Start: 10:00

Creating a Library:

• Compiled the Library to a .lib file
• added references to the project properties
• Tried a few different things to get this to work right.  I think the main problem is that I was not making the .h file right.  I found this post which may help: http://forum.codecall.net/c-tutorials/3539-how-make-use-library.html

Com Console:

• Got a bit annoyed with the Library not working so I decided to continue setting up the Com Console for when I have the Data Dictionary in it.
• Made it so all the data elements of command and response were in a struct and changed the set get methods to work with this.

End: 6:30

6/19/2011 Note: I tried the library again on Sunday.  Its not giving me compiling errors anymore but I haven’t really tested it yet.  I will try to test it tomorrow.

Start: 10:00

Data Dictionary:

• Found that you can’t compare char* directly.  First tried strcmp(char* first, char*second) but found this only compares the first char in string.
• strncmp(char* first, char*second, size)  is the way to go.  Was originally using a defined maximum but Phil told me it would be better to make sure the string length is equal first then set the size to the string length.
• getData(char* name) implemented
• deleteItem(char * name) implemented
• added toString() to print out current contents

Com Console:

• Cleared all test code
• Added sendBuffer and recieveBuffer to ComMgr
• Added toBuffer methods to command, response, and state classes.

End: 6:30

Data Dictionary:

• Had very strange compiling errors.
• Moved project to its own solution.  Problem was not resolved.
• Eventually realized that DataElement.h was missing a ; at the end.
• Changed addItem and DataElement to have the void* to the data in their parameters/constructor.
• Changed addItem to return void.

Arduino to PC Communication:

• Was able to pass a structure back from the arduino
• recieveData gets the buffers pointer and writes to the buffer.
• To make testing easier all this is still done within the ComMgr.

Data Dictionary:

• Phil helped set up the data dictionary.
• use strcpy(des, ori) to copy a char*.3
• Anytime malloc or new is used, remember to free resources.
• Still not sure how data is put into the data elements.

start: 10:30

Communications Testing:

• The Arduino’s Serial.available() alone will only recieve 1 bit.  It needs to be set equal to some number to receive more.
• The Structure finally passed and casted correctly once I got the array to load properly
• The original test structure had chars as its data members.  This worked with no problem.
• The Arduino uses 16 bit integers while visual C++ defaults to 32 bit integers.  In order to pass structures with integer data members you have to make sure that you pass 16 bit ints.

#include <stdint.h>

int16_t var;

• PC now can send properly and the arduino can recieve properly
• Set up Arduino to PC communication.  Not working properly yet.

end: 6:30

Fixing Communication:

• Realized that the reason the ComMgr was not working was because I was trying to set properties which were DWORD with char*.
• DWORD is a unsigned long
• Set up a char[256] buffer on both the ComMgr side and the Arduino side to receive communications waiting to be decoded by type(command, response, state)
• Made a struct to char array method