Simple updated examples of arduino serial communications

arduino_multibyte_serial_example.cpp

/* ------------------------------------------------
* SERIAL COM - HANDELING MULTIPLE BYTES inside ARDUINO - 03_function development
* by beltran berrocal
*
* this prog establishes a connection with the pc and waits for it to send him
* a long string of characters like "hello Arduino!". 
* Then Arduino informs the pc that it heard the whole sentence
*
* the same as examlpe 03 but it deploys 2 reusable functions.
* for doing the same job. 
* readSerialString() and  printSerialString()
* you just need to instantiate an array that will hold all the chars of the string
* I've put a 100 value for excess, but if you exactly know how many bytes you are expecting
* simply write it down inside the brackets [yourLengthHere]
*
* created 16 Decembre 2005;
* copyleft 2005 Progetto25zero1  <http://www.progetto25zero1.com>
* updated April 2009
* --------------------------------------------------- */

char serInString[100];  // array that will hold the different bytes of the string. 100=100characters;
                        // -> you must state how long the array will be else it won't work properly


//read a string from the serial and store it in an array
//you must supply the array variable
void readSerialString (char *strArray) {
    int i = 0;
    if(Serial.available()>0) {    
       Serial.print("reading Serial String: "); //optional: for confirmation
       while (Serial.available()>0){
          strArray[i] = Serial.read();
          i++;
          Serial.print(strArray[(i-1)]);        //optional: for confirmation
       }
       Serial.println();                        //optional: for confirmation
    }
}

//Print the whole string at once - will be performed only if thers is data inside it
//you must supply the array variable
void printSerialString(char *strArray) {
     int i=0;
     if (strArray[i] != 0) {     
         while(strArray[i] != 0) {
            Serial.print( strArray[i] );
            strArray[i] = 0;                  // optional: flush the content
            i++;
         }
     }
} 

//utility function to know wither an array is empty or not
boolean isStringEmpty(char *strArray) {
     if (strArray[0] == 0) {
         return true;
     } else {
         return false;
     }
}

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("Hello World"); 
}

void loop () {
  //read the serial port and create a string out of what you read
  readSerialString(serInString);
  
  //do somenthing else perhaps wait for other data or read another Serial string
  Serial.println ("------------ arduino is doing somenthing else ");
  
  if( isStringEmpty(serInString) == false) { //this check is optional
      Serial.print("Arduino recorded that you said: ");
      //try to print out collected information. it will do it only if there actually is some info.
      printSerialString(serInString);
      Serial.println();
  }
  //slows down the visualization in the terminal
  delay(2000);
}

arduino_multibyte_serial_example_1.cpp

/* ------------------------------------------------
* SERIAL COM - HANDELING MULTIPLE BYTES inside ARDUINO - 01_simple version
* by beltran berrocal
*
* this prog establishes a connection with the pc and waits for it to send him
* a long string of characters like "hello Arduino!". 
* Then Arduino informs the pc that it heard the whole sentence
*
* this is the first step for establishing sentence long conversations between arduino and the pc.
* serialRead() reads one byte at a time from the serial buffer.
* so in order to print out the whole sentence at once 
* (it is actually still printing one byte at a time but the pc will receive it
* not interupted by newLines or other printString inside you loop)
* You must loop untill there are bytes in the serial buffer and 
* and print right away that byte you just read.
* after that the loop can continue it's tasks.
*
* created 15 Decembre 2005;
* copyleft 2005 Progetto25zero1  <http://www.progetto25zero1.com>
*
* --------------------------------------------------- */

int  serIn; //var that will hold the bytes in read from the serialBuffer

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
 
}

//auto go_to_the_line function
//void printNewLine() {
//  Serial.print(13, BYTE);
//  Serial.print(10, BYTE);
//}


void loop () {
  //simple feedback from Arduino  Serial.println("Hello World"); 
  
  // only if there are bytes in the serial buffer execute the following code
  if(Serial.available()) {    
    //inform that Arduino heard you saying something
    Serial.print("Arduino heard you say: ");
    
    //keep reading and printing from serial untill there are bytes in the serial buffer
     while (Serial.available()>0){
        serIn = Serial.read();	//read Serial        
        Serial.print(serIn, BYTE); 	//prints the character just read
     }
     
    //the serial buffer is over just go to the line (or pass your favorite stop char)               
    Serial.println();
  }
  
  //slows down the visualization in the terminal
  delay(1000);
}

arduino_multibyte_serial_example_2.cpp

/* ------------------------------------------------
* SERIAL COM - HANDELING MULTIPLE BYTES inside ARDUINO - 01_simple version
* by beltran berrocal
*
* this prog establishes a connection with the pc and waits for it to send him
* a long string of characters like "hello Arduino!". 
* Then Arduino informs the pc that it heard the whole sentence
*
* this is the first step for establishing sentence long conversations between arduino and the pc.
* serialRead() reads one byte at a time from the serial buffer.
* so in order to print out the whole sentence at once 
* (it is actually still printing one byte at a time but the pc will receive it
* not interupted by newLines or other printString inside you loop)
* You must loop untill there are bytes in the serial buffer and 
* and print right away that byte you just read.
* after that the loop can continue it's tasks.
*
* created 15 Decembre 2005;
* copyleft 2005 Progetto25zero1  <http://www.progetto25zero1.com>
*
* --------------------------------------------------- */

int  serIn; //var that will hold the bytes in read from the serialBuffer

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
 
}

//auto go_to_the_line function
//void printNewLine() {
//  Serial.print(13, BYTE);
//  Serial.print(10, BYTE);
//}


void loop () {
  //simple feedback from Arduino  Serial.println("Hello World"); 
  
  // only if there are bytes in the serial buffer execute the following code
  if(Serial.available()) {    
    //inform that Arduino heard you saying something
    Serial.print("Arduino heard you say: ");
    
    //keep reading and printing from serial untill there are bytes in the serial buffer
     while (Serial.available()>0){
        serIn = Serial.read();	//read Serial        
        Serial.print(serIn, BYTE); 	//prints the character just read
     }
     
    //the serial buffer is over just go to the line (or pass your favorite stop char)               
    Serial.println();
  }
  
  //slows down the visualization in the terminal
  delay(1000);
}

arduino_multibyte_serial_example_3.cpp

/* ------------------------------------------------
* SERIAL COM - HANDELING MULTIPLE BYTES inside ARDUINO - 03_function development
* by beltran berrocal
*
* this prog establishes a connection with the pc and waits for it to send him
* a long string of characters like "hello Arduino!". 
* Then Arduino informs the pc that it heard the whole sentence
*
* the same as examlpe 02 but it deploys 2 reusable functions.
* for doing the same job. 
* readSerialString() and  printSerialString()
* the only problem is that they use global variables instead of getting them passed 
* as parameters. this means that in order to reuse this code you should also copy
* the 4 variables instantiated at the beginning of the code.
* Another problem is that if you expect more than one string at a time 
* you will have to duplicate and change names to all variables as well as the functions.
* Next version should have the possibility to pass the array as a parameter to the function.
*
* created 15 Decembre 2005;
* copyleft 2005 Progetto25zero1  <http://www.progetto25zero1.com>
*
* --------------------------------------------------- */

int  serIn;             // var that will hold the bytes-in read from the serialBuffer
char serInString[100];  // array that will hold the different bytes  100=100characters;
                        // -> you must state how long the array will be else it won't work.
int  serInIndx  = 0;    // index of serInString[] in which to insert the next incoming byte
int  serOutIndx = 0;    // index of the outgoing serInString[] array;


/*read a string from the serial and store it in an array
//you must supply the array variable and the index count
void readSerialString (char *strArray, int indx) {
    int sb;                               //declare local serial byte before anything else
    Serial.print("reading Serial String: ");   
    if(serialAvailable()) {     
       while (serialAvailable()){ 
          sb = serialRead();             
          strArray[indx] = sb;
          indx++;
          serialWrite(sb);
       }
    }  
    Serial.println();
}
*/

//read a string from the serial and store it in an array
//this func uses globally set variable so it's not so reusable
//I need to find the right syntax to be able to pass to the function 2 parameters:
// the stringArray and (eventually) the index count
void readSerialString () {
    int sb;   
    if(Serial.available()) { 
       //Serial.print("reading Serial String: ");     //optional confirmation
       while (Serial.available()){ 
          sb = Serial.read();             
          serInString[serInIndx] = sb;
          serInIndx++;
          //serialWrite(sb);                        //optional confirmation
       }
       //Serial.println();
    }  
}

//print the string all in one time
//this func as well uses global variables
void printSerialString() {
   if( serInIndx > 0) {
      Serial.print("Arduino memorized that you said: ");     
      //loop through all bytes in the array and print them out
      for(serOutIndx=0; serOutIndx < serInIndx; serOutIndx++) {
          Serial.print( serInString[serOutIndx] );    //print out the byte at the specified index
          //serInString[serOutIndx] = "";            //optional: flush out the content
      }        
      //reset all the functions to be able to fill the string back with content
      serOutIndx = 0;
      serInIndx  = 0;
      Serial.println();
   }

}


void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("Hello World");   
}

void loop () {
  //simple feedback from Arduino
  
  //read the serial port and create a string out of what you read
  //readSerialString(serInString, serInIndx);
  readSerialString();
  
  //do somenthing else perhaps wait for other data or read another Serial string
  Serial.println ("------------ arduino is doing somenthing else ");
  
  //try to print out collected information. it will do it only if there actually is some info.
  printSerialString();
  
  //slows down the visualization in the terminal
  delay(2000);
}

hello burton-robotics, did you find a solution to receive mesurement from the tw10sp laser sensor ?