I am still learning the C program language. After looking at the initialload program I see statements to turn on LED and turn off the LED. I get the message on the LCD that my nerdkit is alive, but is something else suppose to be happening? The message is constant and does not scroll or blink. I guess I just want to check everything is working properly.

The message is supposed to be constant and not scroll or blink, so it sounds like everything went well.

If you had an LED anode connected to the PC4 pin of the microcontroller and the cathode connected to an appropriately-sized resistor and the resistor connected to ground, you may see it briefly flash while the LCD initializes and the message is sent to it, then the LED would turn off and nothing would change after that.

If the LED was connected the other way around, with the cathode at the MCU and the other end of the resistor connected to +5V, the LED would be off while the LCD sets up, and then it would turn on and stay on.

Thanks,

After looking at the program and some later examples, I sort of thought that was the case. I just wanted to make sure the LCD was not supposed to flash or cut off. I think learning the whole programming language is going to be the hard part. I have dabbled in electronics for years, but this is my first MCU.

Thanks for the reply.

Don't feel bad redrum, micro-controller programming was what pushed me over the edge to learn C as well. Even though I'm still far from any kind of expert, I know enough to make the micro-controller do most of what I want (especially if I put my mind to it). I'm sure my code in my various projects could be greatly optimized by someone more experienced, but I just get excited when it works.

Rick