With the hardware MSSP it really is as simple as dumping the data I want to send down the line into the buffer, calling a function, then letting it get on with it while I process something else. If I want to know when it's done, I just periodically check the I2C status to see if it's "Complete" yet.

 

Seems like you solved it... but yeah, on your schematic it actually says to write instructions to 8000h and data to 8001h ... so you really were over-complicating things!

I know right. Coming from PIC where its all done by hand to something like this just made me over think it. I thought instructions are RS and RW and data are the pins 0-7.
"I am stupid" - sevenfold4

 

Seems like you solved it... but yeah, on your schematic it actually says to write instructions to 8000h and data to 8001h ... so you really were over-complicating things!

When using a bus like 7fold4 does commands and data go to different addresses since the lower address line is being used to drive a control line. The address bit gives an extral control line.