so I have some code setup that reads inputs from serial and uses that to flip a gpio on and off for driving a stepper motor. The code works fine when the joystick is only in one direction, the problem is when I move it in the X axis and a little to the Y axis is makes a big delay and i was hoping one of you guys could think of something to make it a bit more smooth when moves diagonally.

Here is the code im using:

#include <Servo.h>

​

#define MAX_COMMAND_LEN 7 // max chars in buffer, includes terminator

#define COMMAND_END_CHAR 's' // the command terminator character

​

#define Xstp 13

#define Xdir 12

#define XMS1 11

#define XMS2 10

#define XEN 9

​

#define Ystp 8

#define Ydir 7

#define YMS1 6

#define YMS2 5

#define YEN 4

​

#define Fire 3

#define Feed 2

​

char CommandBuffer[MAX_COMMAND_LEN]; // assemble command here

int CommandIndex = 0; // index into CommandBuffer for next char

​

String CommandPosition1;

String CommandPosition;

int End = 0;

int incomingByte = 0;

char Axis;

int Xpos;

int Ypos;

int X;

int Y;

​

//Servo Xaxis;

​

//--------------------------------------------------------------

// Gather external command chars, if any.

//

// If a complete command has been received, execute it.

//--------------------------------------------------------------

​

void do_commands(void)

{

bool overflow = false; // "true" if command buffer overflowed

​

// gather any commands from the external controller

while (Serial.available() && End == 0)

{

char ch = Serial.read();

​

​

​

if (CommandIndex < MAX_COMMAND_LEN)

{

// only add if command not over-length

CommandBuffer[CommandIndex ] = ch;

}

else

overflow = true;

​

if (ch == COMMAND_END_CHAR) // if end of command, execute it

{

if (overflow)

{

overflow = false;

Serial.println("TOO LONG");

}

else

{

CommandBuffer[CommandIndex - 1] = '\0'; // convert to C string, ignore terminator

//Serial.println(CommandBuffer[CommandIndex - 1]);

//if (strlen(CommandBuffer).charAt(0) == 'X'){

// Serial.println("command X recieved");

// }

​

// if (strlen(CommandBuffer)==

​

​

// normally you would execute the command in the buffer here

// for now, just send back what we got

if (strlen(CommandBuffer)) { // if there is something to execute

​

//Serial.print("Command: '");

//Serial.print(CommandBuffer);

//Serial.println("'");

CommandPosition = CommandBuffer;

​

//End = 1;

}

}

​

CommandIndex = 0; // prepare for next command

}

}

}

​

void setup()

{

Serial.begin(9600);

delay(1000); // wait for Serial to initialize

Serial.println("Key in command followed by ENTER.");

//Xaxis.attach(2);

pinMode(Xstp, OUTPUT);

pinMode(Xdir, OUTPUT);

pinMode(XMS1, OUTPUT);

pinMode(XMS2, OUTPUT);

pinMode(XEN, OUTPUT);

​

pinMode(Ystp, OUTPUT);

pinMode(Ydir, OUTPUT);

pinMode(YMS1, OUTPUT);

pinMode(YMS2, OUTPUT);

pinMode(YEN, OUTPUT);

​

pinMode(Fire, OUTPUT);

pinMode(Feed, OUTPUT);

}

​

void loop() {

// do_commands();

//Serial.println(CommandPosition);

​

if (Serial.available() > 0) {

do_commands();

//long number = atol( input ); //notice the function change to atoL

​

//Serial.println(CommandPosition);

​

//CommandPosition = CommandPosition1;

​

Axis = CommandPosition.charAt(0);

Serial.println(Axis);

​

if (Axis == 'X') {

CommandPosition.remove(0, 1);

int Position = CommandPosition.toInt();

Xpos = map(Position, 0, 100, 0, 100);

int XDelay = map(Xpos, 0, 40, 1, 50);

int XdELAY = map(Xpos, 55, 100, 50, 1);

//digitalWrite(dir, LOW);

digitalWrite(XMS1, HIGH);

digitalWrite(XMS2, LOW);

​

if (Xpos <= 40) {

digitalWrite(Xdir, LOW);

digitalWrite(Xstp, HIGH); //Trigger one step forward

delay(XDelay);

digitalWrite(Xstp, LOW); //Pull step pin low so it can be triggered again

delay(XDelay);

}

else if (Xpos >= 55) {

digitalWrite(Xdir, HIGH);

digitalWrite(Xstp, HIGH); //Trigger one step forward

delay(XdELAY);

digitalWrite(Xstp, LOW); //Pull step pin low so it can be triggered again

delay(XdELAY);

}

}

if (Axis == 'Y') {

CommandPosition.remove(0, 1);

int Position = CommandPosition.toInt();

Ypos = map(Position, 0, 100, 0, 100);

int YDelay = map(Ypos, 0, 40, 1, 50);

int YdELAY = map(Ypos, 55, 100, 50, 1);

//digitalWrite(dir, LOW);

digitalWrite(YMS1, HIGH);

digitalWrite(YMS2, LOW);

​

if (Ypos <= 40) {

digitalWrite(Ydir, LOW);

digitalWrite(Ystp, HIGH); //Trigger one step forward

delay(YDelay);

digitalWrite(Ystp, LOW); //Pull step pin low so it can be triggered again

delay(YDelay);

}

else if (Ypos >= 55) {

digitalWrite(Ydir, HIGH);

digitalWrite(Ystp, HIGH); //Trigger one step forward

delay(YdELAY);

digitalWrite(Ystp, LOW); //Pull step pin low so it can be triggered again

delay(YdELAY);

}

​

}

if (Axis == 'B') {

CommandPosition.remove(0, 1);

int Position = CommandPosition.toInt();

// if (Position == 3) {

//digitalWrite(YEN, HIGH);

//digitalWrite(XEN, HIGH);

//}

// else {

// digitalWrite(YEN, LOW);

// digitalWrite(XEN, LOW);

//}

}

else {

//digitalWrite(YEN, LOW);

//digitalWrite(XEN, LOW);

}

}

}

I got the code for the Serial parser and help with getting it working from u/glory_road so big thanks to him.

The above code is receiving commands over serial from this python code:

#conda activate TurretM

#python "C:\Users\Kim\Desktop\TurretM.py"

​

​

​

#logitec extreme 3d pro button map:

#

# button 0: main trigger (unlabeled on controller)

# button 1: thumb trigger (labeled #2 on controller)

# button 2: bottom left hat (labeled #3 on controller)

# button 3: bottom right hat (labeled #4 on controller)

# button 4: top left hat (labeled #5 on controller)

# button 5: top right hat (labeled #6 on controller)

# button 6: bottom left base (labeled #7 on controller)

# button 7: top left base (labeled #8 on controller)

# button 8: bottom middle base (labeled #9 on controller)

# button 9: top middle base (labeled #10 on controller)

# button 10: bottom right base (labeled #11 on controller)

# button 11: top right base (labeled #12 on controller)

#

#//////////////////////////////////

​

import pygame

import time

import serial

​

​

def MapRange(x, in_min, in_max, out_min, out_max):

return int((x-in_min) * (out_max-out_min) / (in_max-in_min) out_min) #//////////////

​

​

#def ArdWrite

#ser = serial.Serial('/dev/tty.usbmodem1d11', 9600) # Establish the connection on a specific port

#ser = serial.Serial('COM4', 9600, timeout=1)

​

pygame.init()

pygame.joystick.init()

​

joysticks = [pygame.joystick.Joystick(i) for i in range(pygame.joystick.get_count())]

print(pygame.joystick.get_count())

​

MinX = 0

MaxX = 0.1

MinY = 0

MaxY = 0.1

MinZ = 0

MaxZ = 0.1

​

MaxLeft = -1

MaxRight = 1

​

#////// 1=function /// 0=block //////#

Xaxis = 1

Yaxis = 1

Zaxis = 0

​

ser = serial.Serial('COM3', 9600, timeout=0)

​

# Variable to keep the main loop running

running = True

​

# Main loop

while running:

pygame.event.get()

joystick1 = pygame.joystick.Joystick(0)

joystick1.init()

OldEvent = pygame.event.get()

​

#if OldEvent != pygame.event.get():

​

if(Xaxis == 1):

Joy1X = joystick1.get_axis(0)

if MinX > Joy1X:

MinX = Joy1X

print(MinX)

print("")

if MaxX < Joy1X:

MaxX = Joy1X

print(MaxX)

print("")

​

MapX = MapRange(Joy1X, MinX, MaxX, 0, 100)

X1 = MapX

MapXStr = str(MapX)

​

enabledX = 0

​

if enabledX == 1:

Button3 = joystick1.get_button(3)

Button5 = joystick1.get_button(5)

​

if Button3 == 0 and Button5 == 0:

ser.write('X1' MapXStr 's')

​

if Button3 == 1 and Button5 == 0:

ser.write('X2' MapXStr 's')

​

​

if Button3 == 0 and Button5 == 1:

ser.write('X3' MapXStr 's')

​

​

if Button3 == 1 and Button5 == 1:

ser.write('X4' MapYStr 's')

​

​

if enabledX == 0:

​

ser.write('X' MapXStr 's')

#print('X' MapXStr 's')

​

time.sleep(0.01)

​

​

if(Yaxis == 1):

Joy1Y = joystick1.get_axis(1)

if MinY > Joy1Y:

MinY = Joy1Y

print(MinY)

print("")

if MaxY < Joy1Y:

MaxY = Joy1Y

print(MaxY)

print("")

MapY = MapRange(Joy1Y, MinY, MaxY, 0, 100)

Y1 = MapY

MapYStr = str(MapY)

​

enabledY = 0

​

if enabledY == 1:

Button3 = joystick1.get_button(3)

Button5 = joystick1.get_button(5)

​

if Button3 == 0 and Button5 == 0:

ser.write('Y1' MapYStr 's')

​

if Button3 == 1 and Button5 == 0:

ser.write('Y2' MapYStr 's')

​

​

if Button3 == 0 and Button5 == 1:

ser.write('Y3' MapYStr 's')

​

​

if Button3 == 1 and Button5 == 1:

ser.write('Y4' MapYStr 's')

​

if enabledY == 0:

ser.write('Y' MapYStr 's')

#print('Y' MapYStr 's')

​

time.sleep(0.01)

​

​

if(Zaxis == 1):

Joy1Z = joystick1.get_axis(2)

if MinZ > Joy1Z:

MinZ = Joy1Z

print(MinZ)

print("")

if MaxZ < Joy1Z:

MaxZ = Joy1Z

print(MaxZ)

print("")

print(MapRange(Joy1Z, MinZ, MaxZ, 0, 100))

​

print('Y' MapYStr 's' ' ' 'X' MapXStr 's')

#print('X' MapXStr 's')

​

#ser.write('X' MapXStr 's')

#ser.write('Y' MapYStr 's')

​

Joy1Connect = joystick1.get_button(10)

if Joy1Connect == 1:

ser.close()

time.sleep(0.2)

running = False

​

Joy1Trigger = joystick1.get_button(0)

if Joy1Trigger == 1:

print(Joy1Trigger)

ser.write('B1')

​

Button1 = joystick1.get_button(1)

if Button1 == 1:

print(Button1)

ser.write('B1')

​

Button2 = joystick1.get_button(2)

if Button2 == 1:

print(Button2)

ser.write('B2')

​

Button3 = joystick1.get_button(3)

if Button3 == 1:

print(Button3)

ser.write('B3')

​

Button4 = joystick1.get_button(4)

if Button4 == 1:

ser.close()

time.sleep(0.5)

running = False

​

Button5 = joystick1.get_button(5)

if Button5 == 1:

print(Button5)

ser.write('B5')

​

#Joy1Thumb = joystick1.get_button(0)

#print(Joy1Thumb)

#time.sleep(0.5)

#print("")

​

# Did the user hit a key?

#if event.type == KEYDOWN:

# Was it the Escape key? If so, stop the loop.

# if event.key == K_ESCAPE:

# running = False

​

#Did the user click the window close button? If so, stop the loop.

#elif event.type == QUIT:

# running = False