Interface and application programming

Self-Learning

In this phase, I was trying to build my background in different topics before starting. The learning process was:

1. Learn what I need to do in this assignment
2. Identify that I need to learn about processing software
3. Take online courses
4. Implement small tasks for practicing as practice makes perfect

Processing Software Online Course

The course aims to tech the processing basics, main concepts, and implement small tasks. For this reason, I tried some further tutorials to do the final output.

Preparations

In this phase, I was trying to get everything ready for implementation and also getting inspired to settle over the final idea of the assignment. This was through:

1. Downloading Processing IDE: frome Here


2. Watch processing tutorials Here


3. Download Arduino IDE Frome Here


4. Watch some Arduino-project related tutorials


5. Prepare bunch of codes (Arduino and Processing) from Here

Ideation

After searching and watching different tutorials, I got inspired to do the assignment as a distance calculator with a PC interface that shows the calculated distance using Ultrasonic sensor using the Arduino.

Implementation

This phase is the time of applying and integrating all what I have learnt. I started to fix the input device (Ultrasonic Sensor) that gives me the insights of the distance that being processed through the Arduino program I wrote to get the final calculated distance on the output (Screen). I made some modifications on the Arduino program to display the calculated distance in both Arabic and English languages.

Final Output

The video below shows the final output interface that allows the user to visualize the calculated variable distance from a specific reference. This product could be scaled up for variety of applications such that in the civil engineering work (Digital Meter)

#include
 < NewPing.h >

#define TRIGGER_PIN  12  // Arduino pin tied to trigger pin on the ultrasonic sensor.
#define ECHO_PIN     11  // Arduino pin tied to echo pin on the ultrasonic sensor.
#define MAX_DISTANCE 50 // Maximum distance we want to ping for (in centimeters). Maximum sensor distance is rated at 400-500cm.

NewPing sonar(TRIGGER_PIN, ECHO_PIN, MAX_DISTANCE); // NewPing setup of pins and maximum distance.

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200); // Open serial monitor at 115200 baud to see ping results.
}

void loop() {
  delay(100);                     // Wait 50ms between pings (about 20 pings/sec). 29ms should be the shortest delay between pings.
  //Serial.print("Ping: ");
  Serial.write(sonar.ping_cm()); // Send ping, get distance in cm and print result (0 = outside set distance range)
  //Serial.println("cm");
}

  import processing.serial.*;  
Serial myPort;  
String data="" ;
PFont  myFont;  
void setup()
{
size(1366,900); // size of processing window
background(200);// setting background color to black
myPort = new Serial(this, "COM27", 9600);
myPort.bufferUntil('\n');
}
void draw()
{
  background(255,200,255);
  textAlign(CENTER);
  fill(255,0,0);
  text(data,480,400);
  textSize(65);
  fill(#FF2E51);
  text("              المسافة/Distance :           سم/cm",800,400);
   noFill();
   stroke(#4B5DCE);
     textAlign(CENTER);
  fill(255,200,0);
  text(data,482,402);
  textSize(30);
  fill(#FF2E51);
  text("Mansour, منصور",1200,600);
   noFill();
   stroke(#4B5DCE);
     textSize(65);
  fill(#000000);
  text("قياس المسافات",704,154);
    text("Distance measuring",704,254);

   noFill();
   stroke(#4B5DCE);

}
void serialEvent(Serial myPort)
{
 
  data=myPort.readStringUntil('\n');
}