Hi everyone

This is my first post. I’m a newcomer to the world of microcontrollers but I’m very excited about the possibilities of integrating this platform with Flash and Processing.

I’m having some issues with the Ping))) Ultrasonic Range Sensor. I’m trying to send the signal from the sensor back into Flash but it just doesn’t seem to work. I’ve been to the playground and have downloaded the Glue classes (I’ve been using the example Flash files that came with Glue) and serproxy. Interms of sketches, I’ve tried Firmata, Arduino > Flash and Cuartielles’ code from http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/UltrasoundSensor. I’ve even tried to combine some of them together! Cuartielles’ sketch is the only one which appears to make the sensor work (flashing LEDs that range in brightness depending upon proximity) but Flash is not picking this up

Currently I’m hooking up SIG on the sensor to the digital 7 pin although I have tried many other setups.

Here is my serproxy.cfg code:

Code:

newlines_to_nils=false

comm_ports=3

comm_baud=57600
comm_databits=8
comm_stopbits=1
comm_parity=none

timeout=300

net_port3=5333 

and here is my Actionscript – taken from the Glue examples files:

Code:

import net.eriksjodin.arduino.Arduino;
import net.eriksjodin.arduino.events.ArduinoEvent;
import flash.events.Event;

var a:Arduino;
a = new Arduino("127.0.0.1", 5333);

a.addEventListener(Event.CONNECT,onSocketConnect);
a.addEventListener(Event.CLOSE,onSocketClose);

a.addEventListener(ArduinoEvent.FIRMWARE_VERSION, onReceiveFirmwareVersion);
a.addEventListener(ArduinoEvent.DIGITAL_DATA, onReceiveDigitalData);
a.addEventListener(ArduinoEvent.ANALOG_DATA, onReceiveAnalogData);

function onSocketConnect(e:Object):void {
	trace("Socket connected");
	// request the firmware version
	a.requestFirmwareVersion();
}

function onSocketClose(e:Object):void {
	trace("Socket closed");
}

function onReceiveAnalogData(e:ArduinoEvent):void {
	//trace("Analog pin " + e.pin + " on port: " + e.port +" = " + e.value);
	trace("analogue value = " + e.value);


	var newX:Number = ( e.value - 10 ) / 10;
	box_mc.scaleX -= ( box_mc.scaleX - newX ) / 8;
	box_mc.scaleY -= ( box_mc.scaleY - newX ) / 8;


	//var newY:Number = ( e.value - 10 ) * 80;
	//box_mc.y -= (box_mc.y - newY) / 5

}

function onReceiveDigitalData(e:ArduinoEvent):void {
	//trace("Digital pin " + e.pin + " on port: " + e.port +" = " + e.value);
	trace("digital value = " + e.value);
}

function onReceiveFirmwareVersion(e:ArduinoEvent):void {
	trace("Firmware version: " + e.value);
	trace("Port: " + e.port);
	initArduino();
}

function initArduino():void {
	a.setPinMode(13, Arduino.OUTPUT);
	a.writeDigitalPin(13, Arduino.HIGH);
	a.setPinMode(6, Arduino.INPUT);
	a.enableDigitalPinReporting();
	a.setAnalogPinReporting(3, Arduino.ON);
	a.setPinMode(11, Arduino.PWM);
	a.writeAnalogPin(11, 255);
	trace("Firmware version is: " + a.getFirmwareVersion());
	trace("Analog pin 3 is: " + a.getAnalogData(3));
	trace("Digital pin 4 is: " + a.getDigitalData(4));
} 

I hope someone can help. Thanks in advance

In my circumstance, Cuartielles’ code went as far as making the LED embedded within the PING))) device blink at varying levels of brightness, upon interacting with it. I could not, however pass this information into Flash. Frustratingly, I managed to pass this data into Flash using the MaxSonar Ultrasonic Range Finder and the Firmata a couple of weeks ago, but the next day it didn't (and hasn't since) worked.

Still stuck - I noticed that the correct data is being printed into the Serial Monitor but this is not being passed into Flash via serproxy. Am I right in assuming the error must therefore be with Serproxy or actionscript? If the information is being printed in the Arduino software, surely the problem is elsewhere.

Here is the sketch by the way:

Code:

/* Ultrasound Sensor
 *------------------
 *
 * Reads values (00014-01199) from an ultrasound sensor (3m sensor)
 * and writes the values to the serialport.
 *
 * http://www.xlab.se | http://www.0j0.org
 * copyleft 2005 Mackie for XLAB | DojoDave for DojoCorp
 *
 */

int ultraSoundSignal = 7; // Ultrasound signal pin
int val = 0;
int ultrasoundValue = 0;
int timecount = 0; // Echo counter
int ledPin = 13; // LED connected to digital pin 13

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);			// Sets the baud rate to 9600 - was Serial.begin(9600);
  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);		// Sets the digital pin as output
}

void loop() {
  timecount = 0;
  val = 0;
  pinMode(ultraSoundSignal, OUTPUT); // Switch signalpin to output

  /* Send low-high-low pulse to activate the trigger pulse of the sensor
   * -------------------------------------------------------------------
   */

  digitalWrite(ultraSoundSignal, LOW); // Send low pulse
  delayMicroseconds(2); // Wait for 2 microseconds
  digitalWrite(ultraSoundSignal, HIGH); // Send high pulse
  delayMicroseconds(5); // Wait for 5 microseconds
  digitalWrite(ultraSoundSignal, LOW); // Holdoff

  /* Listening for echo pulse
   * -------------------------------------------------------------------
   */

  pinMode(ultraSoundSignal, INPUT); // Switch signalpin to input
  val = digitalRead(ultraSoundSignal); // Append signal value to val
  while(val == LOW) { // Loop until pin reads a high value
    val = digitalRead(ultraSoundSignal);
  }

  while(val == HIGH) { // Loop until pin reads a high value
    val = digitalRead(ultraSoundSignal);
    timecount = timecount +1;		// Count echo pulse time
  }
  /* Writing out values to the serial port
   * -------------------------------------------------------------------
   */
  ultrasoundValue = timecount; // Append echo pulse time to ultrasoundValue
  serialWrite('A'); // Example identifier for the sensor
  printInteger(ultrasoundValue);
  serialWrite(10);
  serialWrite(13);

  /* Lite up LED if any value is passed by the echo pulse
   * -------------------------------------------------------------------
   */

  if(timecount > 0){
    digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
  }

  /* Delay of program
   * -------------------------------------------------------------------
   */

  Serial.print( "val = " + val );
  delay(100);
}


 

I have also changed the baud rate in Arduino and serproxy to 9600 and the line: a.setPinMode(6, Arduino.INPUT); to a.setPinMode(7, Arduino.INPUT); in Flash.

alas, this tutorial helped me passed that stage.
http://protolab.pbwiki.com/TutorialFlashSetup

Ok so I managed to write some actionscript that receives and processes the data from the range sensor. It was far easier than I thought. Here it is:

Code:

/*
Author James Alliban - http://jamesalliban.wordpress.com

This code has been writted specifically to be used for interfacing with the PING Ultrasonic
Range Finder using the Arduino microcontroller and communicating via SerProxy. If anyone makes
anything interesting with it, or improves upon it in any way, please email me at
me@jamesalliban.co.uk

*/

package
{

	import flash.display.Sprite;
	import flash.display.MovieClip;
	import flash.net.Socket;
	import flash.events.ProgressEvent;

	public class RangeFinderData
		extends Sprite
	{

		private var s				:	Socket;

		private var prevInput		:	String;		// the previously processed input (returned value)
		private var currInput		:	String;		// the currently processed input
		private var finalInput		:	String;		// the input after processing

		public function RangeFinderData()
		{
			init();
		}

		public function init() : void
		{

			s = new Socket("127.0.0.1", 5333);
			s.addEventListener(ProgressEvent.SOCKET_DATA, sData);

		}

		private function sData( e:ProgressEvent ) : void
		{

			// read the correct data from the socket. In this instance. This arrives in millimeters
			// preceeded by "A"
			var sData:String = s.readUTFBytes( s.bytesAvailable );

			if (isDataCorrect(sData)) {

				if (sData.indexOf( "A" ) == 0) {
					prevInput = currInput;
					currInput = sData.substr( 1 );
				} else {
					currInput += sData;
				}

				 trace( "prevInput = '" + prevInput + "'" );
			}
		}


		function isDataCorrect( sData:String ) : Boolean
		{
			// occasionally, between real results the data returned consists of a carriage return
			// then a zero.
			if (parseInt(sData) == 0 && sData.length > 1) return false;
			// another occasional unwanted reult
			if (sData == "") return false;
			if (sData == "0") return false;

			return true;
		}
	}
}

 

I hope this helps someone in the future.