How do I make the SimpleMessageSystem work?

[NeilM]

I'm trying to send information from the computer to the LED's hooked up to the PWM pins on my arduino but I can't seem to figure out the Serial interface for it.

I just tried to install SimpleMessageSystem, but I can't get the messageBuild() command to return anything other then 0.  Does anyone know what I might be doing wrong?

I extracted SimpleMessageSystem.zip to C:\progra~1\arduino-0011\hardware\libraries
Loaded the arduino software and in my program selected Sketch->Import Library->SimpleMessageSystem
It puts an include at the top #include <SimpleMessageSystem.h>
In my loop function I make a call to:

Code: [Select]

void checkForData()
{
 Serial.println("Checking");
 if (messageBuild() > 0)
 {
   Serial.println("Message Built");
   switch (messageGetChar())
   {
      case 'w':
        Serial.println("WritePin");
        writePin();
   }
 }
}

But when I run it and send "w a 3 255 ", all I see is "Checking" in the Serial input window.

[NeilM]

I figured it out.  It was a couple different issues (Just in case someone runs into this issue in the future).
First of all I a carrage return in hyper terminal or other windows software didn't seem to work.
It wasn't until I added:
case 42: // Asterix *
to SimpleMessageSystem.cpp that I saw data showing up on the Arduino.  My best guess is it was expecting a mac carrage return.

My other problem was it doesn't make a new .o file for the include every time, so my changes weren't being recompiled.  All I needed to do was delete it.

Once I fixed those two issues, SMS started working.

[bHogan]

Just to make it more clear what you did . . .
You added case 42 just before case 13.
Then you added an asterisk at the end of each command - i.e. "w d 13 1* <CR>"

I had the same problem as you using the IDE to send messages.
However using Tera Term Pro (a great little free terminal) I had no problem.
(Didn't need the asterisk)

Thanks for posting back your findings.