Need to combine multiple chars to string then float

[Channing]

I have a program that reads in data from a digital protractor via serial. I already have the receive functions setup and working properly. The protractor sends the angle one 'number' at a time, i.e. 123.45 degrees is sent as a 1, then a 2, then a 3, then a ".", then 4, then 5, and I have each number assigned to a variable, ang_hun_bit, ang_ten_bit, and so on.

What I need to do is convert these chars to a useable number to average and check.

I know there is the atof() function to convert a string to a float, but I can't get the chars combined to one string. Here is my code so far:

[/code]
float parse(char *hun, char *ten, char *one, char *tenth, char *hundth)
{
char data_string[8];
float runner;
char *ptr;

// ptr = data_string;

ptr = strcpy(data_string, hun);
ptr = strcat(data_string, ten);
ptr = strcat(data_string, one);
ptr = strcat(data_string, decimal);
ptr = strcat(data_string, tenth);
ptr = strcat(data_string, hundth);

lcd_gotoxy(1,2);
printf(lcd_putc,"%6s", ptr);

runner = atof(ptr);

// lcd_gotoxy(1,2);
// printf(lcd_putc,"%f", runner);

average += runner;

avg_counter++;

return runner;
}[/code]

I am passing all of the individual numbers of the measurement sent by the protractor into this function. The pointers are working correctly as I can print each indiviudally via printf(lcd_putc, "%c%c%c.%c%c", [variable list].

Thanks for your help[/code]

[PCM programmer]

You're treating each incoming character as if it's a separate string.
I really doubt that this is how the instrument sends the data.
Can you post a link to the unit's manual, which describes the protocol
in detail ?

[epideath]

One way that you could accomplish this, if you always get charaters for each digit sould be to do something like this:

[Humberto]

Once I had a similar problem with a magnetic compass. The problem was that the output
string doesn´t keep the same size, instead it depends of the value.
Typical output string format was as follow:

[Channing]

I just simply assigned the individual pointers to each element of the array, and now I have 100% precision (or as close as I am going to attempt to get).

As they always say, sometimes is just take a second opinion on code, to step away and come back.

Thanks again guys for the help. I am sure I will be back for more help with future projects.