AXE133 Help Stopped working, only black rectangles

Hi everyone,

I've exhausted myself and ideas trying to get my LCD working and thought I'd ask to see if anyone else has this problem.

I'm using a 28X2, no issues and have tested this with my other projects and working fine. I recently bought the budget LCD display, the Axe133 LCD display and powered it up this morning. Worked fine, did the "hello!123" test and no problems.
I started just seeing what else I could do and uploaded this to the micro-controller:


hsersetup B9600_4, %10000
hserout 0, (13) : pause 100
hserout 0, (13) : pause 100
hserout 0, (13) : pause 100
pause 500
hserout 0, ("ac1", 13)
pause 50
hserout 0, ("acc", 13)
hserout 0, ("ac81", 13, "adcount: ", 13)
pause 10
hserout 0, ("ac95", 13, "adpulsin: ", 13)
pause 10

do
count C.2, 1000, w0
w1 = 0
for b8 = 1 to 2
pulsin C.2, 1, w2
w1 = w1 + w2
next
w1 = w1 / 2

hserout 0, ("ac89", 13, "ad ", #w0, " ", 13)
hserout 0, ("ac9d", 13, "ad ", #w1, " ", 13)
pause 100

loop

It came up with jargon on the LCD display and I became worried so tried to upload the picaxe test program again (the "Hello!123")
Now it has been coming up with black rectangles. When I adjust the pot it goes away as expected but when I upload the program to the microcontroller, it uploads no problem but nothing changes on the display. As it was working this morning and hasn't been moved or touched until the rectangles came up, I don't think it is a hardware issue, however I have gone over all solders again, measuring the voltage between pin 1 and 2 (no problems.) I am measuring around 73 ohms between the +5v and 0v. Is this normal?
If anyone can help me it would be much appreciated, I have spent all day trying to solve this issue reading through all the forum but not really finding and answer.

Thanks all

Welcome to the PICAXE forum.

It might be a silly question, but have you turned the power off and then back on to reset the LCD module, and have you made sure there is a suitable program running in the sending PICAXE when you do that ?

The main problem with the code in your post is the baud rate "9600_4"; for a 28X2 that should probably be "2400_8".

It is not clear what you intend to display but one would not normally send CR (13) to the display, and I suspect the "ac" commands are intended for some other module rather than the AXE133.

Not a silly question at all. I forgot to put what I have done as I was tired and annoyed at the module.
So I have powered off and on again, I have redone the Firmware for the AXE133 Serial LCD Module, I have tried to adjust the contrast to no avail, just makes the boxes disappear. I have gone back to baud rate of 2400 but didn't include the 8 in my code will try it later and get back to this.

The test program I have been doing just to try get it back to normal is:

init: pause 500
main: serout B.7,N2400,(254,128)
serout B.7,N2400,("Hello!123")
end

There was a couple of people who said the Picaxe LCD was uninitialised, however as it was working before I tried that code from my first post, I don't think that is the issue. I will try today and get back to you

So I got hold of another LCD display and unit and powered it up and came up fine with the "hello!123"
when I then attached it to my chip and powered it up, came up with the black rectangles again then went blank. I honestly have no idea what do with it

Now what is happening is that when I turn the power off or on to the chip and LCD display, black rectangles appear then fade. I have checked all soldered connections. No short circuits. I am getting 3.6 volts between vdd and 0v when the pot is 50% 4.5 volts when turned fully between vdd and 0v

Just to update, I tired a 3rd LCD display with my driver and it works fine. For some reason my 1st and 2nd LCD display do not work. Cheers for all advice and messages.
Mike