How-to use a serial port with Android, Liquidware Ambrosia edition

This tutorial will help you transmit and receive to a serial device using your Liquidware Android kit and Android Ambrosia SD Card

This could be useful to interface Android applications to serial devices like Arduinos, Accelerometers, and other sensors.

• Set up your Eclipse installation with Liquidware Ambrosia Android SDK: Install Eclipse with Android plugins  
• File->New android project based on Skeleton sample app
  

• Download the android_serialmonitor project from Github.

• In your Skeleton app add this code to begin serial:

import android.serial.*;

....
SerialManager Serial; 

Serial = (SerialManager) getSystemService(Context.SERIAL_SERVICE); 

• In your Skeleton app add the following code to receive serial messages

/* Handle Serial messages */

SerialStatus.SerialMsgListener sl = new SerialStatus.SerialMsgListener() {
 public void onSerialMsgReceived(String sMsg) {
  /* Handle the message.. */
  Log.v("SkeletonSerial", sMsg);
 }
};
Serial.addSerialMsgListener(sl);

• Add the following code to begin serial

Serial.begin("ttyUSB0", 9600);

• Add the following code to transmit serial

Serial.print("U");

• Add the following code to end serial

Serial.end("ttyUSB0");

• Attach your Serial device through a USB hub for power and connect to the BeagleBoard's USB host port.  I am using an Arduino as my serial device. http://arduino.cc

• Here is my final setup using the Android DIY starter kit, Android Ambrosia SD Card, and Arduino. The LED is switched on using a button on my Android application.

• On the Arduino I used the following sketch to read "A" or "B" characters, which turn the LED ON or OFF:

void setup(){
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

int i=0;

void loop() {
  
  Serial.println(i++);
  delay(500);
  
  if (Serial.available()) {
    int msg = Serial.read();
    
    if (msg == 'A') {
      digitalWrite(13, HIGH);
      Serial.println("Turning LED on..");
    }
    
    if (msg == 'B') {
      digitalWrite(13, LOW);
      Serial.println("Turning LED off..");
    }
  }
}