I am working with some code that receives a signal from the Arduino board (a button connected to the Arduino gets pressed and sends an ascii character over the USB port) and then runs an applescript.  The whole thing works beautifully when I first run it and for the for quite some time after that. however after I leave it alone for about 4 to 5 hours and come back to it, I press the button that is connected to the arduino and about 30 seconds later the applescript runs(when the processing application is first opened and for around 3 hours after that , the script will run almost immediately after the button is pressed..like 1 to 2 seconds) . This delay is non nonexistent for the first little while , as I mentioned.  are the USB ports going to sleep after some time? does the serial event listener go to sleep after awhile? I have looked around for others with the same problem and it seems some have a similar issue only it happens constantly (where as mine seems to happen after the program has been running for an approximate amount of time)
I am pretty sure the problem isn't with the arduino code because the LED light I have connected to it always changes its state immediately after I press the button, no matter how long it has been connected, this is why I suspect it to be either the serial ports themselves or the processing code.


thanks in advance.

-Sean

for the beginners who are looking for the code;
button connected to arduino and sending data to processing:

(code from processing and arduino site)

Processing code:

import processing.serial.*;

Serial myPort;  // Create object from Serial class
int val;      // Data received from the serial port

void setup()
{
 size(400, 400);
 String portName = Serial.list()[0];  // same port you are using in the arduino program
 myPort = new Serial(this, portName, 9600);
}

void draw()
{
 if ( myPort.available() > 0) {  // If data is available,
   val = myPort.read();         // read it and store it in val
 }
 background(255);             // Set background to white
 if (val == 0) {              // If the serial value is 0,
   fill(0);                   // set fill to black
 }
 else {                       // If the serial value is not 0,
   fill(204);                 // set fill to light gray
 }
 rect(50, 50, 200, 200);
}

arduino code:
#include <Button.h> // button library @ http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Code/Button

//create a Button object at pin 12
/*
|| Wiring:
|| GND -----/ ------ pin 12
*/
Button button = Button(12,PULLUP);
 
void setup(){

 Serial.begin(9600);

}

void loop(){
 if(button.isPressed()){
 Serial.print(1, BYTE);               // send 1 to Processing
 } else {                               // If the switch is not ON,
   Serial.print(0, BYTE);               // send 0 to Processing
 }
 delay(100);                            // Wait 100 milliseconds
}