> Here's where I noticed that I'm not able to get it to work properly.  I
> tried to connect the port to a 74LS05 (Inverter) and the output and inputs
> to this chip are something like 1.3V. Total garbage.  Regardless of the
> port's state.  I do believe that the software I'm using to toggle all of
the
> outputs on the port is correct.

Something is definitely wrong electrically if the *outputs* of the 74LS04
are also around 1.3V.  Check the power to the chip.  What are the port
output levels with nothing connected?  Is the LS04 oscillating?  You say
your software to drive the port is working (although I don't know how you
can tell given what you told us), so toggle all the bits in some pattern and
look at the bare outputs with nothing connected.  If that looks fine,
incrementally add more stuff and keep following the signals to see where
they get lost.

I like to use a counting pattern for this sort of thing.  Each bit is a
square wave with half the frequency of the next lower bit.  This makes it
easy to identify bits and detect shorts between them.


********************************************************************
Olin Lathrop, embedded systems consultant in Littleton Massachusetts
(978) 742-9014, olin@embedinc.com, http://www.embedinc.com

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