serial monitor data

Using Arduino Project Guidance
1

hi, there. I'm new to Arduino. I'm using Arduino to get data from optical detector and then make a graph.
From the serial monitor, I get data from 0-1024. Actually, I don't know what does it stand for.
If I want to get actual value of the detector, what should I do? Something like 123uW.
After collecting data, I use Matlab to make the graph. Can I do real-time processing?
Here is my program. Thanks in advance.

int right = 5;
int left = 6;
int ledPin = 7;
int motorPin1 = 9;
int motorPin2 = 10;
int motorPin3 = 11;
int motorPin4 = 12;
boolean motorX[4]={true,true,true,true};
boolean val = false;
boolean R_or_L =false;
int R = false;
int L = false;
int count = 0;
int speed = 200;

void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600);
pinMode(motorPin1, OUTPUT);
pinMode(motorPin2, OUTPUT);
pinMode(motorPin3, OUTPUT);
pinMode(motorPin4, OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(right, OUTPUT);
pinMode(left, INPUT);
}

void loop()
{
twoHIGT();
right_or_left();
motorGo(R_or_L);
delay(speed); //delyMicroseconds(speed*0.001);
}

void right_or_left() //switch
{
R = digitalRead(right);
L = digitalRead(left);
if((R==false)&&(L==false))
R_or_L = false;
else R_or_L = true;
}

void twoHIGT()
{
if((R==true)||(L==true)){
switch (count)
{
case 0:
motorX[0]=true;
motorX[1]=true;
motorX[2]=false;
motorX[3]=false;
break;
case 1:
motorX[0]=false;
motorX[1]=true;
motorX[2]=true;
motorX[3]=false;
break;
case 2:
motorX[0]=false;
motorX[1]=false;
motorX[2]=true;
motorX[3]=true;
break;
case 3:
motorX[0]=true;
motorX[1]=false;
motorX[2]=false;
motorX[3]=true;
break;
}
if(count==3) {
digitalWrite(ledPin,HIGH);
Serial.println(analogRead(A0));
delay (200);
digitalWrite (ledPin, LOW);
count=0;
}
else{
digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
Serial.println(analogRead(A0));
delay (200);
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
count++;
}
}
}
void motorGo(boolean RL)
{
if((RL==true)&&(R==true)){
digitalWrite(motorPin1, motorX[0]);
digitalWrite(motorPin2, motorX[1]);
digitalWrite(motorPin3, motorX[2]);
digitalWrite(motorPin4, motorX[3]);
}
if((RL==true)&&(L==true)){
digitalWrite(motorPin4, motorX[0]);
digitalWrite(motorPin3, motorX[1]);
digitalWrite(motorPin2, motorX[2]);
digitalWrite(motorPin1, motorX[3]);
}
}

2

You'll need to find the info about the sensor used and techniques to convert that analog reading to tell the amount of light in uW. (must say I onlty know a fraction of the whole story about candelas, lumens and lux used)

The number you get from an analogpin is... digital with an 10-bit resolution.
If it measures 1023, that means the analog pin reads a voltage of 5 volt, the highest it can read.
In case of an 12-bit Analog to Digital Converter the highest number you would get is 4095 and would give you the possibility to measure the voltage 4 times as precise. An 8 bit converter highest number would be 255. (Keep in mind that 0 volt is also a measurable value, being able to measure 1024 different values there for starts with 0 and ends at 1023.)

Multiplying the number read on your analog arduino pin by 0.0049 or 0.0048828125 to be exact (5v/1024) tells you what voltage is applied. By finding the right info about your sensor and conversion techniques, you could use the number read to calculate the physical quantity you're trying to find.
Once you find that info and integrate it in your sketch, you could send the outcome in the physical quantity you need to the serial port instead.