Serial/Code Problem (Servos not responding)

Projects Programming
1

So I wrote this code here that basically asks you for a character, saves it in a string and then checks that character against all the if statements and activates the appropriate motors when it gets the right if statement (I'm trying to make mechanical braille)

/*Open the Serial Monitor and set the 'baudrate' to 9600
  Also, in the Serial Monitor, on the bottom, set it to 'no line ending', not 'newline' or any other setting*/

#include <Servo.h>

Servo servo_8;
Servo servo_9;
Servo servo_10;
Servo servo_11;
Servo servo_12;
Servo servo_13;

String bC; 						//Braille Character
int angle = 20;						//Angle when activated

void clearBraille() {				//Sets all pins to 0°
    servo_8.write(0);
    servo_9.write(0);
    servo_10.write(0);
    servo_11.write(0);
    servo_12.write(0);
    servo_13.write(0);
    
}

void checkBraille() {				//Checks every character and picks correct braille character
    if (bC == "A" || bC == "1") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
    }
    else if (bC == "B" || bC == "2") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_9.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "C" || bC == "3") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "D" || bC == "4") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        servo_12.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "E" || bC == "5") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_12.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "F" || bC == "6") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_9.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "G" || bC == "7") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_9.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        servo_12.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "H" || bC == "8") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_9.write(angle);
        servo_12.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "I" || bC == "9") {
        servo_9.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "J" || bC == "0") {
        servo_9.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        servo_12.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "K") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "L") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_9.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "M") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "N") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        servo_12.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "O") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        servo_12.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "P") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_9.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "Q") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_9.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        servo_12.write(angle);
       
    }
    else if (bC == "R") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_9.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        servo_12.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "S") {
        servo_9.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "T") {
        servo_9.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        servo_12.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "U") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        servo_13.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "V") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_9.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        servo_13.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "W") {
        servo_9.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        servo_12.write(angle);
        servo_13.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "X") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        servo_13.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "Y") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        servo_11.write(angle);
        servo_12.write(angle);
        servo_13.write(angle);
        
    }
    else if (bC == "Z") {
        servo_8.write(angle);
        servo_10.write(angle);
        servo_12.write(angle);
        servo_13.write(angle);
        
    }
}
    
void setup() {
    Serial.begin(9600);
    
    servo_8.attach(8);
    servo_9.attach(9);
    servo_10.attach(10);
    servo_11.attach(11);
    servo_12.attach(12);
    servo_13.attach(13);
   
}

void loop() {
    Serial.println("Enter a Character:");	//Asks to type a character
    while (Serial.available() == 0) {		//Stops anything from happening until a character is typed
        
    }
    
    bC = Serial.readString();		//Gives string variable 'bC' the inputted value
    
    clearBraille();
    
    checkBraille();
}

It assigns the inputted character to the String variable but yet it for some reason never finds a match in the if statement function (void checkBraille()). There are no errors either.

2

You need to either select "No line ending" from the Serial Monitor's line ending menu, or else change your code so that it can handle any line ending.

3

It is not a good idea to use the String (capital S) class on an Arduino as it can cause memory corruption in the small memory on an Arduino. This can happen after the program has been running perfectly for some time. Just use cstrings - char arrays terminated with '\0' (NULL).

Have a look at the examples in Serial Input Basics - simple reliable non-blocking ways to receive data. There is also a parse example to illustrate how to extract numbers from the received text.

...R

4

I most definitely will take on board all this advice and try it out, but may I just add that when I added Serial.readString(); it could throw me back the character I selected. That probably means nothing and there could still be one of those problems but I just thought I'd throw it in there.

5

"It assigns the inputted character to the String variable but yet it for some reason never finds a match in the if statement function (void checkBraille())."

Nothing wrong with using Strings to initially develop your project. What are your logic/expectations from each of the if statements?