Periodic Timing using the Timer() Command

The BasicX provides a real time clock which is useful in providing for such periodic tasks as turning on a motor for the first five minutes of each hour or similar.

However the Timer() command permits one to set the time for performing a task at any value up to 86400 seconds.

For example, consider an application where a task which takes a variable period of time is performed and it is desired to perform this task periodically. In the following routine, the task is one of flashing an LED a number of times (1 to 10) which may take from 1.0 to nominally 10.5 seconds and it is desired to repeat this every 20 seconds.

The current time in elasped seconds since midnight is fetched using the Timer command. The alarm time is calculated by adding the period, in this case 20 seconds.

The task is then performed and the program then loops until the current time is greater than or equal to the alarm time. Of course, the program could be performing other chores during this looping.

A problem occurs when the alarm time exceeds 86,400 seconds. The clock will simply reach 86,399 and then roll over to zero and thus current time will never be greater than or equal to alarm time. This is handled by subtracting 86400 from the alarm time and first looping until current time is less than or equal to alarm time (when the timer rolls over) and then continuing to loop until current time is greater than or equal to alarm time.

' Periodic_2.Bas
'
'
' Copyright, Peter H. Anderson, Baltimore, MD, Oct, '99

Sub Main()

   Dim RollOverFlag as Byte
   Dim NumFlashes as Integer
   Dim CurrentTime as Single
   Dim AlarmTime as Single
   
   Call OpenSerialPort(2, 9600)	' for debugging
   Call PutTime(23, 59, 0.0)	' for testing roll over of timer

   NumFlashes = 0

   CurrentTime = Timer()

   Do
      AlarmTime = CurrentTime + 20.0	' every 20 seconds
      If (AlarmTime > 86400.0) then	' there was a rollover
         AlarmTime = AlarmTime - 86400.0
         RollOverFlag = 1
      Else
         RollOverFlag = 0
      End If

     ' Now do the task      
      NumFlashes = NumFlashes + 1
      If (NumFlashes > 10) Then
         NumFlashes = 1
      End If

      Call Flash(NumFlashes)

      ' now time for the duration of the 20 seconds
      If (RollOverFlag = 0) then
         Do
            CurrentTime = Timer()
         Loop Until (CurrentTime >= AlarmTime)
      
      Else
         Do
            CurrentTime = Timer()
         Loop Until (CurrentTime <= AlarmTime)	' wait for the timer to
						' roll over
      
         Do
            CurrentTime = Timer()
         Loop Until (CurrentTime >= AlarmTime)         

      End if 

      CurrentTime = AlarmTime

   Loop

End Sub   

Sub Flash(ByVal NumFlashes as Integer)	' Flash LED a number of times

   Dim N as Integer
   Dim str as String

   str = "..."
   Call PutStr(str)
   
   For N = 1 to NumFlashes
      Call PutPin(22, 0)
      Call Sleep(0.5)
      Call PutPin(22, 1)
      Call Sleep(0.5)
   Next

End Sub