LCD Display not working - PIC heating...

[flotulopex]

Hi there,

I'm using a 16F88 and try to get an 2x16 LCD display working.

I found some examples on how to connect the display to the PIC but when I switch on the programmer (AN589), the display switches on all 1st lines character's pixels (see attachment); nothing else happens. Worse, the PIC is heating (maybe up to 50°C). The circuit is powered by the programmer.

I don't think that this has something to do with the PIC since I erased it and the same phenomenon happened again.

According to the documentation I could find, I connected:

PIC ports Symbol           LCD pin
PORTA.0	  DB4	           11
PORTA.1	  DB5	           12
PORTA.2	  DB6	           13
PORTA.3	  DB7	           14
PORTA.4	  RS	            4
PORTB.3	  E	            6
-	  Vss - GND	    1
-	  Vdd / Vcc +5V	    2
-	  Vee / Contrast    3
-	  R/W	            5

I double checked my wiring (used different colours) and don't see what's wrong. Appart the 10k pull-up on MCLR, there are no other components (display DIRECTLY connected to PIC).

The code is here:

'LCDOUT PBP command
'It assumes the LCD will be used with a 4-bit bus with
' data lines DB4 - DB7 connected to PICmicro PORTA.0 - PORTA.3,
' Register Select to PORTA.4 and Enable to PORTB.3.
' It is also preset to initialize the LCD to a 2 line display.

OSCCON = %01100000                   'Internal RC set to 4MHZ

Pause 1000                           'Wait for display to initialise

Main:
    lcdout $FE, 1                    'Clear LCD
    lcdout $FE, 2                    'Position cursor at home
    lcdout "Hello World"             'Send "Hello World" to LCD on line 1
    lcdout $FE, $C0                  'Position cursor second line
    lcdout "Second line"             'Send "Second line" to LCD on line 2
    pause 1000                       'Pause 1 second to see it
    goto Main
end

What am I doing wrong?