Arduino Mega Serial1, 2 and 3 with Atlas Scientific sensors

[1cecream]

Hi Andrea,

Did you manage to achieve succesful connection between your multiplexers, arduino, debugger and lifa? I am awaiting the arrival of my EC (Conductivity) kit and would really like to have labview access to the sensor as well. After examining the good instructions provided by Nathan and Hrh I'm quite confident that I can assemble the entire system (hardware and software) with no issues, but the only query I have is how do you implement your multiplexer's code into LIFA? I understand that by having the debugger and the Advanced Serial Write and Read VI, USB serial connection can be made directly to the sensor; but I don't see any mention of how one interprets and packages the data coming from your atlasscientific product (this is where I would imagine you having to implement the code written by AtlasScientific into LIFA... or did you?).

Would really appreciate it if you or anyone else could help guide me through this step

[hrh1818]

The last I knew Andrea was using Labview connected to two serial ports.  Her Labview application will run both LIFA and a non-LIFA code.  One serial port will be connected to an Arduino board. The other serial port will be connected to an Atlas Scientific Debugger.  The debugger is then connected to the output of the demultiplexers.  LIFA will be used to control which sensor output is connected to the debugger.   Non-LIFA code will be used to request a reading from a sensor and to record the data. 

How many Atlas Scientific Sensors will you be using?  If just one sensor you don't need demultiplexers.  Or you could use an Atlas Scientific Arduino Rapid Development Shield in a non-LIFA application. 

hrh1818 

[1cecream]

Hi Hrh,

Thanks for your response. I'll only be using one sensor so I will not need to use multiplexers, but I figured that the methods of setting up any atlas scientific product (including the multiplexer) should all be pretty similar to one another (since they all require serial communication). With regards to the Non-Lifa code, I'm still a little confused... how does one upload that program into an arduino device which has just been uploaded with the LIFA program? This is why I thought the Non-Lifa code has to somehow be implemented into LIFA. Or am I missing something here?

[Nathan_B.]

In this setup, LIFA+Arduino will not be related directly related to the Atlas sensors.  You will communicate with the Arduino via LIFA on one port and then on another port (via the debugger), communicate with the Atlas sensor using the VISA VIs directly.  You will need to build  your own subVIs to communicate with the Atlas sensors.

[hrh1818]

You are right LIFA_Base code and non-LIFA code can not coexist on an Arduino board. When I said "Or you could use an Atlas Scientific Arduino Rapid Development Shield in a non-LIFA application." I meant was don't use LIFA.  For this application Atlas Scientific supplies a demo sketch for use with the Arduino Rapid Development Shield. If use Atlas Scientific demo sketch then all you need to add is a Labview Graphic User Interface.   Labview provides a good start for the GUI with the Basic Serial Write and Read.VI and Advanced Serial Write and read.VI.  Plus @tom has uploaded two examples on how to use Labview to read data coming from an Arduino board to this groups Documents section.

hrh1818