Need major help connecting 4x20 character lcd

Just checked bios and it says
onboard parralel port: auto
Parallel Port Mode: ECP
Parallel Port IRQ: Auto
Parallel Port DMA: Auto


I went to the Jalcd site but it wasn't in engliish

Edit: Just downloaded Jalcd and when I run it all the boxes on the lcd get filled up and it stays that way until I turn off my computer and on again.

ok try changing the BIOS settings to the following and see if anything happends

Onboard parallel port 378/IRQ7
parallel port mode: SPP

That 378 is important

No good its the exact same

under onboard parallel port I chose 378h
parallel port mode : SPP
Parallel Port IRQ: 7


this is so frustrating. I don't think my wiring is wrong but I guess I'll double check it again just to make sure

Yeah, thats the only thing i can think of at this point, the wiring. but do that double check and see if you messed up somewhere, also check your soldering points

based on thiis
DB25 connector Pin Number LCD Pin Number LCD Pin Description
1 6 Enable
2 7 Data 0
3 8 Data 1
4 9 Data 2
5 10 Data 3
6 11 Data 4
7 12 Data 5
8 13 Data 6
9 14 Data 7
14 5 Read/Write
16 4 RS
25 1 Ground
13 2 +5V

All of the wiring it correct. I just tried connecting the lcd to another computer and its still the same thing so it shouldn't be a computer problem. The soldering points seem to be fine. Can't think of anything else to do. I've tried all different settings and come up with nothing

btw the table that your using does not match the schematic that helix posted btw.

I found the table on http://www.myrolypoly.com/lcd_project/lcd_project.html so it should be correct hopefully. I used the table becaues its a lot easier to understand for me since I don't have much knowledge of electronics

well, if you never find and remedy the problem your currently having with the way you now have it set it up, try using the schematic i posted earlier with the parallel port connector and potentiometers. i've hooked up two LCDs with the same controller chip that you have in your's and they've both work flawlessly.

I think I might just get a new one and start over from scratch. I think I ruined this lcd because there are now some dead pixels on the 3rd and 4th row

I don't think it matters wheter I use the potentiometers to adjust contrast or not because I don't think its a contrast problem I'm having. I've tried tieing pins 18-25 on the db25 connector and then soldering it to pin 1 and I still get the same result. I've just about given up

{BC}Helix:
I saw how your LCD screen looks, and I was wondering about the spectrum analyzer at the most bottom of the screen playing MP3s.
How did you manage that? I got that LC display plug in, and I can't get it to display it. What software did you use? or if you have this same plug in, please explain how you configured it to do this.

btw does anyone know where I can get another 4x20 lcd for cheap. I was looking at eio.com but the only 4x20 model that they have is sold out and the crystalfontz.com ones are way too expensive and their shipping cost to Canada is outrageously high. I would prefer a store located somewhere in Canada to keep shipping costs to a minimum if possible.

Ok, never mind. took me a while but I finally figured it out, on how to make this spectrum analyzer work.
Its a pretty cool effect.

Yeah it does look pretty cool. Oddly enough JALCDS and the winamp plugin that comes with it is the only thing that has ever succeeded in displaying an equalizer on my LCD. Everything else I've tried failed to put anything at all on the screen. In addition to getting a program that can display an equalizer when none other could, JALCDS is very open and full of choices of things to display on your screen, so it gets my vote for the best program out there. So i'm glad that you got it working TheCoolest. Hanleychan: I bought mine at crystalfontz.com like you mentioned above. I'm not sure where else you could get an LCD with that particular controller chip in Canada. you could try checking up on the classified on this site or on some other modding fourms to see if anybody is selling one near you or that would ship it to you for less.

you could also check ebay, here are some links:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=26206&item=3810410944&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW (Read the description, he sells those for $17 in his ebay store)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=26206&item=3810568119&rd=1
a bit less than 9 hours left on the bid