Need help in Serial response

Using Arduino Project Guidance
#1

I am trying to extract the mobile number from String which is working with attached code. but the issue is random or missing serial until GSM shield start.

I want to get start the execution when match the response. or can say how can I avoid this serial data and print only Number.

Serial monitor :

Number is : 
Number is : 
Number is : ⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮
Number is : ⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮
Number is : ⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮
Number is : 
RDY
⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮
Number is : ⸮4⸮JRP⸮⸮(R⸮⸮EA⸮5⸮AT+CPBF="Arduino"

ERROR
⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮
Number is : AT+CPBF="Arduino"

ERROR
⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮
Number is : AT+CPBF="Arduino"

ERROR
⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮
Number is : AT+CPBF="Arduino"

ERROR
⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮
Number is : AT+CPBF="Arduino"

ERROR
⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮
Number is : AT+CPBF="Arduino"

ERROR
⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮
Number is : AT+CPBF="Arduino"

ERROR

Call Ready
⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮⸮
Number is : 00xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Number is : 00xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Complete Sketch is :

#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
SoftwareSerial SIM900(7, 8);//Configuring the serial pins by software

char c[66] ; //array for midi variables
String readString, substring;
String number = "";

void setup()
{
  //Serial connection.
  Serial.begin(9600);
  SIM900.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  if (SIM900.available() > 0) {
    for (int i = 0; i < 63 ; i++)
    {
      c[i] = SIM900.read();
    }
  }
  SIM900.println("AT+CPBF=\"Arduino\"");
  delay(1000);
  Serial.print("Number is : ");
  // Serial.println(c);
  String response  = c;
  String number = response.substring( response.indexOf("#") + 1 ,  response.lastIndexOf("#") ) ;
  Serial.println(number);

}

// AT command return is :   +CPBF: 1,"#00123456789123#",255,"Arduino"
#2 
String number = response.substring( response.indexOf("#") + 1 ,  response.lastIndexOf("#") ) ;

Try changing the quotes from double to single around '#'.

#3

Weren't you advised in your previous Thread not the use the String class?

...R

#4

Robin2:
Weren’t you advised in your previous Thread not the use the String class?

…R

Because in my main code some String are there and I didn’t have idea how to convert String to c string.

I can read contact from SIM card, parse, store on EEPROM and read again from EEPROM but still cannot declare as variable that can be use as a mobile number.

What about now ?

#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
SoftwareSerial SIM900(7, 8);//Configuring the serial pins by software

const byte numChars = 16;
char receivedChars[numChars];
char tempChars[numChars];        // temporary array for use when parsing

// variables to hold the parsed data
char mobileNumber[numChars] = {0};

boolean newData = false;

boolean Mnumber = true;


#include <EEPROM.h>

const int EEPROM_MIN_ADDR = 0;
const int EEPROM_MAX_ADDR = 511;

boolean eeprom_is_addr_ok(int addr) {
return ((addr >= EEPROM_MIN_ADDR) && (addr <= EEPROM_MAX_ADDR));
}

boolean eeprom_write_bytes(int startAddr, const byte* array, int numBytes) {

int i;

if (!eeprom_is_addr_ok(startAddr) || !eeprom_is_addr_ok(startAddr + numBytes)) {
return false;
}
for (i = 0; i < numBytes; i++) {
EEPROM.write(startAddr + i, array[i]);
}

return true;
}


boolean eeprom_write_string(int addr, const char* string) {

int numBytes; // actual number of bytes to be written

numBytes = strlen(string) + 1;
return eeprom_write_bytes(addr, (const byte*)string, numBytes);
}


boolean eeprom_read_string(int addr, char* buffer, int bufSize) {
byte ch; // byte read from eeprom
int bytesRead; // number of bytes read so far
if (!eeprom_is_addr_ok(addr)) { // check start address
return false;
}

if (bufSize == 0) { // how can we store bytes in an empty buffer ?
return false;
}
// is there is room for the string terminator only, no reason to go further
if (bufSize == 1) {
buffer[0] = 0;
return true;
}
bytesRead = 0; // initialize byte counter
ch = EEPROM.read(addr + bytesRead); // read next byte from eeprom
buffer[bytesRead] = ch; // store it into the user buffer
bytesRead++; // increment byte counter

while ( (ch != 0x00) && (bytesRead < bufSize) && ((addr + bytesRead) <= EEPROM_MAX_ADDR) ) {

ch = EEPROM.read(addr + bytesRead);
buffer[bytesRead] = ch; // store it into the user buffer
bytesRead++; // increment byte counter
}
// make sure the user buffer has a string terminator, (0x00) as its last byte
if ((ch != 0x00) && (bytesRead >= 1)) {
buffer[bytesRead - 1] = 0;
}
return true;
}
const int BUFSIZE = 15;
char buf[BUFSIZE];
String myString; 
char myStringChar[BUFSIZE];
/////////////////****************//

void recvWithStartEndMarkers() {
  static boolean recvInProgress = false;
  static byte ndx = 0;
  char startMarker = '#';
  char endMarker = '#';
  char rc;

  while (SIM900.available()> 0 && newData == false && Mnumber==true) {
    rc = SIM900.read();

    if (recvInProgress == true) {
      if (rc != endMarker) {
        receivedChars[ndx] = rc;
        ndx++;
        if (ndx >= numChars) {
          ndx = numChars - 1;
        }
      }
      else {
        receivedChars[ndx] = '\0'; // terminate the string
        recvInProgress = false;
        ndx = 0;
        newData = true;
      }
    }

    else if (rc == startMarker) {
      recvInProgress = true;
    }
    
  }
       SIM900.println("AT+CPBF=\"Aarduino\"");
  delay(1000);
  
}

//============

void parseData() {      // split the data into its parts
  char * strtokIndx; // this is used by strtok() as an index
  strtokIndx = strtok(tempChars, "#");     // get the first part - the string
  strcpy(mobileNumber, strtokIndx); // copy it to mobileNumber
}

//============

void showParsedData() {
  Serial.print("Mobile # is : ");   
  Serial.println(mobileNumber);   // Serial print 00123456789123

  Serial.println("Saving variable string to address 15");
myString = mobileNumber;
myString.toCharArray(myStringChar, BUFSIZE); //convert string to char array
strcpy(buf, myStringChar);
eeprom_write_string(15, buf); 

  Mnumber=false;
}

//============

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  SIM900.begin(9600);
  SIM900.print("AT+CMGF=1\r");//AT command to configure the SIM900 in text mode
  delay(200);
  SIM900.print("AT+CNMI=2,2,0,0,0\r");//configure the module to show the SMS through the serial port.
  delay(200);
  SIM900.println("AT+CPBS=\"SM\"");
  delay(200);
  SIM900.println("AT+CPBF=\"Aarduino\"");
  delay(200);
  Serial.println("This demo Start");
  delay(2000);
}

void loop()
{  


   if (Mnumber == true) {
      recvWithStartEndMarkers();
   }
   if (newData == true) {
        strcpy(tempChars, receivedChars);
        parseData();
        showParsedData();
         sendSMS();
        newData = false;  
    }

Serial.print("Reading string from address 15: ");
eeprom_read_string(15, buf, BUFSIZE);
Serial.println(buf);

delay(5000);

}


void sendSMS() 
{
 
  
  SIM900.println("AT+CMGF=1");    //Sets the GSM Module in Text Mode
  delay(1000);  // Delay of 1000 milli seconds or 1 second
  SIM900.println("AT + CMGS = \"+buf+\"");
  // SIM900.println("AT + CMGS = \""+buf+"\""); // Also try not working
  delay(1000);
  SIM900.println("SMS from GSM Module");// The SMS text you want to send
  delay(100);
   SIM900.println((char)26);// ASCII code of CTRL+Z
  delay(1000);
  Serial.println("MSG Send");
}

Serial monitor is like:

This demo Start
Reading string from address 15: 00xxxxxxxxxxxx
Mobile # is : 00xxxxxxxxxxxx
Saving variable string to address 15
MSG Send
Reading string from address 15: 00xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Reading string from address 15: 00xxxxxxxxxxxxx
#5

Thanks to all. I sortout the problem which is in my sketch sendSMS() function.

Instead of

SIM900.println("AT + CMGS = \"+buf+\"");

use this

 SIM900.print("AT + CMGS = \"");
//SIM900.print(mobileNumber); // Working NOW
SIM900.print(buf);
SIM900.println("\"");

Now I can use it direct read and store from SIM card and from EEPROM also.

Special thanks for Robin2 and I will consider your comment rest of my sketch.

#6