uart communications

Ok, after making some posts on a c++ forum i've gained some insight. I'm trying to hardcode the data rate to 9600bps, and am using the following code:

module test5(input CLOCK_50,

output [2:0] LEDR,

//output LCD_ON,

//output LCD_BLON,

//output LCD_RW,

//output LCD_EN,

//output LCD_RS,

//output [7:0] LCD_DATA,

output UART_TXD,

//input UART_RXD

input [0:0] SW

);

reg [13:0] waiter = 13'b0000000000000; //counter to reduce clock rate

reg [3:0] state = 4'b0000; //current state. 0 = start bit, 1-8 = data bits, 9 = stop bit, other = ended

reg data = 1'b1; //start high = idle state

reg clk_new = 0; //changes the state of an led every time a bit is sent

assign LEDR[0] = data; //led outputs current data bit

assign LEDR[1] = SW; //led outputs status of a switch

assign LEDR[2] = clk_new; //led shows when new bit is sent

assign UART_TXD = data; //assert the transmit wire to the data bit

always @(posedge CLOCK_50) //every clock tick

begin

if (waiter == 13'b1010101010101) //9600 times a second (aprox)

begin

clk_new = !clk_new; //change clock led

waiter = 27'b000000000000000000000000000; //reset counter

case (state) //switch on the current state

4'h0:begin //in state 0

if (SW) //check to see if switch is high, if so start, else do nothing

begin

data = 0; //start bit

state = state + 1'b1;

end

end

4'h1:begin //data bits = 00111001b = 57d (9 in ascii)

data = 1'b0;

state = state + 1'b1;

end

4'h2:begin

data = 1'b0;

state = state + 1'b1;

end

4'h3:begin

data = 1'b1;

state = state + 1'b1;

end

4'h4:begin

data = 1'b1;

state = state + 1'b1;

end

4'h5:begin

data = 1'b1;

state = state + 1'b1;

end

4'h6:begin

data = 1'b0;

state = state + 1'b1;

end

4'h7:begin

data = 1'b0;

state = state + 1'b1;

end

4'h8:begin

data = 1'b1;

state = state + 1'b1;

end

4'h9:begin //stop bit

data = 1'b1;

state = state + 1'b1;

end

default:begin

data = 1'b1; //idle bit

end

endcase

end //end if (waiter == ...)

waiter = waiter + 1'b1; //inc waiter

end //end always @...

endmodule

transmits the ascii character '9' at 9600bps 1 start bit, 1 stop bit, 0 parity bits.

I set up hyperterminal to those settings + flow control = none. And connected to com1. I run my verilog code and switch the switch to high, but nothing appears on the terminal.

I set the data rate on the board to about 1/2 bit a second, so i could watch the leds, and they outputted correctly, so i'm definetly setting data to the correct values.

My code looks correct to me, so i'm guessing i am formatting the frame incorrectly. Any help would be really apreciated.