You may want to design your receiving code first, then make the sending code to fit the receiving code. Below is some sending test code for a future wireless servo arm project. The sending code gets the pot value, converts to a servo command value, adds a servo identifier, and finishes with an end of data marker. The packet is sent out the serial tx and can be observed using the serial monitor. The code also has a dead band component to only send the data when there has been a significant change. Servos can be be controlled using the sending arduino for testing. The receiving code captures a data packet, looks for the servo identifier, and converts the numeric value into an integer for use as a servo command. The serial monitor can be used to do testing with the receiving code. This is just one approach, so YMMV.
//zoomkat multi pot/servo test 3-23-13
//includes dead band for testing and limit servo hunting
//view output using the serial monitor
#include <Servo.h>
Servo myservo1; //declare servos
Servo myservo2;
Servo myservo3;
Servo myservo4;
Servo myservo5;
int potpin1 = 0; //analog input pin A0
int potpin2 = 1;
int potpin3 = 2;
int potpin4 = 3;
int potpin5 = 4;
int newval1, oldval1; //pot input values
int newval2, oldval2;
int newval3, oldval3;
int newval4, oldval4;
int newval5, oldval5;
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600);
myservo1.attach(2);
myservo2.attach(3);
myservo3.attach(4);
myservo4.attach(5);
myservo5.attach(6);
Serial.println("testing multi pot servo");
}
void loop()
{
newval1 = analogRead(potpin1);
newval1 = map(newval1, 0, 1023, 0, 179);
if (newval1 < (oldval1-2) || newval1 > (oldval1+2)){ //dead band
myservo1.write(newval1); //position the servo
Serial.print(newval1); //print the new value for testing
Serial.print("a,");
oldval1=newval1; //set the current old value
}
newval2 = analogRead(potpin2);
newval2 = map(newval2, 0, 1023, 0, 179);
if (newval2 < (oldval2-2) || newval2 > (oldval2+2)){
myservo2.write(newval2);
Serial.print(newval2);
Serial.print("b,");
oldval2=newval2;
}
newval3 = analogRead(potpin3);
newval3 = map(newval3, 0, 1023, 0, 179);
if (newval1 < (oldval3-2) || newval3 > (oldval3+2)){
myservo1.write(newval3);
Serial.print(newval3);
Serial.print("c,");
oldval3=newval3;
}
newval4 = analogRead(potpin4);
newval4 = map(newval4, 0, 1023, 0, 179);
if (newval1 < (oldval4-2) || newval4 > (oldval4+2)){
myservo1.write(newval4);
Serial.print(newval4);
Serial.print("d,");
oldval4=newval4;
}
newval5 = analogRead(potpin5);
newval5 = map(newval5, 0, 1023, 0, 179);
if (newval5 < (oldval5-2) || newval5 > (oldval5+2)){
myservo1.write(newval5);
Serial.print(newval5);
Serial.print("e,");
oldval5=newval5;
}
delay(50); //to slow loop for testing, adjust as needed
}
rx
//zoomkat 11-22-12 simple delimited ',' string parse
//from serial port input (via serial monitor)
//and print result out serial port
//multi servos added
// Powering a servo from the arduino usually *DOES NOT WORK*.
String readString;
#include <Servo.h>
Servo myservoa, myservob, myservoc, myservod; // create servo object to control a servo
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
//myservoa.writeMicroseconds(1500); //set initial servo position if desired
myservoa.attach(6); //the pin for the servoa control
myservob.attach(7); //the pin for the servob control
myservoc.attach(8); //the pin for the servoc control
myservod.attach(9); //the pin for the servod control
Serial.println("multi-servo-delimit-test-dual-input-11-22-12"); // so I can keep track of what is loaded
}
void loop() {
//expect single strings like 700a, or 1500c, or 2000d,
//or like 30c, or 90a, or 180d,
//or combined like 30c,180b,70a,120d,
if (Serial.available()) {
char c = Serial.read(); //gets one byte from serial buffer
if (c == ',') {
if (readString.length() >1) {
Serial.println(readString); //prints string to serial port out
int n = readString.toInt(); //convert readString into a number
// auto select appropriate value, copied from someone elses code.
if(n >= 500)
{
Serial.print("writing Microseconds: ");
Serial.println(n);
if(readString.indexOf('a') >0) myservoa.writeMicroseconds(n);
if(readString.indexOf('b') >0) myservob.writeMicroseconds(n);
if(readString.indexOf('c') >0) myservoc.writeMicroseconds(n);
if(readString.indexOf('d') >0) myservod.writeMicroseconds(n);
}
else
{
Serial.print("writing Angle: ");
Serial.println(n);
if(readString.indexOf('a') >0) myservoa.write(n);
if(readString.indexOf('b') >0) myservob.write(n);
if(readString.indexOf('c') >0) myservoc.write(n);
if(readString.indexOf('d') >0) myservod.write(n);
}
readString=""; //clears variable for new input
}
}
else {
readString += c; //makes the string readString
}
}
}
