OK - things are looking good and I've even written code for using my LEDs as a countdown till record and so forth... 
Now here's a question I can't seem to find an answer to, probably since it's too simple, and I would very much appreciate an insight...
I'm rewriting the code so that instead of key strokes, switches will operate the different functions, and I'm constantly reading about the Debounce thing - BUT - if I simply with to use my switches not as toggles, just when I press one a function goes on, do I still need this debouncing trick? just to make it clear I'm attaching my updated code, still with keystrokes. Except for the "free mode" all other function are self terminating and for them I need to use the switch simply as a trigger.
Thank you.
// Controlling a servo position using a potentiometer (variable resistor)
// with the option of recording the movement, playing it in reverse and in original order.
// Adi Soffer 19.3.12
#include <Servo.h>
Servo myservo; // create servo object to control a servo
char buffer [5]; //variable to hold keystrokes
int potpin = 0; // analog pin used to connect the potentiometer
int val; // variable to read the value from the analog pin
const int valNumber = 500; //variable to contain number of array members
int incomingByte; //declare variable to hold incoming letter
int servoPos[valNumber]; //create array of values for servo position
const int waitForServo = 15; //delay time to let servo get to position
int recordModeLed = 3; // defining pins for ui leds
int homeModeLed = 4;
int playModeLed = 5;
int freeModeLed = 6;
int freeSwitch = 7; //defining pins for switches
int recSwitch = 8;
int homeSwitch = 9;
int playSwitch = 10;
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600);
Serial.flush();
myservo.attach(2); // attaches the servo on pin 2 to the servo object
pinMode (freeModeLed, OUTPUT); //defining LED pins as output
pinMode (recordModeLed, OUTPUT);
pinMode (homeModeLed, OUTPUT);
pinMode (playModeLed, OUTPUT);
pinMode (freeSwitch, INPUT); //defining switch pins as input
pinMode (recSwitch, INPUT);
pinMode (homeSwitch, INPUT);
pinMode (playSwitch, INPUT);
}
void loop ()
{
digitalWrite (freeModeLed, LOW);
digitalWrite (recordModeLed, LOW);
digitalWrite (homeModeLed, LOW);
digitalWrite (playModeLed, LOW);
if (Serial.available( ) > 0)
{
incomingByte = Serial.read ( );
if (incomingByte == 'f')
{
Serial.println ("Free mode");
while (incomingByte == 'f')
{
digitalWrite (freeModeLed, HIGH);
val = analogRead (potpin);
val = map(val, 0, 1023, 0, 179);
myservo.write (val);
delay (waitForServo);
if (Serial.available ( ) > 0)
{
incomingByte = Serial.read ( );
if (incomingByte == 'r')
{
recordFunction ( );
}
else if (incomingByte == 'h')
{
reverseFunction ( );
}
else if (incomingByte = 'p')
{
playBackFunction ( );
}
}
}
}
else if (incomingByte == 'r') // checks if input was r
{
recordFunction ( );
}
else if (incomingByte == 'h')
{
reverseFunction ( );
}
else if (incomingByte = 'p')
{
playBackFunction ( );
}
}
}
void playBackFunction ( )
{
digitalWrite (freeModeLed, LOW);
digitalWrite (playModeLed, HIGH);
Serial.println ("Playback Function");
for (int i=0;i<(valNumber - 1);i++)
{
myservo.write (servoPos[i]); //reads values from array in original order to servo
delay (waitForServo);
Serial.println (servoPos[i]);
}
digitalWrite (playModeLed, LOW);
}
void reverseFunction ( )
{
digitalWrite (freeModeLed, LOW);
digitalWrite (homeModeLed, HIGH);
Serial.println ("Home function");
for (int i=(valNumber - 1);i>0;i--)
{
myservo.write (servoPos[i]); //reads values from array in reverse to servo
delay(waitForServo);
Serial.println (servoPos[i]);
}
digitalWrite (homeModeLed, LOW);
}
void recordFunction ( )
{
for (int c=6;c>3;c --) // three sec countdown to recording
{
digitalWrite (recordModeLed, HIGH);
digitalWrite (c, HIGH);
delay (700);
digitalWrite (recordModeLed, LOW);
digitalWrite (c, LOW);
delay(300);
}
digitalWrite (recordModeLed, HIGH);
Serial.println ("Record function"); // if so - prints record
for (int i=0;i<(valNumber - 1) ;i++) //for loop to store declared values of pot
{
val = analogRead(potpin); // reads the value of the potentiometer (value between 0 and 1023)
val = map(val, 0, 1023, 0, 179); // scale it to use it with the servo (value between 0 and 180)
myservo.write(val); // sets the servo position according to the scaled value
servoPos [i]=val; // stores val in array "servoPos
delay(waitForServo); // waits for the servo to get there
Serial.println(val); // print values for checking
}
digitalWrite (recordModeLed, LOW);
}
