I am trying to have a value from a Website pop a solenoid on an arduino. I am very novice and not sure how to get that value into arduino. Any suggestions.
That's not easy. First you need to acquire a network or wireless card, and learn how to interface it to an arduino. Then you could send out a URL request, but what would happen next, is you'd get back a firehose of data (HTML code is very verbose, and just plain ugly), which a poor little arduino couldn't possibly store, or keep up with. But even if it could, you'd then have to search the HTML file for the exact position and word(s) that represent your information.
I've done this, to obtain financial data to use in my personal investment program. But It takes a whole computer. So if you want to do this, I suggest you
- Have to get a feel for the syntax of HTML (WARNING!! HTML can cause brain damage).
- Write a program, perhaps in Processing, that can find the data you need, and can then tell an attached
Arduino to flip a solenoid. I'm not sure if Processing supports Internet communication. - And most solenoids will require more current that an arduino pin can put out, so you may need to build
a transistor switch (sounds intimidating, but it's really quite simple), - Finally, don't forget the bypass diode across the coil of the solenoid to prevent possible overvoltage in the Arduino circuit.
...you'd get back a firehose of data (HTML code is very verbose;...
While this is true - you don't really have to store the HTML.
Just 'pass-thru' until you see a token you are looking for, then store the next nn characters and parse the values you want from that - and ignore the rest.