LCD serial backpacks

[Archangel]

Hi Everyone,
It seems as if, . . . the LCD serial backpack device must be the
Crown Jewels, of PICdome as I have been unable to wrestle suitable
code out of the internet. Posted below is a modified version of some code
I found somewhere, probably for a BS1, anyway I tweaked it some and it works after a fashion, but I think it needs something in the way of a buffer
and some code to make changes on the fly, like does the cursor blink or not
etc. . . I think it would be way cool to fashion a workable public domain
serial unit, so newbies and non-newbies have access without forking up $35 bucks for a serial LCD.

Anyone up to the challange? As I have been coding PIC micros only since 08/06, My coding skills are not there yet, but thanks to you all I am learning.
Joe

@ DEVICE pic16F628A, HS_OSC
 
@ DEVICE pic16F628A, WDT_ON
' Watchdog Timer
 
@ DEVICE pic16F628A, PWRT_ON
' Power-On Timer
 
@ DEVICE pic16F628A, MCLR_ON 
' Master Clear Options (Internal)
 
@ DEVICE pic16F628A, BOD_OFF
' Brown-Out Detect
 
@ DEVICE pic16F628A, LVP_OFF
' Low-Voltage Programming
 
@ DEVICE pic16F628A, CPD_OFF
' Data Memory Code Protect
' Set to CPD_OFF for Development Copy
' Set to CPD_ON for Release Copy
 
@ DEVICE pic16F628A, PROTECT_OFF
' Program Code Protection
' Set to PROTECT_OFF for Development Copy
' Set to PROTECT_ON for Release Copy
 
trisb = %00000001
trisA = %11110011
include "modedefs.bas"
' Define LCD registers and bits
Define LCD_DREG PORTB
Define LCD_DBIT 4
Define LCD_RSREG PORTB
Define LCD_RSBIT 2
Define LCD_EREG PORTB
Define LCD_EBIT 3
 
DEFINE LCD_LINES 4         'Define using a 2 line LCD
DEFINE LCD_COMMANDUS 2000    'Define delay time between sending LCD commands
DEFINE LCD_DATAUS 50     'Define delay time between data sent.
DEFINE OSC 20
 
char Var byte ' Storage for serial character
 
 
 
CMCON = 7 ' PORTA is digital
 
Pause 100 ' Wait for LCD to startup
high PortA.2 ' power for backlight
low PortA.3 ' backlight ground
 
main:
 
Lcdout $FE, 1 ' Initialize and clear display
LCDOUT $FE, $0C
 
LCDOUT "My Flash Text" 
pause 800
Lcdout $FE, 1,$FE, 2
 
goto loop
 
 
loop: Serin PORTB.1,N9600,char ' Get a char from serial input
Lcdout char ' Send char to display
 
Goto loop ' Do it all over again
 
End