New to arduino and programming, 4x3 analog keypad question about making a passcode

Hi again I think I am getting there with this. I have been working with a 7 pin password sketch and trying to adapt it for my analog keypad. I have beenscratching my head and searching for a solution to this problem. When I run this code the alarm keeps on arming every few seconds. I think it is that the analog keypad keeps throwing out zero readings and resetting the system. The code is a bit of a mess at the moment but please throw me some comments as to how to solve my issue.

Thank you

int NOKEY=255;
int i, k, pwcount=0;
char password[]="1234",entry[10];
int buttonPin=A0;
int val=A0;
int ldr=12;
int senseValue=0;
int led=13;
int sensePin=A1;
int buzzerPin=2;
int led2=5;
int led3=3;
int led4=4;

void setup() {
  // put your setup code here, to run once:
pinMode (buttonPin,INPUT);
pinMode (sensePin,INPUT);
pinMode(ldr,OUTPUT);
pinMode (led,OUTPUT);
pinMode (led2,OUTPUT);
pinMode (led3,OUTPUT);
pinMode (led4,OUTPUT);
pinMode (buzzerPin,OUTPUT);
Serial.begin(9600);

}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
   for(i=6; i<=8; i++){
  reset();
 
 
  val=analogRead(buttonPin);
  val = map(val, 0, 1023, 0, 255);
// Serial.print("Button Value   ");//used for gebugging
//Serial.print(val);
 
senseValue=analogRead(sensePin);
senseValue = map(senseValue, 0, 1023, 0, 255);
//Serial.print("     Sensor Value   ");
// Serial.println(senseValue);
    if (val <10,val=255);//I cannot stop the program looping
 
  if ((val >10)&&(val<18)){
   entry[pwcount]='1' ;
   pwcount++;
   delay(250);
Serial.println('1');
  }
if ((val >19)&&(val<28)){
   entry[pwcount]='2' ;
   pwcount++;
   delay(250);
Serial.println('2');
  }
 
   if ((val >30)&&(val<40)){
   entry[pwcount]='3' ;
   pwcount++;
   delay(250);
Serial.println('3');
  }
if ((val >50)&&(val<60)){
   entry[pwcount]='4' ;
   pwcount++;
   delay(250);
Serial.println('4');
  } 
 
   if ((val >75)&&(val<90)){
   entry[pwcount]='5' ;
   pwcount++;
   delay(250);
Serial.println('5');
  }
if ((val >100)&&(val<120)){
   entry[pwcount]='6' ;
   pwcount++;
   delay(250);
Serial.println('6');
  }
 
   if ((val >135)&&(val<155)){
   entry[pwcount]='7' ;
   pwcount++;
   delay(250);
Serial.println('7');
  }
if ((val >170)&&(val<180)){
   entry[pwcount]='8' ;
   pwcount++;
   delay(250);
Serial.println('8');
  } 
    if ((val >190)&&(val<205)){
   entry[pwcount]='9' ;
   pwcount++;
   delay(250);
Serial.println('9');
  }
if ((val >218)&&(val<227)){
   entry[pwcount]='*' ;
   pwcount++;
   delay(250);
Serial.println('*');
  }
 
   if ((val >227)&&(val<236)){
   entry[pwcount]='0' ;
   pwcount++;
   delay(250);
Serial.println('0');
  }
if ((val >237)&&(val<250)){
   entry[pwcount]='#' ;
   pwcount++;
   delay(250);
Serial.println('#');
  } 
 
 
 
   pwcount=0;
  for(k=0; k<=5; k++){
   if(k==5){
   Serial.println("Alarm Disabled");
   digitalWrite(3, HIGH);
   digitalWrite (4, LOW);
   digitalWrite (13,LOW);
   digitalWrite(ldr,LOW);
  
  
   break;
   }
   if(password[k] != entry[k]){
     digitalWrite (4, HIGH);
     Serial.println("Alarm ON 2 Seconds Until Armed");
     digitalWrite(3,LOW);
     armed();
     //delay(2000);
     //digitalWrite (13,HIGH);
     Serial.println("Alarm Enabled");
     printing();
     Serial.println("Callibrating System Please wait..");
     printing();
     Serial.println("System Activating...");
     printing();
     Serial.println("All Systems Functioning Correctly");
      printing();
       delay(500);
     Serial.println("Alarm On");
     break;
   }
  }
  // k<10
  for(k=0; k<10; k++)
  entry[k]=0;
  } 
}

void reset(){
   int j;
   for(j=6; j<=8; j++)
   digitalWrite(j, LOW);
}

void blinker(){
  digitalWrite(3, HIGH);
  delay(15);
  digitalWrite(3, LOW);
 
 
}
void printing(){
delay(200);

}
void armed (){
  delay(100);
  digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
 
}

Hi and thank you for your reply David. I am sure this will help me out. I have been in hospital so I appologise for not getting back to you sooner. I am home now and will have a look and see if I can figure it out. I have a 7 wire keypad that I made and have had this working fine in a basic sketch retuning the button press to the serial monitor . But I want to use an analog keypad which just uses 1 analog pin to free up some digital pins and am falling down here. i hope this helps me.

Jeremy,

I am assuming that the values less than 25 are when no key is pressed. You set your variable "keypressed" to zero all the time, even when no key is pressed. . You need a different value for NOKEY, pound or star keys.  I would set 3 constants for NOKEY, STARKEY, and POUNDKEY. You already have the 0 through 9 values for those keys. Set the STARKEY to 10, the POUNDKEY to 11 and maybe the NOKEY to 99. Then your code loop could react only when keypressed != NOKEY. I don't have my Arduino editor on this pc and I can't recall the exact syntax. But change your lines somthing like this. Note I changed your routine from void to int and returned the value of the key.

int readkeyboard(){
   keyboardValue = analogRead(keyboardPin); // read the value (0-1023)
   if (keyboardValue <25){return NOKEY;} //No key pressed
   if ((keyboardValue >25) && (keyboardValue < 67)){return 1;}
   if ((keyboardValue >67) && (keyboardValue < 108)){return 2;}
   if ((keyboardValue >108) && (keyboardValue < 162)){return 3;}
   if ((keyboardValue >162) && (keyboardValue < 253)){return 4;}
   if ((keyboardValue >253) && (keyboardValue < 361)){return 5;}
   if ((keyboardValue >361) && (keyboardValue < 479)){return 6;}
   if ((keyboardValue >479) && (keyboardValue < 619)){return 7;}
   if ((keyboardValue >619) && (keyboardValue < 765)){return 8;}
   if ((keyboardValue >765) && (keyboardValue < 819)){return 9;}
   if ((keyboardValue >819) && (keyboardValue < 899)){return STARKEY;}// this is the * key
   if ((keyboardValue >889) && (keyboardValue < 955)){return 0;}
   if (keyboardValue >965){return POUNDKEY;}  // this is the # key

}

Your code inside loop might be something like:

CurrentKey = readkeyboard();

If (Currentkey != NOKEY) {

   // Do something with the value here

}

I hope this helps some.

Hi I got a book from the library today so I can start from the bottom. The only way is up from here. Thanks billabott and if I seemed rude in any way I appologise. It is just been so frustrating trying to sort out my keypad. I have been trying so long and getting nowhere and it is getting to me.

I have had a good look at Oomlout there is quite a bit on there too. Thanks Guys.. Now where do I start? Well I suppose chapter one :-)

By the way I don't think I will be slinging my Arduino in the drawer now. The analog keypad, well that's another matter I think I will put that in the drawer before I end up stamping on it lol.

Thanks

Jeremy

Hi Nico teWinkel. Thank you for pointing this out to me. I will take a look then. I have been into electronics for a few years now. The trouble is I have never tried programming before October when I got my Arduino and have messed around with led's and Battery chargers and little things like that.

What I am really trying to do is build my own Alarm system I need the digital pins for my 2 PIR sensors, bleeper, siren and some LED's All I am stuck with is this bloody keypad. It is driving me crazy. I did not get to the library today but I will and maybe this site could be the help I am looking for. I have been looking for well over a month and am getting so frustrated that I want to throw the lot in a drawer and forget about it. But I will keep trying for a while.

Thanks again

Jeremy