Two Software serial ports on Uno

I am trying to read two sensors (ORP and PH) that need serial to work. Since the Uno only has one hardware serial I need to use software serial.

I have created two software serial connections and am trying to read them. From everything I can tell it is only using the first one I start. The second one is not able to be used. I read the software serial page here and it states that two cannot be used at the same time. I am putting delays in but that is not working.

Here is the code. Any thoughts?

#include <OneWire.h>
#include <SoftwareSerial.h>

char SensorString[15];
OneWire ds(9); // thermometer on digital pin 9
//ORP sensor settings
#define ORPrxpin 2
#define ORPtxpin 3
SoftwareSerial ORPserial(ORPrxpin, ORPtxpin);
//PH sensor settings
#define PHrxpin 5
#define PHtxpin 6
SoftwareSerial PHserial(PHrxpin, PHtxpin);

boolean Sensor_StringComplete = false;

/***********************************************************************
 **                           ftoa Function                           ** 
 ***********************************************************************/
 char *ftoa(char *a, double f, int precision)
{
  long p[] = {0,10,100,1000,10000,100000,1000000,10000000,100000000};
  
  char *ret = a;
  long heiltal = (long)f;
  itoa(heiltal, a, 10);
  while (*a != '\0') a++;
  *a++ = '.';
  long desimal = abs((long)((f - heiltal) * p[precision]));
  itoa(desimal, a, 10);
  return ret;
}

/***********************************************************************
 **                           setup   Function                        ** 
 ***********************************************************************/
 void setup(){
  Serial.begin(9600);
  PHserial.begin(38400);
  //setup PH sensor
  PHserial.write("e\r");//turn off auto read
  delay(50);
  PHserial.write("e\r");//turn off auto read
  delay(1000);
  ORPserial.begin(38400);
  ORPserial.write("e\r");
  delay(50);
  ORPserial.write("e\r");
  delay(50);
}
/***********************************************************************
 **                           getTemp Function                        ** 
 ***********************************************************************/
void *getTemp(char * tempType, char * sensorString) {
    byte data[12];
  byte addr[8];
  char *tempStr;
  float temperatureSum;
  if ( !ds.search(addr)) 
  {
   //no more sensors on chain, reset search
    ds.reset_search();
    sensorString == "-1000";
  }
  if ( OneWire::crc8( addr, 7) != addr[7]) 
  {
    Serial.println(F("wrong CRC"));
    sensorString == "-1000";
  }
  if ( addr[0] != 0x10 && addr[0] != 0x28) {
    sensorString == "-1000";
  } 
  ds.reset();
  ds.select(addr);
  ds.write(0x44,1); // start conversion, with parasite power on at the end
  delay(750);
  byte present = ds.reset();
  ds.select(addr);  
  ds.write(0xBE); // Read Scratchpad
  for (byte i = 0; i < 9; i++) 
  { // we need 9 bytes
    data[i] = ds.read();
  }
 
  ds.reset_search();
 
  byte MSB = data[1];
  byte LSB = data[0];

  float tempRead = ((MSB << 8) | LSB); //using two's compliment
  if (strcmp(tempType,"C") == 0 ) {
    temperatureSum = (tempRead / 16.0);// celcius
  }
  else if (strcmp(tempType,"F") ==0 ) {
    temperatureSum = (tempRead / 16.0)*(9.0/5.0) + 32.0;//fahrenheit
  }
  else {
    temperatureSum = 999.99;
  }
  ftoa(sensorString,temperatureSum,2);
}
/***********************************************************************
 **                    getAtlanticSensorData Function                 ** 
 ***********************************************************************/
void getAtlasSensorData(char tranType[3], char tranAction[6],char * sensorString){
/* PH Tran Types
  ALL tran types must be followed by <CR>
  ALL responses will be followed by <CR>
  Calibration must be in continuous mode
  L1 - Enable Debug LEDs (No Response)
  L0 - Disable LEDs (No Response)
  R  - Return a single reading (up to 8 chars e.g. -1024.00)
  C  - Enter continuous mode (read every 378 ms, returns same as R)
  TT.TT - Take temperature dependent reading (tt.tt is degrees celcius)
  E  - End continuous mode
  S  - Calibrate at PH Seven (must be in continuous mode)
  F  - Calibrate at PH Four (must be in continuous mode)
  T  - Calibrate at PH Ten (must be in continuous mode)s
  I  - Returns version (type,version,date e.g. O,V4.4,2/13<CR>)
  #  - Set Device ID
  Z0 - Set auto baud rate
  Z# - Set specific baud rate (# is single digit representation or baud rate)
*/
/* ORP Tran Types
  ALL tran types must be followed by <CR>
  ALL responses will be followed by <CR>
  Calibration must be in continuous mode
  L1 - Enable Debug LEDs (No Response)
  L0 - Disable LEDs (No Response)
  R  - Return a single reading (up to 8 chars e.g. -1024.00)
  C  - Enter continuous mode (read every 320 ms, returns same as R)
  E  - End continuous mode
  +  - Calibration add 1 mV to the original ORP reading
  -  - Calibration subtract 1 mV from the original ORP reading
  X  - Return to factory settings
  I  - Returns version (type,version,date e.g. O,V4.4,2/13<CR>)
  Z0 - Set auto baud rate
  Z# - Set specific baud rate (# is single digit representation or baud rate)
*/
//  char temp[5] = "";
//  char tempType[2] = "C";
  byte cind = 0; 
//  memset(SensorString,0,UDP_TX_PACKET_MAX_SIZE);
//Serial.println(tranAction);
  if (strcmp(tranType,"PH") == 0){
//    getTemp(tempType,temp); //get temp in celcius for PH read
//    Serial.print("Sending...");
//    Serial.print(tranAction);
//    Serial.println('-');
//    PHserial.print(tranAction);
    PHserial.print('R');
    PHserial.print('\r');
    while(PHserial.available()){
      Serial.println("PH serial is available");
      char inchar = (char)PHserial.read();
      Serial.print("inchar=");
      Serial.print(inchar);
      if (inchar == '\r') {
        Sensor_StringComplete = true;
      } else {
        sensorString[cind++] = inchar;
      }
    }
  } else {
    ORPserial.print(tranAction);
    ORPserial.print('\r');
    while(ORPserial.available()){
      char inchar = (char)ORPserial.read();
      if (inchar == '\r') {
        Sensor_StringComplete = true;
      } else {
        sensorString[cind++] = inchar;
      }
    }
  }
  if (Sensor_StringComplete){ 
    Sensor_StringComplete = false;
  } 
}
/***********************************************************************
 **                          loop Function                            ** 
 ***********************************************************************/
void loop(){ 
  
  char s_tempC[8]="";
  char s_tempF[8]="";
  char s_ORP[8]="";
  char s_PH[8]="";
//  char writeStr[36];

  getTemp("F",s_tempF);
  getTemp("C",s_tempC);
  getAtlasSensorData("PH",s_tempC,s_PH);
  delay(1000);
  getAtlasSensorData("ORP","R",s_ORP);
  delay(1000);
  Serial.print("Temp C=");
  Serial.println(s_tempC);
  Serial.print("Temp F=");
  Serial.println(s_tempF);
  Serial.print("ORP=");
  Serial.println(s_ORP);
  Serial.print("PH=");
  Serial.println(s_PH);
  delay(1000);
}

SoftwareSerial can only pay attention to one serial port at a time. When you do port1.availble() it will start looking for characters arriving from port1. If you then do port2.availble() it will start looking for characters arriving on port2 and ignore whatever arrives on port1.

If you switch to an Arduino Mega you will have four hardware serial ports that can all receive simultaneously.

Thanks. Mega ordered.

Side question on software serial. If I keep switching the one I am using will it stop using the other?

myserial1.begin(9600);
myserial2.begin(9600);
myserial1.begin(9600);

Will myserial1 be the one it listens to?

Also I was looking for a stop or end but did not see it.

Update... I found the listen and isListening methods in SoftwareSerial. I am implementing challenge/response serial communications on each port so this works for me. This appears to be working right now. If you have multiple continuous streams then hardware serial appears to be the only way to go.