differentiating time

press9761

Hello:

I'm looking for some suggestions on how differentiate time, not tell time.

Let me explain:

I am using a DS1302 to tell time. I am trying to delay my programs operation using the time. Let me give you a step-by-step example of what I'm trying to accomplish.

1. You press a button
2. An LCD will display “button press”-(let's say) for one second
3. one second has passed
4. the LCD will display something else.

Using the pause function is unacceptable. The program I am writing is very large and may not pause operation at any time.

The problem lies in the fact that I couldn't possibly know what time someone is going to press the button. So, the stamp would have to understand change from one second to the next. I cannot find a way to do this.

I hope someone has a suggestion. This is very frustrating for me.

Thank you

JP

metron9

Just mark the time when the user presses the button then test that time against the new time that gets updated by the DS1302


Buttonpressedroutine
buttontime=timefromDS1302
display LCD message
endbuttonroutine

mainloop
if buttontime is less than (timefromDS1302 minus one second) one second has passed so clear the LCD
.....
......
gotomainloop

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Think outside the BOX!

Jon Williams

You could create a state-driven program that handles the display. What you'll want to do when setting a new state is read the seconds register, update the target value, display the string, then go on about your business. Somewhere in the main loop you'll be reading the time and when it matches the target time you change to the next state.

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Jon Williams
Applications Engineer, Parallax

press9761

Yah.....I hear what you guy are saying. I just cant think of a way to do it.
how about.

write 000,secs
read 000,secs

if secs = secs+ 1 then.....

no, this wont work. secs is the time var so it will read the actual time on the RTC in the if/then
can I do,
secs= time

write 000,time
read 000, time
if time = secs +1 then......

no I can't ( I just tried it)

so...... this is killing me

BTW
that was a fast response!!!!!

press9761

got it!

thanks metron9 and jon

Chris Savage

Are you using WRITE and READ in your code to store the seconds?

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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
csavage@parallax.com