Serial won't work!

Question

I'v bin trying to making a heating auto heating system that turns the knob with a servo, I can change the var upload and it will change position but every time i try to set up commands thought serial I get nothing, not even printing the serial I just sent. I'v tried this over and over again in different variations and am starting to get sick of just having my arduino uno just hanging from my wall doing nothing. please help.

my code:

#include <Servo.h>

Servo officeHeat;

int heat40 = 800;

int heat45 = 950;

int heat50 = 1150;

int heat55 = 1325;

int heat60 = 1500;

int heat65 = 1700;

int heat70 = 1825;

int heat75 = 1975;

int heat80 = 2150;

int officeHeatSetTo = heat60;

void setup(){

Serial.begin(9600);

officeHeat.attach(9);

}

void loop(){

//check if serial is available

while(Serial.available() > 0){

//read serial and set var

int heatCommand = Serial.read();

//if the command is A then set heat to 65

if(heatCommand == 'A'){

officeHeatSetTo = heat65;

}

officeHeat.writeMicroseconds(officeHeatSetTo);

//tell computer the current set temp.

while(true){

if(officeHeatSetTo == 800){

Serial.println("40");

}

if(officeHeatSetTo == 950){

Serial.println("45");

}

if(officeHeatSetTo == 1150){

Serial.println("50");

}

if(officeHeatSetTo == 1325){

Serial.println("55");

}

if(officeHeatSetTo == 1500){

Serial.println("60");

}

if(officeHeatSetTo == 1700){

Serial.println("65");

}

if(officeHeatSetTo == 1825){

Serial.println("70");

}

if(officeHeatSetTo == 1975){

Serial.println("75");

}

if(officeHeatSetTo == 2150){

Serial.println("80");

}

delay(1000);

}

Robert Peter Oakes · Accepted Answer

what you need is something like this (Which works on my UNO)

#define ServoEnabled 1 // change to 1 to enable servo output, 0 to disable
#if ServoEnabled
#include <Servo.h>
#endif
#define heat40  800
#define heat45  950
#define heat50  1150
#define heat55  1325
#define heat60  1500
#define heat65  1700
#define heat70  1825
#define heat75  1975
#define heat80  2150
#define  printDelay 1000 // 1 second between prints
int HeatSetting = 0;
int newHeatSetting = 0;
long printTimer = 0;
#if ServoEnabled
Servo officeHeat;
#endif
void setup() 
{
   Serial.begin(9600);
   HeatSetting = heat60;
   newHeatSetting = HeatSetting;
   
#if ServoEnabled
  officeHeat.attach(9,800,2150);
#endif
   printTimer = millis() + printDelay;
}
void loop() { 
  // Any new commands ?
  check_serial();
  
#if ServoEnabled
  check_Servo();
#endif
  // Check if time to print heater setting
  if (millis() > printTimer) 
  {
    Serial.print("Temp Set to ");
    Serial.println(HeatSetting, DEC);
    printTimer = millis()+printDelay;
  }
  // Do other stuff
}
void check_serial()
{
  char a=Serial.read();
  if ((a>='0')&& (a<='Z'))
    {
    switch (a)
      {
        case 'A' :newHeatSetting = heat40; break;
        case 'B' : newHeatSetting = heat45; break;
        case 'C' : newHeatSetting = heat50; break;
        case 'D' : newHeatSetting = heat55; break;
        case 'E' : newHeatSetting = heat60; break;
        case 'F' : newHeatSetting = heat65; break;
        case 'G' : newHeatSetting = heat70; break;
        case 'H' : newHeatSetting = heat75; break;
        case 'I' : newHeatSetting = heat80; break;
        case '0' : Serial.println("0 Received"); break;
        case '1' : Serial.println("1 Received"); break;
        case '2' : Serial.println("2 Received"); break;
        case '3' : Serial.println("3 Received"); break;
        case '4' : Serial.println("4 Received"); break;
        case '5' : Serial.println("5 Received"); break;
        case '6' : Serial.println("6 Received"); break;
        case '7' : Serial.println("7 Received"); break;
        case '8' : Serial.println("8 Received"); break;
        case '=' : Serial.println(HeatSetting, DEC); break;
        default : break;
      }
    }  
}
#if ServoEnabled
void check_Servo()
{
  if (newHeatSetting != HeatSetting)
  {
    officeHeat.writeMicroseconds(HeatSetting);
    HeatSetting = newHeatSetting;
  }
}
#endif

this will only change the servo when the current value is different from the new value, it does not waste time in delays and has a nice structured case for managing commands

regards

Peter