Arduino code help.

Thread Starter

c.marsh

Joined May 16, 2009
100
okay so im struggling with something.

I'm trying to make a larson scanner with the arduino, the problem is i CANNOT use the delay function. I can make the scanner with it, but it locks out the cpu and i need some other functions running which wont work because of the delay.

so using this example

Rich (BB code):
const int ledPin =  13;      // the number of the LED pin

// Variables will change:
int ledState = LOW;             // ledState used to set the LED
long previousMillis = 0;        // will store last time LED was updated

// the follow variables is a long because the time, measured in miliseconds,
// will quickly become a bigger number than can be stored in an int.
long interval = 1000;           // interval at which to blink (milliseconds)

void setup() {
  // set the digital pin as output:

  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);      
}

void loop()
{
  // here is where you'd put code that needs to be running all the time.

  // check to see if it's time to blink the LED; that is, if the 
  // difference between the current time and last time you blinked 
  // the LED is bigger than the interval at which you want to 
  // blink the LED.
  unsigned long currentMillis = millis();
 
  if(currentMillis - previousMillis > interval) {
    // save the last time you blinked the LED 
    previousMillis = currentMillis;   

    // if the LED is off turn it on and vice-versa:
    if (ledState == LOW)
      ledState = HIGH;
    else
      ledState = LOW;

    // set the LED with the ledState of the variable:
    digitalWrite(ledPin, ledState);
  }
}
and the code i already have which is minimal:

Rich (BB code):
int pinled1 = 13; 
int pinled2 = 12; 
int pinled3 = 11;
int pinled4 = 10;
int pinled5 = 9;
int pinled6 = 8;
int pinled7 = 7;

void setup() {
   pinMode(pinled1, OUTPUT);
   pinMode(pinled2, OUTPUT);
   pinMode(pinled3, OUTPUT);
   pinMode(pinled4, OUTPUT);
   pinMode(pinled5, OUTPUT);
   pinMode(pinled6, OUTPUT);
   }

void loop() 
{
}
I simply cannot work out how to get the scanner to do what i want it to. which this:

led 1 comes on > led 2 comes on> led 1 turns off and led 3 turns on > led 2 turns of and led 4 turns on

with a time of 50ms between the functions (but led 1 turning off at same time as led 3 turning on)

can someone help me out by getting the first 3 led's working? after that i can type up the rest of the code as it turns out i can understand the code if i can type it out copying something that already works. bazaare i know but hey we all learn in different ways.

I'm trying to keep each led's function seperated out so that i can add in other code along the way and get other functions running in the right places.
 
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