Okay DME0(PMR.0) has to be set in order to read the internal XRAM. Once set, the register is setup and reread it will contain 0x81 (which means the clock is in divide by 1 mode and the internal XRAM is enabled).

I'm using the Dallas Semiconductor Microcontroller Tool Kit which provides serial console access but doesn't register a proper CRLF unless you send 0x12 then 0x13 (it's easier to just send the extra byte than to keep switching between a couple of programs)

I loaded the acc. with the '?' to verify the acc was actually being modified by the movx command.

Oh and a couple of other things first the modified MOD52 file is in the source directory not in the main assembler directory (where the original one resides). I don't have any paths setup for the assembler so when I run the assembler from the source directory it can't find the MOD52 in the assember program directory. So in other words I just haven't renamed the file yet.

And this was just a program I threw together in 5mins just to test the chip, that's why I don't have comments.

Oh well I'm starting to get over my sickness so I'll be trying a few more things now.