This is in reply to the LCD problem messages but I have included some
useful info for PIC learners like myself.

I'm playing with a PIC tutorial at present.  It was published in
March/April/May 1998 issues of Everyday and Practical Electronics in the
UK.  It is superb!  A printed circuit board can be bought for UKP7.99
from the magazine's PCB service or an excellent kit can be bought from
Magenta Electronics Ltd on Tel: 01283 565435 for UKP27.95 or ready built
for UKP42.95.  This tutorial is for the 16C84/16F84 PIC.

It introduces LCD displays, LED displays and sound output as well as the
normal switch inputs and LED outputs.  To further your knowledge of LCD
displays you must read the two-part article in the February/March 1997
issues of the same magazine by Julyan Ilett.  There is a reprint of this
article in Adobe Acrobat format on the free CD supplied with the current
issue (November 1989) of the magazine (Everyday and Practical
Electronics).  Also on the CD are all the files from the above tutorial,
many software listings for PIC projects from the magazine and a demo of
a forthcoming Windows based PIC tutor which looks superb.  If you are
learning PIC programming you should find all of the above invaluable.

--
John Pugh
Tel: 01222-751160
also at john.pugh@bbc.co.uk