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Arduino Forum Serial won't work!
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Related

Serial won't work!

Former Member
Former Member over 11 years ago

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);

}

}

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  • neilk
    0 neilk over 11 years ago

    Hi Kyle

     

    You are reading a character from the serial input into an integer variable:

     

        //read serial and set var

        int heatCommand = Serial.read();

     

    with the above code, heatCommand will be equal to the Ascii value of 'A' - ie 65 (if you type an 'A', of course).

     

    If you modify your code to use a character variable, then heatCommand will be equal to character 'A', when you type 'A'

     

        //read serial and set var

        char heatCommand = Serial.read();

     

    Good luck

     

    Neil

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  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago in reply to neilk

    changed the

        //read serial and set var

        int heatCommand = Serial.read();

    to

        //read serial and set var

        char heatCommand = Serial.read();

    and it still doesn't work

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  • neilk
    0 neilk over 11 years ago in reply to Former Member

    Can you be more precise and describe exactly what does happen? "It still doesn't work" doesn't tell us very much.

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  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago in reply to neilk

    I upload the program to my arduino open serial.  I see the 60 being printed(showing the current set temp.) but, when I send the A nothing changes(servo doesn't move or make a noise of trying and the Serial.println doesnt work)

     

    #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

        char heatCommand = Serial.read();

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

        if(heatCommand == 'A'){

          officeHeatSetTo = heat65;

          Serial.println("Heat set to 65");

        }

    }

      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);

    }

    }

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  • neilk
    0 neilk over 11 years ago in reply to Former Member

    Sorry Kyle - I only looked as far as the first, very obvious error

     

    The structure:

     

      while(true){

        if(officeHeatSetTo == 800){

     

    has the effect of locking the sketch into the while loop, so the serial read is only executed once - the first time through.

    Remove  while(true){     and its corresponding  closing brace - } and the program  flow will be correct.

    It works for me, although I don'y have a servo connected.

     

    Hope this helps.

     

    Neil

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  • neilk
    0 neilk over 11 years ago in reply to Former Member

    Sorry Kyle - I only looked as far as the first, very obvious error

     

    The structure:

     

      while(true){

        if(officeHeatSetTo == 800){

     

    has the effect of locking the sketch into the while loop, so the serial read is only executed once - the first time through.

    Remove  while(true){     and its corresponding  closing brace - } and the program  flow will be correct.

    It works for me, although I don'y have a servo connected.

     

    Hope this helps.

     

    Neil

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  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago in reply to neilk

    well I i changed it to while true...I got the "heat set to 65" but, it wasn't printing the the the 60 or 65 like it should be and the servo didn't move.

    #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(true){

        //read serial and set var

        char heatCommand = Serial.read();

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

        if(heatCommand == 'A'){

          officeHeatSetTo = heat65;

          Serial.println("Heat set to 65");

        }

    }

      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);

    }

    }

     

     

    Then slashed out while true and it went back to Serial.println the for 60 started working again but, now it doesn't give me the "heat set to 60" or move the servo

     

    #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(true){

        //read serial and set var

        char heatCommand = Serial.read();

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

        if(heatCommand == 'A'){

          officeHeatSetTo = heat65;

          Serial.println("Heat set to 65");

    //    }

    }

      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);

    }

    }

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  • neilk
    0 neilk over 11 years ago in reply to Former Member

    Kyle

     

    The change you made after my last post wasn't the change I suggested  - you inserted another while(true){ in a different part of the sketch, instead of removing the existing while(true){.

     

    However, now that Peter has written the sketch for you, you need no further help from me.

     

    Good luck

     

    Neil

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  • Robert Peter Oakes
    0 Robert Peter Oakes over 11 years ago in reply to neilk

    Ya... I kinda got carried away with it as it was bugging me so much. I think I will turn it into a Blog entry for future reference as there are many items I have covered off in the version i posted like using defines vs INTS etc.

     

    Should be useful as educational material

     

    Peter

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