Hey everyone, haven't posted in a while (first time posting in THIS forum actually) but I've been making a lot of progress and started working with programmable micro-controllers (mostly the Arduino so far). I had a lot of fun the last 2 years, working with various IC's and discrete components, and let me just say how much easier life has become since learning how to work with micro-controllers (build time is cut by nearly 60%).

ANYWAY, as I dwell deeper into this stuff, I've begun communicating with my Arduino via serial communication and although I can do some basic programs, I'm not anywhere near fluent. Basically, I can control a few output pins and make them turn on/off and LED (for example). I've worked with a program written by earthshinedesign that allows me to dial in any color (with an RGB LED), however, this is not MY program, and I'd like to get to the point where I CAN write this type of sketch on my own. So if anyone has any good references where I could learn how to become very fluent with Serial Communication (just with the Arduino for now), I'd really appreciate it. I learned a bit from some youtube videos, but I was wondering if there was a book I could get, like Practical Arduino or something along those lines that would help me out in the long-term.

Thanks to anyone that can point me in the right direction. -Joe

 

Can you tell us the nature of your interest? Serial communications cover several different protocols, starting with RS-232. In addition, the manufacturer's web site has rather complete documentation available for the several interfaces and protocols.

 

Beenthere: general serial communication with the Arduino (just through the USB cable for now).

For Example: Say I have an RGB LED and want be able to dial in any color, have the serial-monitor ask me for values, enter them in a user-friendly manner (still can just be values from 0-255) and then display the result (the LED turns the designated color).

I wish it was as easy as writing C++ console programs and maybe if I had proper learning-materials it could be. But for now, i'm stuck copying and pasting other people's code and I hate doing that, and would rather learn how to do it on my own.

-Joe

 

Try http://opencircuits.com/Arduino_Command_Interpreter and some other articles on the same site.

 

russ: hey man, thanks for the link, but no, that really didn't help me. I ordered Practical Arduino, but when it came here, I realized that it's more of a project-guide, rather than a learning tool.

I have Making Things Talk which seems like a great book, but still just a bit advanced for me. Has anybody ready Beginning Arduino or Arduino Cookbook?? I was thinking about going for one of those next. I'm also looking into Make: Arduino Bots and Gadgets, Arduino Quick-Start Guide (though I feel this would just be a step-by-step guide that won't help me to learn), Wireless Sensor Networks, maybe Interactivity by Joshua Noble and lastly Arduino Microcontroller Processing for Everyone!

If anyone's heard anything about these or read any of these, let me know. Thanks. -Joe

 

I went to Barnes and Noble this afternoon and was looking through what they had and found a few of what I listed above. Here's what I thought:

Make: Arduino Bots and Gadgets - I felt was a little too arts-&-crafts for me, and too robot-oriented. Not quite what I need right now

Arduino Cookbook - I felt that this book DID NOT too a good job of explaining much in it, beyond the very basic sketches (like blink an LED). It would have code and give a paragraph explanation and left a lot to be desired (to me).

Beginning Arduino - This was nice. I have experience with EarthShine Design and as it turns out, I've read a good 100 pages of material from this book, so it's definitely on my "to get" list. Lots of good projects in it!

Arduino Quick-Start Guide - this actually turned out to be a really nice book. I didn't read TOO MUCH into it, but it seemed like a very nice book with good projects and a few solid pages devoted to explanation to help the reader learn the material.

This just leaves Wireless Sensor Networks, Interactivity by Joshua Noble and Arduino Microcontroller Processing for Everyone! So if anyone has read any of the remaining books, let me know what you thought so I'll know if they're worth purchasing on Amazon. Thanks! -Joe

 

Hello,

If you want to control some lamps with the arduino, you could take a look at the DMX tutorial:
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Learning/DMX

Bertus