So what I am trying to do is get the Arduino to read in a voltage value from a thermocouple and formulate a string output to a stepper motor control box, which in turn tells the stepper motor to move X amount of steps in order to turn the hand on a circular temperature dial.
The code looks like such..
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600);
}
//initial dial position
float prevVal=70;
void loop()
{
//reads in voltage from thermocouple
int sensorValue = analogRead(A0);
//converts arduino 0-1023 to voltage value
float voltVal = sensorValue0.004887585;
//converts voltage value to temperature value
float tempVal = 33.75voltVal-33.75;
//converts temperature value to degrees temperature needed to move on temperature dial by finding the difference between the read in temperature and where the dial currently is
float tempDegreeMove=tempVal-prevVal;
//converts degrees temperature needed to move to circumferential degrees to move
float circumfDegreeMove-4.5tempDegreeMove;
//converts circumferential degrees to move to number of steps needed to move by stepper motor
int numSteps = circumfDegreeMove/1.8;
//saves the position the dial will move to in a moment.. reused on next loop iteration to calculate number of steps needed to move
prevVal=prevVal+(numSteps(1.8/4.5);
int numStepsAbs = abs(numSteps);
if (numSteps > 0)
{
//creates string "@0+"
}
else
{
creates string "@0-"
}
//rest of code concatenates above strings with other strings for command to stepper motor control box, then..
Serial.println(stringFinal);
delay(10000);
}
The system needs to run without a computer; in other words, the Arduino is powered by a converter plugged in to a wall, as well as the temperature transmitter and other components. I have a TTL to RS-232 communication converter in order to talk between the Arduino UNO and the control box. The control box is powered by AC power directly from the wall. For some reason, I can't get the code to run automatically. I need that "Serial.println(stringFinal)" to transmit automatically without clicking "serial monitor" on my PC, because I want the system to run without the use of a PC.
Hunt