next topic »

[on:]

Having tried everything I could find or think of I'm hoping someone might be able to point me in the
right direction to set up some loops. Nothing I'm trying will work or compile.

Just trying to have sections of my test sketch loop when serial characters
are received, i.e. "a", "b" etc.

Here's what I have so far, without the loops of course.

Code:

void setup() {                
  // initialize the digital pin as an output.
  // Pin 13 has an LED connected on most Arduino boards:
  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
  Serial.begin(9600);  
}



void loop() {
  // read the sensor:
  if (Serial.available() > 0) {
    char inByte = Serial.read();
    Serial.print("Command Received ");
    Serial.print(inByte);
    Serial.print("\n\r");
    
    switch (inByte) {
      
    case 'a':
       //while(Serial.available() == 0)  // while there are no new characters...
    {
    
      digitalWrite(13, HIGH);   // set the LED on
    delay(500);              // wait for a second
     digitalWrite(13, LOW);    // set the LED off
    delay(500);              // wait for a second
    }
      break;
    case 'b':    
      digitalWrite(13, HIGH);   // set the LED on
    delay(1000);              // wait for a second
      digitalWrite(13, LOW);    // set the LED off
    delay(1000);              // wait for a second
      break;
      
    case 'c':    
      digitalWrite(13, HIGH);   // set the LED on
    delay(1500);              // wait for a second
      digitalWrite(13, LOW);    // set the LED off
    delay(1500);              // wait for a second
    
      break;
      
      case 'd':    
      digitalWrite(13, HIGH);   // set the LED on
    delay(2000);              // wait for a second
      digitalWrite(13, LOW);    // set the LED off
    delay(2000);              // wait for a second
      
      break;
    
    default:
      // turn all the LEDs off:
      for (int thisPin = 13; thisPin < 13; thisPin++) {
        digitalWrite(thisPin, LOW);
      }
    }
  }
}

Goal is to have each section loop indefinitely till another serial command is received.

Really appreciate any pointers on this!

Thanks,

Carl

[Reply #1 on:]

Goal is to have each section loop indefinitely till another serial command is received.

And how is it behaving now?

Here's what I have so far, without the loops of course

Apart from the really obvious one called "loop()", of course.

[Reply #2 on:]

When it receives a command it executes the section fine, just need the section to loop
till it receives another input.

Thanks,

Carl

[Reply #3 on:]

Just do something like this, for example:

Code:

bool A_enabled;
bool B_enabled;

void loop()
{
  // check for serial input etc
  ...
  switch ( inByte )
  {
    case 'a' :
    {
      A_enabled = !A_enabled; // invert this variable, so if you retype 'a' later it will be set to false
      B_enabled = false;
    }
    case 'b' :
    {
       B_enabled = !B_enabled;
       A_enabled = false;
    }
  }
  ...
  //end of serial input checks

  if ( A_enabled )
    DoSomethingA();

  else if ( B_enabled )
    DoSomethingB();

  ... etc etc
}

[Reply #4 on:]

You need to rewrite your code to do the following logic:

have a state variable to indicate what state the machine is in, such as not received anything, received a, received b, etc. Assign it not received anything state first.

Build a while loop, check for serial in the beginning, decide whether the machine needs to change state.
Then have the switch case to do what a certain state does. Then as long as you are not receiving any new command, the state is kept and the action repeats itself.

BTW, guix's solution is good for only a couple of different states.

[Reply #5 on:]

Code:

 if (Serial.available() > 0) {
    char inByte = Serial.read();
    ...
    
    switch (inByte) {
    
    ...
    {
  }

If you want it to continuously run the code, then you shouldn't have the code inside the if (Serial.available() > 0) part. Of course, you also couldn't destroy the inByte after each iteration of the loop() function, so it would need to be static or global.

[Reply #6 on:]

Does this help with the concept?

Code:

case 'a':
while (!Serial.available()) {
digitalWrite(13, HIGH);   // set the LED on
delay(500);              // wait for a second
digitalWrite(13, LOW);    // set the LED off
delay(500);              // wait for a second
}
break;

-br

[Reply #7 on:]

Does this help with the concept?

Code:

case 'a':
while (!Serial.available()) {
digitalWrite(13, HIGH);   // set the LED on
delay(500);              // wait for a second
digitalWrite(13, LOW);    // set the LED off
delay(500);              // wait for a second
}
break;

-br

Thanks a bunch everyone. This one seems to work perfectly! Now on to the fun stuff of getting
my LPD8806's programmed.

Carl