Could it be hardware related? Pull-up or current-limitting resistors?
What about the Mode setting (True VS Inverted)?
Robert
EDIT: You use Open,True,N,9600bps for SERIN, that's inverted.
You use BAUDCON = %01001000 for HSERIN, bit 5, 0 = non-inverted Data/Receive Polarity.
There could be other stuff, but that's all I got.
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