do i need to init the CG or DD in 4 bit lcd?

[mister_e]

Note that most PIC have now analog Comparator and/or ADC attach to PORTA. Those have to be disable prior to use them in digital mode as you do.

As you're using an PIC16F73.

ADCON1=7 ' set all analog pins to digital,see datasheet section 11

Also i'm i blind/dumb or your Board have an 4.19MHZ crystal on??????

IF so, you'll have to do some maths 'cause PBP, as i know/read in V2.45, don't have any define for this crystal.... only 4MHZ. So by using default 4MHZ setting all commands will be executed a bit faster than what you expect. few maths to correct your timing will do the job.

But i feel that LCDs are not so much timing critical. The only question i have... should you set oscillator config fuse to XT or HS? XT is for 4MHZ crystal... so i feeel you'll have to use HS osc but i'm not 100% sure since i never did some test with that crystal speed. Anybody used that crystal speed before?

[EDWARD]

k thnka for the help. portA.3 needs to work as Anologue to digital input so ill need to read the data sheet for that. and there is a voltage referance control on portA.5 i think as well. i havent got to that part yet. i am in HS programming mode, an it seems to work fine. timming is not absolutly critical in my design, as most of the machinary control is relative. but m question is about the LCD screens "memory". does my inititalization code look right? remeber all the instruction commands work. just the display data is always blank, meaning, if i want to display 123 on the screen,the cursor will move to the right 3 places thinking that is just wrote the 123 but the screen is blank except for the cursor.
do i need to tell it where the CG or DD memory banks start?

[EDWARD]

Thank you Mister_E. The problem I was having was that i forgot to put the line of code:

ADCON1=7 ' set all analog pins to digital

At the top of my program.

This was becuase my PortA has an Anologue to Digital converter onboard and I needed to tell the PIC to have it function as a standard I/O Port, as you have informed me.
I usually look at the data sheets but the examples are in ASSEMBLY and I get confused.
Once again thanks for the quick and precise answer.

[mister_e]

Well done EDWARD. Nice to know that i point you in the right direction.

Another happy customer!