Thank you all for your replies.
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I didn't realize this was an MO-only forum.

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Actually, I do know that.
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I also know that:
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<li> I read through the other forums on this site which contained questions about such things as the HD44780 chip (used on parallel displays) and </li>
<li> those questions were referred to this, the developers forum. </li>
<li> Also, I ...

Has anyone experimented with an LM044L 20x4 LCD display unit? It's equipped with the ubiquitous HD44780 chip but I'll be darned if I can get the silly thing to display anything but a blank line, a line of blocks, another blank line and a line of solid blocks.

Tried the LCD unit with LCD Smartie 5 ...