> I have'nt decided which pic to use for sure > the device will need 5 I/O's plus the display any > suggestions Pretty much any PIC (oh, except the 8 pin) should be able to handle 5 I/O lines plus a smart alphanumeric display. These LCDs require a minimum of 6 pins, if you use them in 4 bit mode and use timing rather than BUSY feedback to control your output speeds. That's 4 data, one chip select, and an address (for control/data. If you want to use the BUSY flag, you need one more for read/write (and you must switch directions of the data pins on the PIC side, to input rather than output, when you want to read the status). With at least 13 I/O's this should be very possible along with your 5 other I/Os. (You can also use 8 bit mode for more speed if that matters, requiring 10/11 pins depending on whether you want BUSY feedback). Zhahai @ Zhahai Stewart zhahai@hisys.com @ A Meme Gardener http://rainbow.rmii.com/~hisys/zhahai.html @ Standard Disclaimer YMMV - Your Maya May Vary