When i Unplug the Arduino and Plug it back in it works once or twice then it Doesn't until I unplug

lizard94

i have been trying to make a hand motion controller to play a game. (which i basically simulate key press using Robot). but the sensor readings are not coming through to the processing all the time ill post my codes below Arduino code:

` int pinX=A6; int pinY=A7; int pinZ=A8; int pinA0=A0; int pinA4=A4; int pinA3=A3; int pinA1=A1; int pinA2=A2;

                void setup() 
                {
                  Serial.begin(9600);     // starts the serial communication
                }

                void loop()
                {
                  int valX=analogRead(pinX);     // reads the Analog Input, t.e the value from the X - axis from the accelerometer
                  Serial.print(valX);     // sends that value into the Serial Port
                  Serial.print(",");     // sends addition character right next to the read value needed  later in the Processing IDE for indexing

                  int valY=analogRead(pinY);
                  Serial.print(valY);
                  Serial.print("/");

                  int valZ=analogRead(pinZ);
                  Serial.print(valZ);
                  Serial.print(";");

                  int valA0=analogRead(pinA0);
                  Serial.print(valA0);
                  Serial.print(":");

                  int valA4=analogRead(pinA4);
                  Serial.print(valA4);
                  Serial.print("<");

                  int valA3=analogRead(pinA3);
                  Serial.print(valA3);
                  Serial.print("!");

                  int valA2=analogRead(pinA2);
                  Serial.print(valA2);
                  Serial.print("?");

                  int valA1=analogRead(pinA1);
                  Serial.print(valA1);
                  Serial.print(".");

                  delay(200);

                }`

Processing Code:

` ![](

                     import processing.serial.*;
             import java.awt.Robot; // imports library for key press or release simulation
          import java.awt.event.KeyEvent; // imports library for reading the data from the serial port
             import java.io.IOException;
          Serial port; // defines Object Seria
        Robot robot; // defines Object Robot

                                        //defining variables

                                        String A0= "";
                                        String A1= "";
                                        String A2= "";
                                        String A3= "";
                                        String A4= "";
                                        String X= "";
                                        String Y= "";
                                        String Z= "";
                                        String data= ""; 
                                        int index=0;
                                        int index2=0;
                                        int index3=0;
                                        int index4=0;
                                        int index5=0;
                                        int index6=0;
                                        int index7=0; 
                                        int iX=0;
                                        int iY=0;
                                        int iZ=0;
                                        int iA0=0;
                                        int iA1=0;
                                        int iA2=0;
                                        int iA3=0;
                                        int iA4=0;

                                        // creates new robot object

                                        void setup()
                                        {

                                        try 
                                        {
                                        robot = new Robot();
                                        }
                                        catch (Exception e) {
                                        e.printStackTrace();
                                        exit();
                                        }

                                        delay(1);
                                        size (200,200);
                                        port = new Serial(this,"COM7",9600);
                                        port.bufferUntil('.'); 
                                        }

                                        void draw()
                                        {

                                        background(0,0,0);
                                        fill(255, 255, 255);

                                        //Simulating key press or release

                                        // turn left

                                        // turn right

                                        // turn up

                                        // accelerate - indexFinger
                                        if( iA4<493) 
                                        {
                                        robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_W); 
                                        }

                                        if(iA4>=493){
                                        robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_W);
                                        }

                                        // handbrake - thumbFinger

                                        if( iA0<-1 ) 
                                        {
                                        robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_SPACE);
                                        }

                                        if(iA0>=529){
                                        robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_SPACE);
                                        }

                                        // reverse - middleFinger

                                        if( iA3<477 ) 
                                        {
                                        robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_S); 
                                        }
                                        if(iA3>=477){
                                        robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_S);
                                        }

                                        // shift up - ringFinger

                                        if( iA2<467 ) 
                                        {
                                        robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_R); 
                                        }

                                        if(iA2>=467){
                                        robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_R);
                                        }

                                        // shift down - littleFinger

                                        if( iA1<461) 
                                        {
                                        robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_F);
                                        }

                                        if(iA1>=461){
                                        robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_F);
                                        }
                                        println("A1:" + iA1 );
                                        println("A2:" + iA2 );
                                        println("A3:" + iA3 );
                                        println("A0:" + iA0 );
                                        println("A4:" + iA4  );
                                        println("data" + data);
                                        println(port.read());
                                        }

                                        // Reading data from the Serial Port

                                        void serialEvent (Serial port) // starts reading data from the Serial Port
                                        {

                                        data = port.readStringUntil('.'); 
                                        data = data.substring(0,data.length()-1); 

                                        index4 = data.indexOf(":");
                                        A0= data.substring(0,index4 );

                                        index5 = data.indexOf("<");
                                        A4= data.substring(index4+1, index5);

                                        index6 = data.indexOf("!");
                                        A3= data.substring(index5+1, index6);

                                        index7 = data.indexOf("?");
                                        A2= data.substring(index6+1, index7);

                                        A1= data.substring(index7+1, data.length());

                                        // Converting the String variables values into Integer values needed for the if statements above

                                        iA0= int(A0);
                                        iA4= int(A4);
                                        iA1= int(A1);
                                        iA2= int(A2);
                                        iA3= int(A3);
                                        iX= int(X);
                                        iY= int(Y);
                                        iZ= int(Z);

                            }`
                )

i used the Print function and the outputs should be data 490,513/493;593:565<560!541?526 but its printing out data3413?530 or stuff similar to this

can anyone help me? a bit time sensitive project for School

kfrajer

Please edit your post (gear icon in the top right corner of your post), select your code and hit ctrl+o to format your code. Make sure there is an empty line above and below your code.

Kf

RichardDL

Hi Lizard94, The format is tricky to read, but anyway... I would move the prints, lines 121..127 to the end of the SerialEvent function then you'll get 1 set of prints per Ard message (=per Ard loop). Until it's right make the loop delay to e.g 2000 so you can see everything. For the prints I would make it easier to see with print("A3:" + iA3 + " "); and put println(""); after the last.

Your draw will be running at 30 fps, but the Ard messages are about 5 Hz, and asynchronous compared with Processing. I don't know what you want but I'd use a boolean set in SerialEvent so that the draw action acts when the bool is set and then clears it.

Simplify: On e.g. line 98 change 'if(iA3>=477)' to 'else' to avoid duplicate 477. I think you can/should move the 9 String declarations inside SerialEvent.

Can't say all that will fix it, but I think you'll see better what's happening.