Arduino Programming

Part 2
EAS 199A
Lecture 6
Fall 2011

Overview

• Variable types
❖ int
❖ float
• Loops
❖ for loops
❖ while loops (another day)

Arduino Programming Part 2: EAS 199A 2

Assigning and Using Variables

Arduino web site
❖ http://arduino.cc/en/Reference/HomePage
❖ http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Variables
❖ http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Foundations

The more common variable types are

❖ integers:
‣ int, long, unsigned int, unsigned long
❖ floating point values: (numbers with fractional parts
‣ float, double
❖ characters and character strings
‣ char, string, String
❖ arrays

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 Integers are used for counting
int
❖ integers in the range –32,768 to 32,767
unsigned int
❖ integers in the range 0 to 65,535
long
❖ integers in the range –2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
unsigned long
❖ integers in the range 0 to 4,294,967,295

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Practical usage of int and long

Use an int for most common tasks requiring integers
❖ Use an int for most loop counters:
int i, n=16;

for ( i=0; i<n; i++) {

// loop body
}

❖ An int is returned by a built-in functions, e.g. analogRead

int val, photo_pin=4;
val = analogRead(photo_pin);

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Practical usage of int and long

Use a long when the range of values is very large, e.g.
measuring the system time in milliseconds
long start_time, current_time;
long wait_time = 86400000; // one day

void setup() {
start_time = millis();
Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
current_time = millis();
if ( (current_time - start_time) > wait_time ) {
Serial.println(“24 hours has passed”);
start_time = current_time;
}
}

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 Floating point numbers are used for
computing with fractional values
float
❖ numbers with fractional part
❖ values in the range –3.4028235 × 1038 to 3.4028235 × 1038

Practical advice
❖ Use a float in formulas when fractional values are needed
❖ A float can be very large or small
❖ floating point math involves small rounding errors

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Integer and floating point variables use

different arithmetic rules
Integer math: Division rounds to nearest int
int a, b, c;

a = 4;
b = 3;
c = a/b; // Value of 1 is stored in c

Floating point math

float x, y, z;

x = 4.0; // Include “point zero” to reinforce

y = 3.0; // that x and y are floats
z = x/z; // Value of 1.3333333 is stored in z

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Use conversion functions to change type

Convert to an integer:
a = int(x);

Convert to a floating point value:

x = float(i);

Practical Advice
Use explicit type conversion functions to convey your intent

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 Defining and Using Variables
❖ All variables must be declared before use
❖ Declaration consists of a type specification and the variable name
❖ A declaration may also include an assignment
❖ Use meaningful variable names
❖ Add comments to further clarify meaning
Examples
int red_pin; // declaration only
int blue_pin = 5; // declaration and assignment
int greenPin = 0;

float voltage; // Voltage of the input signal

float maxVoltage = 5.0; // Maximum range of analog input

sensorVal = analogRead(sensorPin); // get reading

// convert to floating point voltage

voltage = float(sensorVal)*maxVoltage/float(range);

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Case study: Use floats to store sensor values

Use photo-resistor circuit to

5V
create sensor input
❖ Convert input reading to a voltage
using floating point variables
❖ Use loops to compute the average photoresistor
of sensor readings

Analog pin 3

10 kΩ

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Try it! Measure photoresistor output

5V
Build the photo-resistor circuit
and run this program
int sensorVal; photoresistor
int sensorPin = 3;
float voltage; Analog pin 3
float input2volts = 5.0/1023.0;
10 kΩ
void setup () {
Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop () {
sensorVal = analogRead(sensorPin);
voltage = float(sensorVal)*input2volts;
Serial.print(“sensorVal, voltage = “);
Serial.print(sensorVal); Serial.print(“ “);
Serial.println(voltage);
}

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 Loops

Loops

Loops allow code to be repeated

❖ Repeated code goes in a block, surrounded by { }
❖ for loops
‣ need a counter
❖ while loops
‣ need an escape

int i; // declare counter

for ( i=0; i<=12; i++ ) { // standard structure

Serial.println(i); // send value of i to serial monitor

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Loops
Initial value of counter
i=0 only on first pass through the loop
Stopping test: Continue while this
condition is true

int i; // declare counter

for ( i=0; i<=12; i++ ) { // standard structure

Serial.println(i); // send value of i to serial monitor

Increment: How to change i on each

pass through the loop
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 Loops
Common loop: increment by one
for ( i=0; i<=12; i++ ) { // increment by one
... code block goes here
}

Common loop: increment by two

for ( i=0; i<=12; i+=2 ) { // increment by two
... code block goes here
}

Decrement by one
for ( i=12; i>=0; i-- ) { // decrement by one
... code block goes here
}

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Try it! Modify the photoresistor program

5V
Change the loop function
(modify your previous code) photoresistor

void loop () { Analog pin 3

float sensorAve; 10 kΩ
int sensorSum;
int nave=5;

sensor_sum = 0.0; This code contains errors

for ( i=1; i<=nave; i++ ) { that you will need to fix
sensorVal = analogRead(sensorPin); before it runs!
sensorSum = sensorSum + sensorVal;
}
sensorAve = float(sensorSum)/float(nave);
voltage = sensorAve*input2volts;
Serial.print(“Average voltage = “);
Serial.println(voltage);
}

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Test it! Break your code to learn how it works

Change nave
❖ Increase nave from 5 to 10, 50, 100, 500
❖ Why is the reading negative for large nave?
❖ How can you fix this by changing the variable type for sensorSum?
Add print statements inside the averaging loop
Serial.print(“\t Reading = “);
Serial.println(sensorVal);

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