Serial monitor displaying weight from MCT1302

Using Arduino Programming Questions
1

Hello all, I have been stuck with this for a while now and maybe you guys would be able to help,

I am using a MCT1302 (Link here: Link )

and I got pins 17, 18, 19 from the MCT1302 (Rx, Tx and GND) connected to a MAX3232, from the MAX3232 I go to my arduino digital pins 2 and 3..

What I want is to display the same weight what the MCT1302 is displaying but on my serial monitor in my arduino program.

I am not a pro with arduino but I tried to program this:

#include <SoftwareSerial.h>

SoftwareSerial max232 (2, 3); // RX, TX

void setup() {
  max232.begin(9600);
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  if (max232.available()) {
    char input = max232.read();
    Serial.println(input);
  }
  delay(10);
}

at the moment the serial monitor isnt displaying anything but I really want it to display the weight..

does anyone know what I should change to make this work?

thanks in advance.

2

Your code looks right but there are 3 common mistakes made with serial comms

Have you got Rx and Tx connected the right way round ? ie Tx to Rx and vice versa ?
Do the baud rates of the Arduino and device match ?
Have the Arduino and device got common GND ?

3

I probably have done something wrong in my wiring to the MAX3232, or is this correct?

Please take a look at the image I added to this message.

thanks in advance.

4

Please take a look at the image I added to this message.

No image attached that I can see

5

Sorry, here is the URL of the image: Imgur: The magic of the Internet

6

The wiring in the image looks correct. I assume that the MAX3232 is powered

7

I dont uderstand why I am not receiving anything on my serial monitor then...

everything should be fine as of how it is right now...

8

Does your actual wiring match that of the diagram ?
Where is the MAX3232 powered from ?
Do the baud rates match ?

9

yes the wiring is the same as on the diagram I sent, do I need to power my MAX232 with another source? and if so could I power it through the arduino?

and im pretty sure the baud rates match.

10

You can power it from any source capable of supplying the requisite voltage and current. In the diagram that you posted it does not appear to be powered at all

11

I have now connected my MAX3232 to a power source but still same results... nothing on the serial monitor...

at this point I am just lost on what to try next..

12

Still stuck with the same problem.. anyone got a solution?

thanks in advance...

13

Do a loopback test to make sure your MAX3232 is operating correctly:

Disconnect the serial cable from the scale, connect the RX and TX lines of the cable together, and do a max232.println("some random text") on the arduino. You should see the same text received on the port, if not, then something is connected wrong.

Are you using a bare max3232 chip, or a pre-made board? The capacitors are necessary if you are building it yourself.

14