[lcd4linux] Data pins seem to be shorted on HD44780

[Aaron K. <aar...@ro...>]

FIrst off here is my LCD info:
it is a HD44780 (or compatible) 20x4 backlight display from:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/HD44780-characte...QcmdZ ViewItem
(just as a not mine is a little different then the photo there. THey
have 5 circut things/blackblobs where as mine has three)
as for the type of backlight i presume LED as that is what the auction
says and this is not a thin lcd.

Basically the problem is that all the data pins seem shorted...sort of.
I get the the test screen okay when i connect the power. But if i don't
connect the power and just have the parallel port connected and the
backlight turned on (i put a swtich in) the backlight kinda flashes.
What i eventually figure out is that somehow and signal being sent along
the data pins is being sent to the 5+ pin for the controller which
shares a [ath with the backlight so it causes the backlight to flash. As
well there is a non-inf resistance between the data pins and the +5v pin
(about 3 k one way (with +data pin and -the 5+ pin) and 20k the other
way)
i have check a few things.
Could not find any shorts
that resistance value is still there without the wires connected
placing a diode did not help (trying anyhting i could think of and i did
not think it would work either)

SO is this some internal flaw on my lcd or something else?

THanks