SmiSoft/SerialConsole

Arduino library for interaction with user in human-readable format through terminal (like PuTTY)

Serial Console

Sometimes, you need to make not a static Arduino project, but controlled from console (usually, Hyperterminal, included in Windows XP or before, PuTTY or other serial terminal) with user-typed commands. Because, in dialogs there can be much strings, I recommend to print them from flash directly, without copying it into RAM (like standart compiler do). This saves RAM for something more useful.

Usage:

#include "SerialConsole.hpp"

// create Console object (use Serial1, Serial2 etc, if desired)
SerialConsole serialConsole(Serial, 80, "#>");

void setup()
{
  // init Serial port (or Serial1, Serial2 etc)
  Serial.begin(9600);
  // prevent Timers from running, this disables some Arduino functions, like delay, but improve power efficiency
  PRR |= _BV(PRTIM2) | _BV(PRTIM1) | _BV(PRTIM0) | _BV(PRADC);
  sleep_enable();
}

void loop()
{
  // command received? Process as you wish! For example:
  if(const char*command = serialConsole.avail())
  {
    int parameter;
    if(strcmp(command,"command1") == 0)
    {
      Serial.println("Command one received!");
    }
    else if(sscanf(command, "command2 %d", &parameter) == 1)
    {
      Serial.print("Command two received with argument ");
      Serial.println(parameter);
    }
    else
    {
      Serial.print("Unknown command ");
      Serial.println(command);
    }
    // type promt for user, indicating, that command has been processed
    serialConsole.done();
  }
  sleep_cpu();
}

// translate received character to comConsole for processing
void serialEvent()
{
  serialConsole.nextChar();
}

Economic usage

// If you wish to save more RAM, you should use strings, located in flash
// They are a bit slower, but didn't use RAM, which is available now for something more useful
// print_P helper function is intended to simplify usage of in-flash strings

#include "SerialConsole.hpp"

// create Console object (use Serial1, Serial2 etc, if desired)
SerialConsole serialConsole(Serial, 80, "#>");

void setup()
{
  // init Serial port (or Serial1, Serial2 etc)
  Serial.begin(9600);
  // prevent Timers from running, this disables some Arduino functions, like delay, but improve power efficiency
  PRR |= _BV(PRTIM2) | _BV(PRTIM1) | _BV(PRTIM0) | _BV(PRADC);
  sleep_enable();
}

void loop()
{
  if(const char*command = serialConsole.avail())
  {
    int parameter;
    if(strcmp_P(command,PSTR("command1")) == 0)
    {
      print_P(Serial,PSTR("Command one received!\n"));
    }
    else if(sscanf(command, "command2 %d", &parameter) == 1)
    {
      print_P(Serial,PSTR("Command two received with argument "));
      Serial.println(parameter);
    }
    else
    {
      print_P(Serial,PSTR("Unknown command "));
      Serial.println(command);
    }
    // type promt for user, indicating, that command has been processed
    serialConsole.done();
  }
  sleep_cpu();
}

void serialEvent()
{
  serialConsole.nextChar();
}