Arduino Serial Base Class

This page explains how to add a Serial Base Class to the Arduino Serial classes.

What is a Base Class?

A Base Class lays down some guidelines for how you build a bunch of related classes. In our case we’re using serial classes. The base class will give us a set of methods that are available in all of the classes that are based upon it.

Why a Serial Base Class?

The short answer: to make things easier.

The long answer: there are a lot of confusing bits when it comes to interfacing with a serial device. Using a Serial Base Class for the serial devices on the Arduino will allow for better hardware abstraction. This way, we don’t need to know exactly how a device is connected to our hardware - but we will be able to talk to it in the same way if it were connected to a hardware serial pin or a software serial pin.

How do I add a Serial Base Class?

OK. You’ve read the stuff above, and you’re thinking, “what a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. I don’t care. How do I add this silly thing?”. Well you’re in luck. Here are the steps:

Arduino IDE 1.0+

With the 1.0+ releases there is a built in software serial interface that will allow your project to work with the rMP3 shield. Here is some example code:

//Use the SoftwareSerial in place of NewSoftSerial.h
#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
#include <RogueMP3.h>

//Use SoftwareSerial in place of NewSoftSerial
SoftwareSerial rmp3_serial(6, 7);
RogueMP3 rmp3(rmp3_serial);
 
void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);
  rmp3_serial.begin(9600);
 
  rmp3.sync();
 
  rmp3.playfile("/Daft Punk - Technologic.mp3");
}
 
void loop()
{
}

The NewSoftSerial files do not need to be installed with the Arduino 1.0+ versions.

Arduino IDE V0021+

After collaboration with the people of the Arduino development mailing list, the name of the base class was changed from SerialBase to Stream. Unfortunately, there is still a problem with the Arduino core, so you still need download a modified version.

  1. Download the Arduino with Stream Core.
  2. Install into SKETCHBOOK/hardware folder (create the hardware folder if it doesn’t exist).
  3. Start the IDE and select one of the “(Stream)” version of your board from the Tools · Board menu.
  4. NewSoftSerial and other libraries with Stream modifications can be downloaded from here.

Arduino IDE V0019-0020

These Arduino Versions are messed up. Don’t download them.

Arduino IDE V0018

  1. Download the Arduino with SerialBase Core.
  2. Install into SKETCHBOOK/hardware folder (create the hardware folder if it doesn’t exist).
  3. Start the IDE and select one of the “(SerialBase)” version of your board from the Tools · Board menu.
  4. NewSoftSerial and other libraries with SerialBase modifications can be downloaded from here.

Arduino IDE Versions prior to V0018

  1. Add SerialBase.h to your arduino/hardware/cores/arduino folder.
  2. Make some small changes to HardwareSerial.cpp and HardwareSerial.h in arduino/hardware/cores/arduino.
  3. If you’re using NewSoftSerial, you’ll need to make some similar changes.

To make it easier, I’ve already made the changes and they can be downloaded from:

Google Code - Rogue Robotics Libraries for Arduino

SerialBase.h, HardwareSerial.h, HardwareSerial.cpp → arduino/hardware/cores/arduino.

The modified NewSoftSerial library can replace your existing NewSoftSerial library in arduino/hardware/libraries.

After that, you’re ready to go!