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[on:]

Hey I am new to arduino and its programming... I'm doing a project that entails communicating with the arduino through C and using a CANBus shield to control a robotic hand. My problem is that I have a pretty basic understanding of C++ language and need to be able to send messages to the hand in the format of 0x101, 0x102... which refers to the mailbox ID for each digit.

I don't know how much more info you guys would need to help me but it has a message payload of 2 words (2 x 16 bits)
the HIGH word contains the direction of the digit (0=stop, 1=close digit, 2=open digit)
and the LOW word contains the PWM level to apply to the motor to adjust speed (100-700)

My goal is to write a code that can move the hand into a certain number of positions by moving individual digits. I'm thinking of connecting the Arduino to the shield using pins 10-13 and I dont know if each pin somehow corresponds to the digits individually. Matlab has a toolbox that has simple functions to code the messages in the format that I have them in except I can find similar ones for C.  ANY help would be great!!
THANKS!!

[Reply #1 on:]

I'm doing a project that entails communicating with the arduino through C

Communicating from what to the Arduino? Two directional or one?

and using a CANBus shield to control a robotic hand.

Standard questions. Which shield? Which hand?

My problem is that I have a pretty basic understanding of C++ language

That's a problem?

need to be able to send messages to the hand in the format of 0x101, 0x102... which refers to the mailbox ID for each digit.

So, what's the problem?

I don't know how much more info you guys would need to help me but it has a message payload of 2 words

First thing would be knowing what "it" refers to.

I'm thinking of connecting the Arduino to the shield using pins 10-13 and I dont know if each pin somehow corresponds to the digits individually.

That seems unlikely. If I look at my hand, there are at least 15 joints in the fingers alone. If each joint used a pin, then you'd need a lot more pins that 10 to 13.

Matlab has a toolbox that has simple functions to code the messages in the format that I have them in except I can find similar ones for C.

Explain what the input (to Matlab) is, and what the message looks like, and I'll bet we can help you spot the pattern.

[Reply #2 on:]

The Arduino is being used in conjunction with the CANBus shield (its from sparkfun... thats what they call it) to communicate with an ILIMB hand. I'm going to assume its a two directional one. The datasheet that we got with the hand says the hand has a message payload of 2 words...
I'm not entirely sure how we are connecting the arduino to the sheild bc we assumed that if we get something like that toolbox on matlab for C we don't need to control each joint with a pin but if that actually happens to be the case maybe stacking the shield and arduino will be the better option.

http://www.mathworks.com/products/vehicle-network/examples.html?file=/products/demos/shipping/vnt/demoVNT_BasicCAN.html   
this link has some of the example commnads I've seen that I'm looking to find replicated in C  (ex: msgTx100 = canMessage(100, false, 0)

also if there are any libraries I'd need to upload in order to use the C functions let me know

thanks!!