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Topic: Arduino and Flash (Read 2392 times) previous topic - next topic


Hi, thank you all for taking the time to read my issue. I know there is a lot of works and words on interfacing arduino with flash.... but I have several many questions :)

1> Which is the flash that I am supposed to use to interact arduino using flash...
2> Can I use PWM voltage control and Analogue inputs to read and write analogue signals in flash?
3> Does anyone have a sample control that shows these...?
4> Can someone guide me through the process of putting in one flash button to atleast blink and dim an LED using flash...?

Thank you so much...


Whenever you download a sketch into the Arduino, it is loaded into Flash memory.

1. Whatever your program does, it is exectuting from the Flash memory.
2. You can use analogRead() on 6 specific  pins to read a voltage. You can use analogWrite() on 6  specific pins to output a PWM signal. With a simple Resistor/Capacitor filter (low pass filter) this can look like a DC voltage level.
3. Examples are in the IDE, look in the commands across the top.
4. Try some of the example sketches, and in the Learning section, to read an input to see if a button is pressed, and take actions from there.


Or are you referring to Adobe Flash?


I would believe he is referring to Adobe Flash.. since he states "flash button"

I can help on the Flash side of things..but not the merging/bridging part.


Quote from Atmel application note AVR335:
This application note describes how to record, store and play back sound using any
AVR microcontroller with A/D converter, the AT45DB161B DataFlash memory and a
few extra components.
This application note shows in detail the usage of the A/D Converter for sound record-
ing, the Serial Peripheral Interface - SPI - for accessing the external DataFlash
memory and the Pulse Width Modulation - PWM - for playback. Typical applications
that would require one or more of these blocks are temperature loggers, telephone
answering machines, or digital voice recorders.


Hi!! First I am thankful to those who took time to read and reply!! :D

Just to clarify my problem:
I am talking about adobe flash... I want to use the flash with firmeta to use my arduino mega 2560 ADK as I wish :) . I have already made a quite a big program in the Arduino sketch where I use a serial monitor like putty to send and receive information to and from the Arduino Mega. But the serial monitor lacks the friendly GUI that I want.... So I wanted adobe flash to be used to drive the pins of arduino :)

-Which adobe flash is best to be used to do this?  (Asking this cuz there are a lot of Adobe Flash programs like builder and stuff... I would be grateful if you could give me a name and a website to the correct program and version :)

- My other question is, can I use the PWM pins (2-13) of the Arduino Mega to analogWrite(,) using Adobe Flash?


Hi, very kind of you to offer me the help :)
first of all, to use your help, I would require the correct version and name of the adobe flash so that I can buy and install it asap. I already have macromedia flash 8... but I dont think thats enough ner... :)

I will require help in communicating the flash buttons with the arduino board... I have seen some videos where a person edits the 'XML code' of the button in adobe flash and blinks an LED on the board!!  amazing!! just wanted to do that myself and do dimming of and LED using may be a slider or something :)


FLASH 8 supports AS2

If you want to use AS3 in your solution, then you would need CS3 or above at least..

If you go AS3 route.. your on you own!  lol..  (I cant help much)

Again.. I cant help you with the flash side of things.. until you pick a 'solution' out there you are comfortable with.

ie: we dont how to send the data to the 3rd party solution you eventually decide to use....until you choose one. :)



for the FLASH side of things..

I dont think any of the flash builders will do or be as flexible as you want/may need them to be in this project.

I would shoot for straight Adobe FLASH...

as for which one.. I suppose that depends on the 'bridging' software you end up using.

I have never attempted this myself yet.. but skim articles on it when i see them.

I have seen more AS3 than AS2  (ActionScript) out there I believe.


Are you trying to use this FLASH GUI 'locally' on your machine?
(ie: you have the flash.swf on your desktop... and the Arduino connected to the same machine via USB/SERIAL?)

or you trying to add more into the mix by having this FLASH GUI be located on the 'internet' and accessible to anyone with a web connection?

Seems like the former, but I wanted to be clear.

That being said.. Im not well versed in AS3, but I can hold my own in AS2 ;)...

Flash does not have a way to communicate to serial, databases, write files..etc...etc.. itself..   it always needs some 3rd party 'bridge' (server side script...something).. like PHP, ASP, CGI..etc... to take this 'data/info' FLASH is sending.. and do whatever it is you need done with it...

(in your case, you'd be sending out the data/info from your flash movie/app to some sort of 'handler', that in turn will support serial communication and output it for your Arduino that is waiting/listening for these serial commands/data)

make sense?

Have you researched on any pre-existing Flash solutions for this?

You mention firmeta (firmata).. and I think AS3glue is another?

here is a link that be helpful:


I can help with the flash side of things, once you get that far.  :)


Yes, I will be using the swf file locally in the same machine as the arduino is connected to.

I was planning to use:
-- firmata as the code to run on the arduino... as it says 'never upload a single code to arduino again' :)
-- serproxy/tinkerproxy as the socket server
-- Glue as the flash socket library... which uses AS3
-- And finally, I got no clue about the flash code...

The above stuff can change as you're comfortable with :) I am simply glad that someone decided to help :)



@jdforlife, I'm a long time Adobe Flash developer. I recently started playing with Arduino.

These are options I think you can use to interact with Adobe Flash based app with your Arduino board:

1. Add WiFi / Ethernet sheild to your board, and add TCP server listener on Arduino. Now when you connect your PC and Arduino board to same network, you can connect from Flash's XMLSocket using AS2 or AS3, and send/recieve custom commands and data on realtime TCP connection.

2. Connect your Arduino to PC using USB connection and program it to send recevice data over serial port. Write a lib in .net or win32 (c++ / vc / vb6 / etc) that connects to serial port. Use Adobe AIR 3+ runtime which now supports native OS libraries calls. Now you can initialize serial connection from your AIR app and control your board from there.

3. Just like AIR option, there are some third-party Flash projector (i.e. SWF2EXE) makers. I personally like MDM Zinc http://www.multidmedia.com/ which have tons of OS libs built-in. You can call them directly from Flash's AS2 or AS3.

I hope my this first post in Arduino forums helps :)

// chall3ng3r //
skype/twitter: chall3ng3r


I too am long time Flash Dev... never really made the jump to AS3 though..

anyways.. you can also use WAMP server and some simple PHP script to forward the data to the Serial Port.

I posted a thread with demo files here:


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