Looks like your Sholder function never returns.

What I would do:

Global variables for the desired position of each of the motors.

In loop(), check each of the motors to see if it need to move.  For each that needs to move, set it going in the desired direction.

For best motion you should be using a PID control loop for each motor.  This will run the motor fast if it is far from the desired position and slow if it is near the desired position.

I attached my final code. The movement and everything else is not an issue at all. All i need is to have the elbow go down as the shoulder rises. I was thinking about maybe having them move one at a time like how I have it but really fast so it looks fluid.

Here is a part of the code from the robotic arm I am making. I have 3 motors (2 shoulder, 1 elbow) with pot feedback, basically I made a giant DC servo. Right now I can only control 1 motor at a time. I need to move 2 of them. Im taking my robotic arm on monday to Hollywood for a Nickelodeon show so I need help ASAP.

Code:

void Shoulder(int potDestPosition) //*****************************************************//
  {
    while(true)
    {
      int currentPotPos = analogRead(shoulder);
      Serial.print("pot value: ");
      Serial.println(currentPotPos);

      if (currentPotPos - potDestPosition > 5)
      {
        turnDirection(true);
      }
      
      else if (potDestPosition - currentPotPos > 5)
      {
        turnDirection(false);
      }
   }
}

void turnDirection(boolean dir) {
    if (dir)
    {
        analogWrite(D1pin1, 0);
        analogWrite(D1pin2, 20);
    }
    else
    {
        analogWrite(D1pin1, shoulderSpeed);
        analogWrite(D1pin2, 0);
    }
  }
      

Also comment-out the debugging prints in the receiving end.

That did it! perfect!! im going to see if the client wants the feedback system and ill do the code and post it on here

Thank you so much! I will credit you as much as i can! thank you

I'd forgotten about them. If you can, yes, if you are talking through them. I found with my robot car that a slow communication rate can make the response to controls a bit sluggish.

For example:

Code:

.123,100,92,42,99/

That's 18 bytes. At 9600 baud (960 characters per second) that would take 18.7 mS to send. Maybe the problem is something else.

Could it be the delay? should i change that?

Code:

   Serial.print(".");
   Serial.print(servoVal1, DEC);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(servoVal2, DEC);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(servoVal3, DEC);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(servoVal4, DEC);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(RotationV1, DEC);
   Serial.print("/");
   
   delay(10);

Try increasing the baud rate to 115200 on both sides.

hmmm now nothing is happening. It is still receiving though. Do i need to reconfigure the xbees for 115200?

So i fallowed this diagram and it works fine one thing with the code is that it is really jumpy and random. The fingers do move when i move mine but there is a weird delay and the servos are pretty much always moving no matter if i flex my hand or not. We are really close!!!

Is this different to what you said earlier?

should i just power these servos with the 5v and gnd from the arduino or something else?

Certainly you should have the grounds common. I agree with that. And from the battery I would run a wire to the Arduino's "power in" socket (so it gets voltage regulated). And also direct from the battery to the motor shield.

Sounds OK, subject to seeing a schematic.

I believe it should be something like this?

I certainly would not power them from the Arduino 5V line. That goes through a voltage regulator that is not designed to handle that amount of current. I assume (hope) you are using some kind of motor board to actually drive the motors. That should be independently powered, not from the Arduino's 5V line.

I made a custom shield that i have the digital lines from the arduino tied to then the power from the lipo battery. I have common grounds connected also. Should this work?

Did you think to open the serial monitor on the sending side and check what was actually being sent? I did and saw this:

Code:

,350/35/<some gibberish>

Hardly the numbers you expect, eh?

Now if we change the sending code to send "decimal" numbers like this:

Code:

  Serial.print(".");
   Serial.print(servoVal1, DEC);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(servoVal2, DEC);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(servoVal3, DEC);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(servoVal4, DEC);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(RotationV1, DEC);
   Serial.print("/");

Then we get better results:

Code:

.255,0,0,255,340/.255,0,0,255,344/.255,0,0,255,368/

Ah perfect! Now another problem... So i have 5 of these: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=6221

I am using an arduino for all this also. Now should i just power these servos with the 5v and gnd from the arduino or something else? When i power it with the arduino it powers then restarts then repeats all that. I have a 7.2v 2200mah lipo battery that im using for all this. I am also powering the xbee too.

Can you post your current sending code please?

Sending:

Code:

int pwm_a = 3;  //PWM control for motor outputs 1 and 2 is on digital pin 3
int dir_a = 12;  //direction control for motor outputs 1 and 2 is on digital pin 12

int Finger1 = 2;
int Finger2 = 3;
int Finger3 = 4;
int Finger4 = 5;
int Rotation =  0;


void setup()
{
   Serial.begin(9600);
  pinMode(pwm_a, OUTPUT);  //Set control pins to be outputs
  pinMode(dir_a, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(dir_a, LOW);
 
}

void loop()
{ 

   int FingerV1 = analogRead(Finger1);
   int FingerV2 = analogRead(Finger2);
   int FingerV3 = analogRead(Finger3);
   int FingerV4 = analogRead(Finger4);
   int RotationV1 = analogRead(Rotation);
   
   if (FingerV1 < 30) FingerV1 = 30;
   else if (FingerV1 > 80) FingerV1 = 80;
   
   if (FingerV2 < 45) FingerV2 = 45;
   else if (FingerV2 > 69) FingerV2 = 69;
   
   if (FingerV3 < 22) FingerV3 = 22;
   else if (FingerV3 > 87) FingerV3 = 87;
   
   if (FingerV4 < 12) FingerV4 = 12;
   else if (FingerV4 > 62) FingerV4 = 62;
   
   if (RotationV1 < 300) RotationV1 = 300;
   else if (RotationV1 > 600) RotationV1 = 600;
 
   byte servoVal1 = map(FingerV1,30, 80, 0, 255);//middle
   byte servoVal2 = map(FingerV2,69, 45, 0, 100);//thumb
   byte servoVal3 = map(FingerV3,87, 22, 0, 255);//ring
   byte servoVal4 = map(FingerV4,12, 62, 0, 255);//pointer
   byte servoVal5 = map(RotationV1,300, 600, 0, 255);//Rotation
   
   Serial.print(".");
   Serial.print(servoVal1);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(servoVal2);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(servoVal3);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(servoVal4);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(RotationV1);
   Serial.print("/");
   
   delay(10);
}

On the receiving end, what do the serial prints show?

This is a small bit of what i get.

Code:

middle = 163
thumb = 4
ring = 23
pointer = 255
rotation = 5883
middle = 1555
thumb = 441
ring = 0
pointer = 0
rotation = 0
middle = 435
thumb = 0

Those values are way way way off. My sending code keeps all of them between 0 and 100 and the rotation is between 300 and 600.

No. I put it there to flash the LED. That's all. I did that to show how fast the data is coming in. That's all.

If I had thought it necessary to put it in, I would have in the code I pasted on the previous page.

You seem to have incorporated the servo controls into the code. Well, does it work or not? If not, what does it do?

No servos move or anything but the receiving light does turn on. So its receiving something but i dont know what.

Here is my sending code:

Code:

int pwm_a = 3;  //PWM control for motor outputs 1 and 2 is on digital pin 3
int dir_a = 12;  //direction control for motor outputs 1 and 2 is on digital pin 12

int Finger1 = 2;
int Finger2 = 3;
int Finger3 = 4;
int Finger4 = 5;
int Rotation =  0;


void setup()
{
   Serial.begin(9600);
  pinMode(pwm_a, OUTPUT);  //Set control pins to be outputs
  pinMode(dir_a, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(dir_a, LOW);
 
}

void loop()
{ 

   int FingerV1 = analogRead(Finger1);
   int FingerV2 = analogRead(Finger2);
   int FingerV3 = analogRead(Finger3);
   int FingerV4 = analogRead(Finger4);
   int RotationV1 = analogRead(Rotation);
   
   if (FingerV1 < 30) FingerV1 = 30;
   else if (FingerV1 > 80) FingerV1 = 80;
   
   if (FingerV2 < 45) FingerV2 = 45;
   else if (FingerV2 > 69) FingerV2 = 69;
   
   if (FingerV3 < 22) FingerV3 = 22;
   else if (FingerV3 > 87) FingerV3 = 87;
   
   if (FingerV4 < 12) FingerV4 = 12;
   else if (FingerV4 > 62) FingerV4 = 62;
   
   if (RotationV1 < 300) RotationV1 = 300;
   else if (RotationV1 > 600) RotationV1 = 600;
 
   byte servoVal1 = map(FingerV1,30, 80, 0, 255);//middle
   byte servoVal2 = map(FingerV2,69, 45, 0, 100);//thumb
   byte servoVal3 = map(FingerV3,87, 22, 0, 255);//ring
   byte servoVal4 = map(FingerV4,12, 62, 0, 255);//pointer
   byte servoVal5 = map(RotationV1,300, 600, 0, 255);//Rotation
   
   Serial.print(".");
   Serial.print(servoVal1);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(servoVal2);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(servoVal3);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(servoVal4);
   Serial.print(",");
   Serial.print(RotationV1);
   Serial.print("/");
   
   delay(10);
}

Can you explain to me in your own words what you think the flash() function does? Here, I'll reproduce it:

Code:

void flash ()
  {
  digitalWrite (LED, HIGH);
  digitalWrite (LED, LOW);
  }  // end of flash

Once you have told me what it does, can you tell me if your program needs it to do that or not?

It just slows it down so you can get all 5 values at the same time. Because i am using 9600 i believe i do. This is just what i understood from the pictures a few pages back and your website.

So luckily i was reading this over and i saw that there was more code that you posted. code doesnt seem to be very mobile friendly.

It was indeed lucky that you read the code I posted. Otherwise my time would have been wasted.

Do I still use that flash function if im sending at 9600? Does the code look like it has everything there?

So luckily i was reading this over and i saw that there was more code that you posted. code doesnt seem to be very mobile friendly.

It was indeed lucky that you read the code I posted. Otherwise my time would have been wasted.

So does everything look good in that code then? It's still not working :/ the receiving LED comes on but in the serial monitor of the receiving side there is nothing.