Jan07

Python tutorial to send data to Arduino

by dreded on January 7, 2013 at 1:07 pm
Posted In: Arduino, Basics, Python, Tutorial

Part1: http://dredx.com/electronics/?p=199

Part2:

Please keep in mind python uses indented blocks to show if code belongs to a block so if you copy the code directly be sure if adding new code you use spaces to lineup code not tabs

The text editor I would recommend for python code is Notepad++ but any text editor will do.
Now on to the code:

This is the arduino sketch we will be sending data to:

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/*
This Program will recieve data from the computer over serial
and process it as different commands depending on the leading byte
 */
 
// Pin 13 has an LED connected on most Arduino boards.
// give it a name:
int led[] = {13,8};
int current;
int state;

// the setup routine runs once when you press reset:
void setup() {                
  // initialize the digital pin as an output.
  pinMode(led[0], OUTPUT);
  pinMode(led[1], OUTPUT);
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

// the loop routine runs over and over again forever:
void loop() {
  if (Serial.available() > 0) {
    while (Serial.peek() == 'L') { //check for the character that signifies that this will be a command
      Serial.read(); //remove the L off the serial buffer
      current = Serial.parseInt();
      Serial.read(); //remove the 'S' that we used as a integer seperator off the serial buffer
      state = Serial.parseInt(); //store our expected integer into state
      digitalWrite(led[current],state); // set the state of the LED
    }
    while (Serial.available() > 0){ //Discard everything that we didn't expect
      Serial.read();
    }
  }
}

And here is the python code we will be writing in the video…

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import serial #library to interact with serial port.. very similar to arduino version
import time #for delays
import msvcrt #to detect key presses

print "Initalizing Serial port..."
arduino = serial.Serial(2,9600,timeout = 1) # 2=Com3 on windows always a good idea to sepcify a timeout incase we send bad data
time.sleep(2) #wait for initialize
print "Initialization Complete"


while 1: # Like Arduino for loop makes the program loop forever
    led0 = 0                            #state to set LED0
    led1 = 1                            #state to set LED1
    command = 'L0S%s' % led0            #Add state of LED0 to command string
    command += 'L1S%s' % led1           #Add state of LED1 to command string
    command += '\n'                     #add newline character to command to signify end of command
    arduino.write(command)              #send command
   
    time.sleep(.5)                     #sleep for .5 second
       
    command = 'L0S1L1S0\n'              #set command all on one line
    arduino.write(command)              #send command
    time.sleep(.5)                     #sleep for .5 second
   
    if msvcrt.kbhit():                  #if there was a keyboard press
        keypress = ord(msvcrt.getch())
        if keypress == 113:  # if the key pressed = 'q'
            break                       #exit the loop

print 'Sorry to see you go.'

 

 
also I thought someone might find this code useful, I wont be using this for the tutorial because it will be tougher to explain quickly but it shows how to set a True/False(aka On/Off) variable to the opposite value without multiple if statements.

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import serial   #library to interact with serial port.. very similar to arduino version
import time     #for delays
import msvcrt   #to detect key presses


print "Initalizing Serial port...\n"
arduino = serial.Serial(2,9600,timeout = 1) # 2=Com3 on windows always a good idea to sepcify a timeout incase we send bad data
time.sleep(2) #wait for initialize
print "Ready for Input\n"

led0 = 0
led1 = 0

while 1: # Like Arduino for loop makes the program loop forever

   
    if msvcrt.kbhit():                  #if there was a keyboard press
        keypressed = ord(msvcrt.getch())
        if keypressed == 49:    # if the key pressed = '1'
            if led0 == 0:               #if led0 is off
                arduino.write('L0S1\n')     #send command to turn it on
                led0 = 1                #set variable to indicate led0 is on
               
            elif led0 == 1:         #if led0 is on
                arduino.write('L0S0\n')     #send command to turn it off
                led0 = 0                #set variable to indicate led0 is off
               
        elif keypressed == 50:  # if the key pressed = '2'
            led1 = int(not led1)        #set state oposite current making sure it stays as integer instead of boolean
            command = 'L1S%s\n' % led1
            arduino.write(command)  #send command
       
        elif keypressed == 51:  # if the key pressed = '3'
            led0 = int(not led0)    #set state oposite current making sure it stays as integer instead of boolean
            led1 = int(not led1)
            command = 'L0S%sL1S%s\n' % (led0,led1)
            arduino.write(command)
               
        elif keypressed == 113:     # if the key pressed = 'q'
            break                       #exit the loop

print 'Sorry to see you go.'