This page has been updated. Please see the following newer guides:
Introduction, Using The Serial Monitor, and More
A Look at the Different Serial Libraries
Serial Commands Explained
Serial Data
Getting Started With Using Serial Communication To Send Commands
ASCII Data and Using Markers to Separate Data
In the previous post I went through the basics of using serial on an Arduino and ran through the different commands. In this post I want to talk about different types of serial data and some of the things you should consider before starting to create code. The type of communication you use or can use will depend largely on the project but there are things that can be considered before starting.
- Type of communication? 1-way or 2-way
- Type of data? Values or strings? Simple or complex?
- How much data and how frequent? A couple of values every few seconds or a high rate continuous stream.
- Is the data critical? Must you be sure you receive all the data or can you afford to lose some of it.