Serial monitor with ET causes problems

[Anonymous]

After downloading your library, I went right in and added it to my code (this code uses your ps2 controller library) and gave it a shot. I had some output LEDs hooked up to mimic motor functions. However, it seemed to be very dependent on how I uploaded the code to the arduinos, whether they were hooked together via tx and rx, whether one was on and the other wasn’t, etc. I got the LED output to work correctly once, but haven’t been successful since. I haven’t done much except to reload the code. Is there a specific sequence this all needs to be done?

To add to that, my master arduino has some printlines within the code. However, if I open up the serial monitor, I get garbled messages with brief bursts of what I should see. To add to the frustration, there is no line return so it becomes difficult to see what is going on. I noticed that if I opened the serial monitor using just your example code, the push buttons/trimpot stopped having any effect on the stepper motor or LEDs. Can the monitor not work when the tx and rx ports are sending data? Is there a way to make a visible output when hooked up to a screen?

Thanks for the help, I apologize for how dumb this may seem to anyone who knows what they are doing. I will keep experimenting and seeing what I can come up with.

 

[Anonymous]

After thinking a bit more, I realize using the tx and rx on my uno while also using a serial.print function is basically trying to do two things over the same pins. The tx and rx on the uno connect to the computer’s usb cord, correct?

Therefore, Ithink what I need to do is get another arduino mega (my slave is currently a mega so I can have more outputs). Then, if I want to communicate between the arduinos, I use one of the other three tx/rx ports, and if I want to talk to the computer at the same time, I use tx/rx #1. Am I on the right track?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

If the above is true, I can see if I can consolidate the attachments to my slave controller. Then, I can have my mega be the master and talk to the slave uno.

I tried to have the tx/rx on the uno talk to the tx1/rx1 on the mega while still using the example code. To do this, I updated to “Serial1” in the code on the mega, as below:

void setup(){
Serial.begin(9600);
//start the library, pass in the data details and the name of the serial port. Can be Serial, Serial1, Serial2, etc.
ETin.begin(details(rxdata), &Serial1);
ETout.begin(details(txdata), &Serial1);
However, there was no communication when I did this. There wasn’t with Serial 2 or Serial 3 either. Am I missing something? Can Serial1 on the mega not talk to Serial on the uno?

[Anonymous]

OK… so the experimentation continues. I did figure out the above, although I didn’t realize that to change to “Serial1” it is also necessary to open that serial port with another line, i.e. Serial1.begin(9600);

Just for a reference, it might be helpful for new guys like myself if that was also in  the comments. Since I have basically answered all my questions, maybe this thread can just help other people.

It would be nice to still use the Uno as my master device. Maybe I’ll have to figure out how to use the soft serial library and open another com port on there. However, I’ll probably just end up confusing myself again…

[Bill]

Sorry for the late reply chiliman, I’ve been recovering from surgery for a week and preparing to get married in 3 weeks.

Did you sort this all out?

To help you and others that find this, you shouldn’t ever try to use ET over a serial connection you are also using print() statements on. It’s like trying to talk on a phone while a fax is transmitting on the line.

Instead either use a software serial version of ET on different pins and print() out of the main serial port or vise-versa.

[Author]

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