How to Initialize Char LCD using PIO (De0-Nano)

[Altera_Forum]

Hello to the whole forum, this is my very first thread so please be kind with me(= 

 I'm trying to drive a char LCD using my de0 nano but no results yet..  My lcd is a 5v unit but since I need just to write to it I guess it wont be a problem, except for a bit weak logic 1 but according to data sheet it should work.  I tried the altera university core for 16 x 2 char LCD but since I must keep the reduced drivers enabled this seems not the right option to save memory, anyway this core was able to properly initialize the LCD so I must have made some coding/timing error.  In my new implemntation I drive it with 2 separate PIO, one for RS, R/W, En + one for Data.  The PIO_LCD_COMMAND drives the 3bit output bus (msb is RS, RW, lsb is En), then the PIO_LCD_DATA drives the lcd bidirectional data bus.  Here's the LCD data sheet if it may help: http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/2051086.pdf?_ga=1.268795697.1932054068.1473273391  Here below I've attached my initialization code, I hope someone might help! Much thanks guys :D  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DIRECTION(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DIRECTION_OUTPUT);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x00);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b000);      usleep(16000);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b001);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x30);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b000);  usleep(4500);    IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b001);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x30);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b000);  usleep(200);    IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b001);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x30);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b000);  usleep(200);      IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b001);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x38);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b000);  usleep(200);      IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b001);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x08);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b000);  usleep(200);    IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b001);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x01);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b000);  usleep(200);      IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b001);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x06);  usleep(100);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE,0b000);   usleep(200); 

[Altera_Forum]

Hi I've been able to initialize it correctly. 

 I didn't set the biport output direction for all data pins.  No I fixed it:  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DIRECTION(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE , 0b11111111);  Anyway I try to print some char after the initialization but no result, here's the code I used to print a char:  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x80);  usleep(1);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b001);  usleep(2);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b000);  usleep(200);   IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x41);  usleep(1);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b101);  usleep(2);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b100);  usleep(200);  I take some wide timing since I wanted to be sure the unit has time to do its internal operation.

[Altera_Forum]

Everything solved, now I can print char and do stuff. 

 The second issue was caused by wrong timing.  The Clear Display command is quite slow and it take 1.52ms to be done, so I Changed usleep(2000).  As I said I've taken super wide delays since I wanted to avoid timing issue.  This is my working/corrected code, I hope it may help someone:   IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DIRECTION(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0b11111111);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x00);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b000);    usleep(16000);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x38);  usleep(1);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b001);  usleep(2);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b000);  usleep(4500);   IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x38);  usleep(1);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b001);  usleep(2);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b000);  usleep(200);   IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x38);  usleep(1);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b001);  usleep(2);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b000);  usleep(200);    IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x38);  usleep(1);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b001);  usleep(2);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b000);  usleep(200);    IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x0E);  usleep(1);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b001);  usleep(2);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b000);  usleep(200);    IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x01);  usleep(1);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b001);  usleep(2);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b000);  usleep(2000);    IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x06);  usleep(1);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b001);  usleep(2);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b000);  usleep(200);    //data to test lcd    IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_DATA_BASE, 0x41); // A  usleep(1);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b101);  usleep(2);  IOWR_ALTERA_AVALON_PIO_DATA(PIO_LCD_COMMAND_BASE, 0b100);  usleep(2);