How can I make a NeoPixels LED animation be toggled on/off by an OSC message? - arduino

Question

Currently I am attempting to figure out how to control my Adafruit NeoPixels strip using OSC. More specifically, I am using TouchOSC to send/receive messages over WiFi from my NodeMCU ESP8266 microcontroller, which is connected to my NeoPixels.
I have downloaded some test code that somebody else made that listens for OSC messages to toggle the tiny LED on the NodeMCU board on/off. When the controller receives the message, it sends the message back to the TouchOSC client to tell whether or not the light is on (it's a toggle button). This all works perfectly fine.
I've written a simple function that animates the NeoPixel LED strip connected to the NodeMCU board. On its own, this also works perfectly fine.
What I've been struggling with is to figure out a way to get my function [the one called gwBlink()] to run in a loop when the LED is toggled on.
I've attached the code. Could somebody tell me what I'm doing wrong?? I would be eternally grateful for any help!! :)
The TouchOSC interface:
/**
* Send and receive OSC messages between NodeMCU and another OSC speaking device.
* Send Case: Press a physical button (connected to NodeMCU) and get informed about it on your smartphone screen
* Receive Case: Switch an LED (connected to NodeMCU) on or off via Smartphone
* Created by Fabian Fiess in November 2016
* Inspired by Oscuino Library Examples, Make Magazine 12/2015
*/
#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
#include <WiFiUdp.h>
#include <OSCMessage.h> // for sending OSC messages
#include <OSCBundle.h> // for receiving OSC messages
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>
#define PIN 3
Adafruit_NeoPixel strip = Adafruit_NeoPixel(58, 3, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);
char ssid[] = "XXX"; // your network SSID (name)
char pass[] = "XXX"; // your network password
// Button Input + LED Output
const int btnPin = 12; // D6 pin at NodeMCU
const int ledPin = 14; // D5 pin at NodeMCU
const int boardLed = LED_BUILTIN; // Builtin LED
boolean btnChanged = false;
int btnVal = 1;
WiFiUDP Udp; // A UDP instance to let us send and receive packets over UDP
const IPAddress destIp(192,168,0,10); // remote IP of the target device (i.e. THE PHONE)
const unsigned int destPort = 12000; // remote port of the target device where the NodeMCU sends OSC to
const unsigned int localPort = 10000; // local port to listen for UDP packets at the NodeMCU (another device must send OSC messages to this port)
unsigned int ledState = 1; // LOW means led is *on*
void setup() {
strip.begin();
strip.show();
Serial.begin(115200);
// Specify a static IP address for NodeMCU - only needeed for receiving messages)
// If you erase this line, your ESP8266 will get a dynamic IP address
WiFi.config(IPAddress(192,168,0,13),IPAddress(192,168,0,1), IPAddress(255,255,255,0));
// Connect to WiFi network
Serial.println();
Serial.print("Connecting to ");
Serial.println(ssid);
WiFi.begin(ssid, pass);
while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
delay(500);
Serial.print(".");
}
Serial.println("");
Serial.println("WiFi connected");
Serial.println("IP address: ");
Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
Serial.println("Starting UDP");
Udp.begin(localPort);
Serial.print("Local port: ");
Serial.println(Udp.localPort());
// btnInput + LED Output
pinMode(btnPin, INPUT);
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(boardLed, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
receiveOSC();
sendOSC();
}
void sendOSC(){
// read btnInput and send OSC
OSCMessage msgOut("/1/buttonListener");
if(digitalRead(btnPin) != btnVal) {
btnChanged = true;
btnVal = digitalRead(btnPin);
}
if(btnChanged == true){
btnChanged = false;
digitalWrite(ledPin, btnVal);
digitalWrite(boardLed, (btnVal + 1) % 2); // strange, but for the builtin LED 0 means on, 1 means off
Serial.print("Button: ");
Serial.println(btnVal);
msgOut.add(btnVal);
}
Udp.beginPacket(destIp, destPort);
msgOut.send(Udp);
Udp.endPacket();
msgOut.empty();
delay(100);
}
void receiveOSC(){
OSCMessage msgIN;
int size;
if((size = Udp.parsePacket())>0){
while(size--)
msgIN.fill(Udp.read());
if(!msgIN.hasError()){
msgIN.route("/1/toggleLED",toggleOnOff);
}
}
}
void gwBlink() {
// LED strip animation
uint16_t i, j;
for(i = 0; i < strip.numPixels(); i = i + 2) {
strip.setPixelColor(i, 0, 182, 90);
}
for(j = 1; j < strip.numPixels(); j = j + 2) {
strip.setPixelColor(j, 128, 128, 128);
}
strip.show();
delay(100);
for(i = 0; i < strip.numPixels(); i = i + 2) {
strip.setPixelColor(i, 128, 128, 128);
}
for(j = 1; j < strip.numPixels(); j = j + 2) {
strip.setPixelColor(j, 0, 182, 90);
}
strip.show();
delay(100);
}
void toggleOnOff(OSCMessage &msg, int addrOffset){
ledState = (boolean) msg.getFloat(0);
digitalWrite(boardLed, (ledState + 1) % 2); // Onboard LED works the wrong direction (1 = 0 bzw. 0 = 1)
digitalWrite(ledPin, ledState); // External LED
if (ledState) {
Serial.println("LED on");
gwBlink();
}
else {
Serial.println("LED off");
strip.clear();
}
ledState = !ledState; // toggle the state from HIGH to LOW to HIGH to LOW ...
}
This code actually works fine as far as switching the little LED on the board on/off, but my animation function isn't triggered.

Answer 1

I have only been working with NeoPixels for a short time, but I had problems when trying to use them & serial monitor simultaneously. Once I disabled the serial command (//Serial.begin(115200);), they worked fine. The documentation doesn't plainly state this, I discovered it in a thread where an Adafruit Admin referred to using serial while trying to also update the NeoPixels as a "pain".
If commenting out Serial.begin fixes your problem, then I guess you can experiment with:
*if (Serial.available()) {
int inByte = Serial.read();
Serial1.print(inByte, DEC);
}*
...idk, but it's worth trying.