The most reliable way to communicate with the a x86 workstation

Using Arduino Interfacing w/ Software on the Computer
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I have a x86 based workstation which has linux on it (ubuntu for example). I would like to have an arduino mega 2560 connect to this workstation and receive instructions from this workstation. The connection between this arduino device and the workstation can be perminent.

What's the most reliable way of doing this? Just use usb of the arduino? If that is the case, will the comunication program on the linux easy to write? Will that be very reliable?

Another one is just use the serial port from the workstation and connect that to several pins of the arduino and use the soft or hard serial port of the arduino?

Use a eithernet sheid and connect them with an eithernet cable?

In general, the simplest system is the most reliable one, so the reliability is serial> usb > eithernet> wireless ....

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One factor to consider is the distance. You basically can't use USB over long distances.

Robin has written several tutorials on communication with a PC. For the PC side see Demo of PC-Arduino comms using Python - Interfacing w/ Software on the Computer - Arduino Forum at the top if this forum section.

The matching Arduino side is in the aerial input basics thread.

Note that the demobstrated principles amcan be used regardless of the medium of transmission.

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This link has a more recent version of the Simple Python - Arduino demo

And the other link is Serial Input Basics (not aerial :slight_smile: )

This laptop I am typing on is running Linux Mint and it is what I use for all my Arduiino programming. I have never had a communication problem using USB. I often use a 2 metre USB extension cable (for about 3.5 metres total), also without problems. For many of my Arduino projects I use 500,000 baud successfully.

...R