Help getting started with Joystick controlled Stepper

Other Hardware Robotics
1

I'm stuggling a little getting my head around the best way to do this.

I have a analog joystick and want to control a stepper motor with it.

I sort of have it working but it's clear to me the approach I've started with is not going to be best:

Hardware:
Arduino Mega
Easydriver 4.2
Joystick Shield
Serial LCD

Current Sketch: //Very basic to test everything and only goes "left" as such but not smoothly nor fast

//Vars for Joystick Shield
const byte PinX=0;
const byte PinY=1;
const byte Pin_Select=5;
int jy=0;
const int Y_THRESHOLD_LOW=500;
const int Y_THRESHOLD_HIGH=510;

//Vars for Easydriver
int dirpin = 23;
int steppin = 22;
int ms1=24;
void setup()
{
  
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial1.begin(9600);
  backlightOn();
  clearLCD();
  pinMode(Pin_Select,INPUT);
  digitalWrite(Pin_Select,HIGH);
  pinMode(dirpin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(steppin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(ms1,OUTPUT);
  //digitalWrite(ms1,LOW);
}

void loop()
{  
  selectLineOne();
  clearLCD();
  jy=checkJoy();
  if (jy<Y_THRESHOLD_LOW){
    Serial1.print("Left");
    
     digitalWrite(steppin, LOW);  // This LOW to HIGH change is what creates the
     digitalWrite(steppin, HIGH); // "Rising Edge" so the easydriver knows to when to step.           
  }
    if (jy<(Y_THRESHOLD_LOW-300)){
    Serial1.print(" Faster");
  }
  if (jy>Y_THRESHOLD_HIGH){
   Serial1.print("Right");
  } 
   if (jy>(Y_THRESHOLD_HIGH+300)){
    Serial1.print(" Faster");
  }
  if (jy>Y_THRESHOLD_LOW && jy<Y_THRESHOLD_HIGH){
    Serial1.print("CENTERED");
  }
  selectLineTwo();
  Serial1.print(digitalRead(Pin_Select));
}

int checkJoy(){
  return analogRead(PinY); 
}
void selectLineOne(){  //puts the cursor at line 0 char 0.
   Serial1.write(0xFE);   //command flag
   Serial1.write(128);    //position
   delay(10);
}
void selectLineTwo(){  //puts the cursor at line 0 char 0.
   Serial1.write(0xFE);   //command flag
   Serial1.write(192);    //position
   delay(10);
}
void goTo(int position) { //position = line 1: 0-15, line 2: 16-31, 31+ defaults back to 0
if (position<16){ Serial1.write(0xFE);   //command flag
              Serial1.write((position+128));    //position
}else if (position<32){Serial1.write(0xFE);   //command flag
              Serial1.write((position+48+128));    //position 
} else { goTo(0); }
   delay(10);
}

void clearLCD(){
   Serial1.write(0xFE);   //command flag
   Serial1.write(0x01);   //clear command.
   delay(10);
}
void backlightOn(){  //turns on the backlight
    Serial1.write(0x7C);   //command flag for backlight stuff
    Serial1.write(150);    //light level.
   delay(10);
}
void backlightOff(){  //turns off the backlight
    Serial1.write(0x7C);   //command flag for backlight stuff
    Serial1.write(128);     //light level for off.
   delay(10);
}
void serCommand(){   //a general function to call the command flag for issuing all other commands   
  Serial1.write(0xFE);
}

Ultimately I want to use the joystick to move the motor and the joystick select button to set beginning and end points of rotation, then use another button to execute a continuous motion from beginning to end points.

2

only goes "left" as such but not smoothly nor fast

Writing to the LCD at that same time isn't helping your speed.

On each pass through loop(), you call clearLCD(). That generally is not a quick operation, and the 10 millisecond delay is not helping your speed issue.

On each pass through loop(), you call selectLineTwo(). That generally doesn't take long, but the 10 millisecond delay is not helping your speed issue.

There generally should be a few microseconds delay between setting the step pin LOW and setting it HIGH again. Perhaps, the extremely short off time is being missed occasionally.