Thanks for the response Bill. Out of curiosity, what other 4 x 40 LCDs are you working with? When I ordered the Futurlec LCD I got a bit of tunnel vision and didn't pay attention to the true dimensions. Some how I didn't expect the unit to basically be twice the size of a 4 x 20, even though that would seem logical. I would rather trade for a bit smaller character size and be a smaller package overall for my implementation, which is a bicycle electronic route sheet device. Are any of the 4 x 40 LCD you've seen in smaller physical packages?

As far as moving off of the BASIC Stamp, it would only be to take on another challenge or to address a particular issue not attainable with the Stamp rather than putting it down. As limited as they can be, they are easy to use for most of what I have asked of them. Like eating ice cream with handcuffs on, they are enjoyable to work with despite some discomfort and limitations. I am a programmer first, a fabricator second and an electronics expert last. I've learned much in the past two years on the electronics part. Despite learning many programming languages over the years, I come from an extensive background in BASIC and keep coming back to it. Does anyone remember Micro 80 magazine and the contests to solve a challenge in the fewest lines of code? Generally, one line programs won the contest. While I don't use it anymore, the "Trash 80" is still here and the spirit and fun of simple BASIC lives on. If I ever got into production level of my projects, I would definitely develop using a different platform, but that is not the case at present.

Rick