Arduino serial plotter

I just found out a new useful Arduino IDE feature: Serial Plotter. It allows you to natively graph serial data from your Arduino to your computer in real time (no need for extra software for that).The Arduino Serial Plotter function has been added to the Arduino IDE since version 1.6.7.

Here is introduction video on that feature:

A new feature in the Arduino IDE : a serial graph plotter

The Arduino Serial Plotter takes incoming serial data values over the USB connection and is able to graph the data along the X/Y axis, beyond just seeing numbers being spit out on to the Serial Monitor. The vertical Y-axis auto adjusts itself as the value of the output increases or decreases. Each tick of the X axis is for one line of data (equal to an executed Serial.println() command). For more detailed description read Adruino Serial Plotter instructable an Arduino Serial Plotter – New Tool article.

 

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In order to plot multiple variables or waveforms simultaneously, you print several values on one line separated with suitable delimiter between numbers (comma and space work for that). Every separate variable/value/parameter is displayed using a different color.

Arduino 1.6.7 Serial Plotter Multiple Graphs

 

Here is simple example Arduino code that prints out two saw tooth waves to serial plotter:

byte a=0;
byte b=0;

void setup() {
// put your setup code here, to run once:
Serial.begin(9600);

}

void loop() {
// put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
Serial.print(a+=2);
Serial.print(“,”);
Serial.println(b++);
}

 

One feature I would like to have: It would be nice to have option to have both the serial monitor and serial plotter working at the same time. So I could also see the numerical data and I could send commands to Arduino board when needed. That would make the feature even more useful for me.

2 Comments

  1. Bloom says:

    The Arduino Serial Plotter function has been added to the Arduino IDE, allowing you to natively graph serial data from your Arduino to your computer in real time. If you’re tired of seeing your Arduino’s analog sensor input data pour onto your screen like The Matrix, this looks like a prettier way to visualize what’s going on.

    Reply

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