74hc595 do not work the same. I'll leave it to you to actually read a data sheet.
Secondly, I don't see, as you say, that they're running on two 74hc164s.
Without some sort of documentation, it's kind of difficult to say how this sucker works. Are there 8 cascaded shift registers? Is the there a single SR with multiplexed digits? You definitely need to provide more information. If you don't have any information, then you probably shouldn't have bought this.

This link to Amazon.com , (U.S) , has a picture of the bottom of the board:
From this it looks like there are 8 resistors and 2 74HC164 shift registers on the board. The reference to
74HC595's in the description is meaningless.

http://www.amazon.com/74HC595-74HC1...e+Red+Digital+Tube+for+Arduino+Raspberry+Pi"]

This Link has a data sheet for 3641 type of 4 digit displays:
http://vsort.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/NFD-3641.pdf.pdf
http://vsort.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/NFD-3641.pdf.pdf

Without a data sheet for the display board, you may have to use trial and error to
determine exactly how it functions.

To drive the display you just need to use 2 GPIO pins, one for data and one for clock.

Begin by assuming the 2 74HC164 shift registers are connected in series on the display board.
16 bits of data will need to be shifted out to control the display.

8 bits will select segments and decimal points, and 8 bits will control which of the 8 digits
are selected.

If the 4 digit LEDs are commom anode, a logic 0 will turn on a segment
and a logic 1 will select a digit.

You'll have to determine which of the 8 74HC164 output pins are connected to the each of the
8 digit's anodes, and which 8 pins are connected to the segment's cathodes.

To start, a program could shift out 16 zero bits to clear the display.
Then a single 1 bit. A keypress on the pi keyboard could tell the program
to follow it with a zero each time a key was pressed. As the 1 bit is shifted to
a 74HC164 pin connected to a segment anode, the segment would display an 8 and
decimal point. That would determine which pins are anode connections.
Then a program to determine the segment cathode wiring pattern could shift out 16 1's
to clear the display, followed by a single 0. then followed by a 1 each time a key is pressed.
When the 0 reached a pin that was a segment cathode, that segment would turn on in all
8 of the digits.

The 3.3 volt raspbery pi may need level shifters to drive the 5 volt display board.

Thank you for the nice reply.

Unfortunately I kinda paniced (because the project was getting kinda late) and already send it back.
Should have waited a little bit longer for a reply :/.

Now I bought 2 TM1637 4 digit 7 segment displays and found some drivers to go along with it. So I should manage to figure that one out.
Thanks again and have a nice day!