Using multiple commands from X-CTU

Forum 2005-2010 (read only) Software Syntax & Programs
1

Hi,

I am trying to control 2 motors with Arduino and X-CTU and I am using the following code:

#define motorInput1 4
#define motorPWM1 11
#define ledPin 13
#define motorPWM2 5
#define motorInput2 2

void setup() 
{
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(motorInput1, OUTPUT);
pinMode(motorInput2, OUTPUT);
Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop()
{
  if(Serial.available() > 0){
   byte val = Serial.read();
   if (val=='F') {
  digitalWrite(motorInput1, HIGH);  
  analogWrite(motorPWM1,220);  
  digitalWrite(motorInput2, HIGH);   
  analogWrite(motorPWM2,220);
  }
  if (val=='B') {
  digitalWrite(motorInput1, LOW);   
  analogWrite(motorPWM1,220);
  digitalWrite(motorInput2, LOW);   
  analogWrite(motorPWM2,220);
  }
   if (val=='R') {
  digitalWrite(motorInput1, LOW);   
  analogWrite(motorPWM1,100);
  digitalWrite(motorInput2, HIGH);   
  analogWrite(motorPWM2,100);
  }
  if (val=='L') {
  digitalWrite(motorInput1, HIGH);  
  analogWrite(motorPWM1,100);
  digitalWrite(motorInput2, LOW);   
  analogWrite(motorPWM2,100);
  }
  }
}

I am trying to let the user change the speed of the motors and additionally I am trying to write this code in a more practical way.

The problem is as soon as i send a byte of information on X-CTU it is processed in Arduino. I mean if I press "L" in the terminal. The motors start to work and I can't enter a value for PWM. I thought a way to build an array and make Arduino use the values in this array. However I can't figure out a way to fill the array if I use a for loop it just fills the array with the last command I entered. So how can I make it wait for the next command.

I can use your advices aswell on building a more practical code.
In general I am trying to let the user define the state of the movement in 8 directions (like forward backward right left...etc) and I want to let the user change the speed of the motors.

Thanks for the help already and sorry for my bad english.

2

Solved this actually with the following code

void setup(){
Serial.begin(9600);
}
void GetString(char *buf, int bufsize) //Get the command from the serial port
{

 int i;
 for (i=0; i<bufsize - 1; ++i) //start feeding the buf variable
 {
   while (Serial.available() == 0); // wait for character to arrive
   buf[i] = Serial.read(); //read data into buf
   if (buf[i] == '\0'  ) // is it the terminator byte?
     break;
 }
} 

void loop(){
char cmd[2]; //The first two bytes of the serial buffer
 char param[4]; //The last three bytes of the serial buffer
 char buffer[5];  //The whole buffer
 GetString(buffer, sizeof(buffer)); //capture the command from the serial port
 cmd[0] = buffer[0]; 
 cmd[1] = '\0'; //force a terminator byte
 param[0] = buffer[1];
 param[1] = buffer[2];
 param[2] = buffer[3];
 param[3] = '\0'; //force a terminator byte
if (strncmp(buffer, "F", 1)== 0 ) //Left Forward
 {
   Serial.print("Forward ");
   Serial.print(param);
 }

   }

thanks to this post: http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1227279342