Serial.read()

Description

Reads incoming serial data.

Serial.read() inherits from the Stream utility class.

Syntax

Serial.read()

Parameters

Serial: serial port object. See the list of available serial ports for each board on the Serial main page.

Returns

The first byte of incoming serial data available (or -1 if no data is available). Data type: int.

Example Code

int incomingByte = 0; // for incoming serial data

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600); // opens serial port, sets data rate to 9600 bps
}

void loop() {
  // send data only when you receive data:
  if (Serial.available() > 0) {
    // read the incoming byte:
    incomingByte = Serial.read();

    // say what you got:
    Serial.print("I received: ");
    Serial.println(incomingByte, DEC);
  }
}