Sending Large Amounts of Serial Data
With my personal thoughts on Structs being the most efficient way to send many different variables I've constructed a library to help make it easier to send structs and variables over serial.  Source Code

In this library it makes sending through serial easily. I've used with with hardware and software serial. Usually this is used in conjunct with xbee's so I can wirelessly send the data to and from the robot.

When sending data it make it simple as it allows you to either send a variable or a struct (it doesn't care).

Here is an example of sending a simple char over the serial:

// Send the variable charVariable over the serial.
// To send the variable you need to pass an instance of the Serial to use,
// a reference to the variable to send, and the size of the variable being sent.
// If you would like you can specify 2 extra arguments at the end which change the
// default prefix and suffix character used when attempting to reconstruct the variable
// on the receiving end. If prefix and suffix character are specified they'll need to 
// match on the receiving end otherwise data won't properly be sent across

char charVariable = 'c'; // Define the variable to be sent over the serial
StreamSend::sendObject(Serial, &amp;charVariable, sizeof(charVariable));

// Specify a prefix and suffix character
StreamSend::sendObject(Serial, &amp;charVariable, sizeof(charVariable), 'a', 'z');


Example of sending a simple int over the serial:

int intVariable = 13496; // Define the int to be sent over the serial
StreamSend::sendObject(xbeeSerial, &amp;intVariable, sizeof(intVariable));

// Specify a prefix and suffix character
StreamSend::sendObject(xbeeSerial, &amp;intVariable, sizeof(intVariable), 'j', 'p');


Example of sending a struct over serial:

// Define the struct to be sent over the serial
struct SIMPLE_STRUCT {
  char charVariable;
  int intVariable[7];
  boolean boolVariable;
};
SIMPLE_STRUCT simpleStruct;
simpleStruct.charVariable = 'z'; // Set the charVariable in the struct to z

// Fill the intVariable array in the struct with numbers 0 through 6
for(int i=0; i&lt;7; i++) {
  simpleStruct.intVariable[i] = i;
}

// Send the struct to the object xbeeSerial which is a software serial that was
// defined. Instead of using xbeeSerial you can use Serial which will imply the
// hardware serial, and on a Mega you can specify Serial, Serial1, Serial2, Serial3.
StreamSend::sendObject(xbeeSerial, &amp;simpleStruct, sizeof(simpleStruct));

// Send the same as above with a different prefix and suffix from the default values
// defined in StreamSend. When specifying when prefix and suffix character to send
// you need to make sure that on the receiving end they match otherwise the data
// won't be able to be read on the other end.
StreamSend::sendObject(xbeeSerial, &amp;simpleStruct, sizeof(simpleStruct), '3', 'u');


Receiving Examples:

Receiving a char that was send via Streamsend:

char charVariable; // Define the variable on where the data will be put

// Read the data from the Serial object an save it into charVariable once
// the data has been received
byte packetResults = StreamSend::receiveObject(Serial, &amp;charVariable, sizeof(charVariable));

// Reconstruct the char coming from the Serial into charVariable that has a custom
// suffix of a and a prefix of z
byte packetResults = StreamSend::receiveObject(Serial, &amp;charVariable, sizeof(charVariable), 'a', 'z');


Receiving an int that was sent via StreamSend:

int intVariable; // Define the variable on where the data will be put

// Reconstruct the int from xbeeSerial into the variable intVariable
byte packetResults = StreamSend::receiveObject(xbeeSerial, &amp;intVariable, sizeof(intVariable));

// Reconstruct the data into intVariable that was send with a custom prefix
// of j and a suffix of p
byte packetResults = StreamSend::receiveObject(xbeeSerial, &amp;intVariable, sizeof(intVariable), 'j', 'p');


Receiving a Struct that was sent via StreamSend:

// Define the struct that the data will be put
struct SIMPLE_STRUCT {
  char charVariable;
  int intVariable[7];
  boolean boolVariable;
};
SIMPLE_STRUCT simpleStruct; // Create a struct to store the data in

// Reconstruct the data from xbeeSerial into the object simpleStruct
byte packetResults = StreamSend::receiveObject(xbeeSerial, &amp;simpleStruct, sizeof(simpleStruct));

// Reconstruct the data from xbeeSerial into the object simplestruct that has
// a prefix of 3 and a suffix of p
byte packetResults = StreamSend::receiveObject(xbeeSerial, &amp;simpleStruct, sizeof(simpleStruct), '3', 'p');


Once you read the data using StreamSend::receiveObject() you need to know if the data was GOOD, Not Found, or BAD.

Good = Successful

Not Found = No prefix character was found in the specified ostream

Bad = Somehow there was a prefix character found, but the data isn't intact. Usually it means there was no suffix character found or the data wasn't the correct size.

Testing Validity of Data:

// Once you call StreamSend::receiveObject() it returns a byte of the status of
// how things went. If you run that though some of the testing functions it'll
// let you know how the transaction went
if(StreamSend::isPacketGood(packetResults)) {
  //The Packet was Good
} else {
  //The Packet was Bad
}

if(StreamSend::isPacketCorrupt(packetResults)) {
  //The Packet was Corrupt
} else {
  //The Packet wasn't found or it was Good
}

if(StreamSend::isPacketNotFound(packetResults)) {
  //The Packet was not found after Max # of Tries
} else {
  //The Packet was Found, but can be corrupt
}


SteamSend Class:

#include "Arduino.h"

#ifndef STREAMSEND_H
#define STREAMSEND_H


#define PACKET_NOT_FOUND 0
#define BAD_PACKET 1
#define GOOD_PACKET 2

// Set the Max size of the Serial Buffer or the amount of data you want to send+2
// You need to add 2 to allow the prefix and suffix character space to send.
#define MAX_SIZE 64


class StreamSend {
  private:
    static int getWrapperSize() { return sizeof(char)*2; }
    static byte receiveObject(Stream &amp;ostream, void* ptr, unsigned int objSize, unsigned int loopSize);
    static byte receiveObject(Stream &amp;ostream, void* ptr, unsigned int objSize, unsigned int loopSize, char prefixChar, char suffixChar);
    static char _prefixChar; // Default value is s
    static char _suffixChar; // Default value is e
    static int _maxLoopsToWait;

  public:
    static void sendObject(Stream &amp;ostream, void* ptr, unsigned int objSize);
    static void sendObject(Stream &amp;ostream, void* ptr, unsigned int objSize, char prefixChar, char suffixChar);
    static byte receiveObject(Stream &amp;ostream, void* ptr, unsigned int objSize);
    static byte receiveObject(Stream &amp;ostream, void* ptr, unsigned int objSize, char prefixChar, char suffixChar);
    static boolean isPacketNotFound(const byte packetStatus);
    static boolean isPacketCorrupt(const byte packetStatus);
    static boolean isPacketGood(const byte packetStatus);

    static void setPrefixChar(const char value) { _prefixChar = value; }
    static void setSuffixChar(const char value) { _suffixChar = value; }
    static void setMaxLoopsToWait(const int value) { _maxLoopsToWait = value; }
    static const char getPrefixChar() { return _prefixChar; }
    static const char getSuffixChar() { return _suffixChar; }
    static const int getMaxLoopsToWait() { return _maxLoopsToWait; }

};

//Preset Some Default Variables
//Can be modified when seen fit
char StreamSend::_prefixChar = 's';   // Starting Character before sending any data across the Serial
char StreamSend::_suffixChar = 'e';   // Ending character after all the data is sent
int StreamSend::_maxLoopsToWait = -1; //Set to -1 for size of current Object and wrapper



/**
  * sendObject
  *
  * Converts the Object to bytes and sends it to the stream
  *
  * @param Stream to send data to
  * @param ptr to struct to fill
  * @param size of struct
  * @param character to send before the data stream (optional)
  * @param character to send after the data stream (optional)
  */
void StreamSend::sendObject(Stream &amp;ostream, void* ptr, unsigned int objSize) {
  sendObject(ostream, ptr, objSize, _prefixChar, _suffixChar);
}

void StreamSend::sendObject(Stream &amp;ostream, void* ptr, unsigned int objSize, char prefixChar, char suffixChar) {
  if(MAX_SIZE &gt;= objSize+getWrapperSize()) { //make sure the object isn't too large
    byte * b = (byte *) ptr; // Create a ptr array of the bytes to send
    ostream.write((byte)prefixChar); // Write the suffix character to signify the start of a stream

    // Loop through all the bytes being send and write them to the stream
    for(unsigned int i = 0; i&lt;objSize; i++) {
      ostream.write(b[i]); // Write each byte to the stream
    }
    ostream.write((byte)suffixChar); // Write the prefix character to signify the end of a stream
  }
}

/**
  * receiveObject
  *
  * Gets the data from the stream and stores to supplied object
  *
  * @param Stream to read data from
  * @param ptr to struct to fill
  * @param size of struct
  * @param character to send before the data stream (optional)
  * @param character to send after the data stream (optional)
  */
byte StreamSend::receiveObject(Stream &amp;ostream, void* ptr, unsigned int objSize) {
    return receiveObject(ostream, ptr, objSize, _prefixChar, _suffixChar);
}
byte StreamSend::receiveObject(Stream &amp;ostream, void* ptr, unsigned int objSize, char prefixChar, char suffixChar) {
  return receiveObject(ostream, ptr, objSize, 0, prefixChar, suffixChar);
}

byte StreamSend::receiveObject(Stream &amp;ostream, void* ptr, unsigned int objSize, unsigned int loopSize, char prefixChar, char suffixChar) {
  int maxLoops = (_maxLoopsToWait == -1) ? (objSize+getWrapperSize()) : _maxLoopsToWait;
  if(loopSize &gt;= maxLoops) {
      return PACKET_NOT_FOUND;
  }
  if(ostream.available() &gt;= (objSize+getWrapperSize())) { // Packet meets minimum size requirement
    if(ostream.read() != (byte)prefixChar) {
      // Prefix character is not found
      // Loop through the code again reading the next char
      return receiveObject(ostream, ptr, objSize, loopSize+1, prefixChar, suffixChar);
    }

    char data[objSize]; //Create a tmp char array of the data from Stream
    ostream.readBytes(data, objSize); //Read the # of bytes
    memcpy(ptr, data, objSize); //Copy the bytes into the struct

    if(ostream.read() != (byte)suffixChar) {
      //Suffix character is not found
      return BAD_PACKET;
    }
      return GOOD_PACKET;
  }
  return PACKET_NOT_FOUND; //Prefix character wasn't found so no packet detected
}


boolean StreamSend::isPacketNotFound(const byte packetStatus) {
    return (packetStatus == PACKET_NOT_FOUND);
}

boolean StreamSend::isPacketCorrupt(const byte packetStatus) {
    return (packetStatus == BAD_PACKET);
}

boolean StreamSend::isPacketGood(const byte packetStatus) {
    return (packetStatus == GOOD_PACKET);
}

#endif