Hi again Dave

Thanks for your help so far , I really am learning a lot :-)

To double check that nothing on the circuit had changed I loaed the code for the serin and serout examples from earlier and all still works , which tells me the problem has something to do with the debug code.

Reading through the help and forums and manual I noticed that DEBUGIN requires it's own set of defines .
I'm still checking to see if the baud rate must be defines eg. debugin_baud ..which I tried anyway and the compiler didn't complain.
So I tried it the code again with the updated degug statements but still no joy :-(

Here's the updated receiver code:
Receiver
Code:
 'debugin defines
    DEFINE DEBUGIN_REG PORTC      ' Set Debugin port
    DEFINE DEBUGIN_BIT 4          ' Set Debugin pin bit
    DEFINE DEBUGIN_MODE 0         ' Set Debugin mode: 0 = true, 1 = inverted
    Define DEBUGIN_BAUD 2400      'set Debugin baud rate
    'Debugin defines end here
'debugin commands end here

'debug defines begin here - necessary for degug operation
 '   DEFINE DEBUG_MODE 0    ' Debug sending TRUE serial data
 '   DEFINE DEBUG_REG PORTC  ' Debug Port = PortC
 '   DEFINE DEBUG_BIT 4      ' Debug.bit = PortC.4
 '   DEFINE DEBUG_BAUD 2400  ' Default baud rate = 2400
    'debug defines end here
    
'Main code begins here       

        Pause 2000       ' Wait for LCD to startup
        
test:                                                         
        lcdout $fe,1 
                lcdout "starting tx rx"
     '*******************************************           
    '*SERIN PORTC.4,T2400,[9],net 'prepare to receive the data from other PIC
    '*this lines works perfectly to send data
     '*******************************************
     '
     '****heres the same thing using debugin (RX)- check/adjust defines for settings
     DEBUGIN [WAIT("9"),DEC net]
     '****end of debug line
    lcdout "rx complete"
    pause 1000
    lcdout $fe,1 'clear lcd screen
IF net = 3 then 
    lcdout $fe,1 
    LCDOUT "data is ",dec net 'look for the number 3 
    pause 2000
endif  
    lcdout $fe,1
    lcdout "begin serout to hyperterminal"
    pause 1000
    LOOKUP  net,[0,"123A456B789C*0#D"],net 'use lookup table to diplay proper display in hyperterminal

    serout PORTC.3,T2400,["the key pressed or received value is ",net,10,13]
    lcdout $fe,1
    lcdout datatx
    pause 1000
    goto test
end
Kind regards

Dennis