Send More command (Val) to Arduino?

Question

My project is controlling LED light by using Visual basic Program made by me.

I have a little problem in my project, how can I send more command to the arduino from my PC?

For example,

This is the Arduino code that i uploaded:

{int ledPin = 13; // the number of the LED pin
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600); // set serial speed
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT); // set LED as output
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW); //turn off LED
}
}


{void loop(){
while (Serial.available() == 0); // do nothing if nothing sent
int val = Serial.read() - '0'; // deduct ascii value of '0' to find numeric value of sent number

if (val == 1) { // test for command 1 then turn on LED
Serial.println("LED on");
digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH); // turn on LED
}
}

if (val == 0) // test for command 0 then turn off LED
{
Serial.println("LED OFF");
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW); // turn off LED
}

As you can see, ( Val = 1 ) will turn LED 1 on, ( Val = 2) will turn LED 1 off and i also added 2 more LED lights to the same arduino sketch , so now ( val = 3 ) will turn LED 2 on, (val = 4 ) will turn LED 2 Off, and the same process to the other LED.

But, when I add one more LED, and when I type ( val = 10 ) the LED 1 Will turn On ,

I don't know why LED 1 turned on when I specified the val = 10.

Here is how to send (Val) from my program I made in vb:

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles button1.Click
    SerialPort1.Open()
    SerialPort1.Write("1")                                   'this will turn LED 1 On 
    SerialPort1.Close()
End Sub

Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles button2.Click
    SerialPort1.Open()
    SerialPort1.Write("0")                                   'this will turn LED 1 off 
    SerialPort1.Close()

End Sub   

And same process so on for the other LEDs depending on their Val.

How to solve this problem?

Answer 1

A brute quick fix would be not using numeric to turn on/off light, but passing a single char to the arduino and define that as on and off (e.g. A --> turn on 1, B --> turn off 1), at least you will have 26/2 = 13 (for Uppercase alphabet) lights that can be individually turn on/off.

Use serialEvent, cast the data and use switch in arduino such;

void serialEvent() {
  while (Serial.available() > 0) {
    // get the new byte:
    inChar = (char)Serial.read();

    switch(inChar){

    case 'A':
      digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH); //turn ON
      break;

    case 'B':
      digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW); //turn OFF
      break;

    //add more lights here

    }

  }
}

And use your code to trigger;

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles button1.Click

    With SerialPort1
        If Not .IsOpen Then
                .Open()
            End If
            .Write("A")                                   'this will turn LED 1 On 
            .Close()
        End Sub
    End With

Hope this help.