IR reflective (tape) sensor code problems

[Argoth]

Ummmm.... this will probably make me look really stupid, but part of my team has been playing with the EDU bot's Reflective IR sensors. I was told to program it, but I encountered a problem (why else would I be here? lol). For 15 seconds the bot is supposed to follow the line using two sensors (to eliminate the need for two seperate autonomous modes). Except my program completly skips that step and waits for 15 seconds, then goes to the bumper sensor code that is later on in the program.

/*right sensor= rc_dig_06
left sensor=rc_dig_08
bumper sensor=rc_dig_10*/

int counter=0;
short endprogram=0;

void Default_Routine(void)
{
counter++;
if((endprogram==0)&&(counter<900))
{
if((rc_dig_in06 !=0)&&(rc_dig_in08 !=0))/*if light is seen*/
{
pwm01=pwm03=255; /* turn left motors on */
pwm02=pwm04=0; /* turn right motors on*/
}
else if(rc_dig_in06 == 0) /* if dark is seen */
{
pwm01=pwm03=127; /* turn left motors off */
pwm02=pwm04=67; /* turn right motors forward slowly */
}
else if(rc_dig_in08 == 0) /* if dark is seen */
{
pwm01=pwm03=187; /* turn left motors forward slowly */
pwm02=pwm04=127; /* turn right motors off */
}
}


Can anyone tell me my problem?? PLEASE!!!

[Random Dude]

Side note: use the [code] tag to keep formatting of you code.

On topic, the code seems fine. Are you sure you not doing something silly like reinitalizing the pwm outpus to 127 someplace further on?

[deltacoder1020]

where are you declaring "counter" and "endprogram"? if they are outside a function, you probably need to initialize them somewhere else (i.e. don't put the =0 part in, instead assign them the value of 0 in User_Initialization or somewhere there).

if they are in the function, add "static" in front of "int", so that it reads "static int counter" and "static short endprogram" - you don't want the values reset every time the function is called.

it does seem that the counter is working at least somewhat decently, though, as it is waiting for 15 seconds... could you post the code that comes after the IR part?

[rwaliany]

Originally Posted by deltacoder1020

where are you declaring "counter" and "endprogram"? if they are outside a function, you probably need to initialize them somewhere else (i.e. don't put the =0 part in, instead assign them the value of 0 in User_Initialization or somewhere there).

if they are in the function, add "static" in front of "int", so that it reads "static int counter" and "static short endprogram" - you don't want the values reset every time the function is called.

it does seem that the counter is working at least somewhat decently, though, as it is waiting for 15 seconds... could you post the code that comes after the IR part?

Their code is correct..

You can initialize global variables and set values like so
int ROAAAR = 0;

I usually do

void blah(void)
{
  static int x = 0; 
}

though.

Personally, I recommend keeping the programming port connected and having a debug statement every 10 loops showing the values of PWMs, etc...

sample

// Paste top
//in the code, comment out to turn off debug
#define DEBUG_ALL

#ifdef DEBUG_ALL
unsigned int _debug_counter = 0;  // 0-65535 then rollover
#define debug_all(pulses, type)                                                            \
      {                                                                                    \
         if (_debug_counter % pulses == 0)                                                 \
         {                                                                                 \
            switch(type)                                                                   \
            {                                                                              \
            case 1:                                                                        \
               printf("PWM01 = %d, PWM02 = %d...\n", pwm01, pwm02);                        \
               break;                                                                      \
            case 2:                                                                        \
               printf("PWM03 = %d, PWM04 = %d...\n", pwm01, pwm02);                        \
               break;                                                                      \
            case 3:                                                                        \
               printf("rc_dig_out01 %d, rc_dig_out02.\n",                                  \
	       (int)rc_dig_out01, (int)rc_dig_out02);                                      \
               break;                                                                      \
	    default:                                                                       \
	       printf("Invalid type.\n");                                                  \
            }                                                                              \
         }                                                                                 \
      }
#else
#define debug_all(pulses, type) \
   { \
   }
#endif
// End paste top


// every loop call
void Process_Data_From_Master_uP(void)
{
  Getdata(&rxdata); /* Get fresh data from the master microprocessor. */
+ #ifdef DEBUG_ALL
+    _debug_counter++;
+ #endif
  //blah...

//code to call debug_all(numloops, type)
+   debug_all(10, 1);
+   debug_all(100, 2);
+   debug_all(50, 3);
}

That works for me. I like this approach because it doesn't waste memory when DEBUG_ALL is not defined, the code is not compiled in when DEBUG_ALL is set. I'll probably tie into the standard debugging and make the default code's debugging more efficient later. When your running the code even while not debugging, the default code has debugging built in and compiled wasting memory. I decided to post this because it shows a lot of the macro capabilities allowing you to emulate reference variables to a degree.

Thanks,
Ryan Waliany

[Astronouth7303]

Excuse me, but what are the slashes at the end of lines and the plus at the begining?

[steven114]

The pluses indicate that the line has been added to the code based on the previous version (he added lines where there already were some)

The slashes tell the preprocessor to keep looking on the next line, so that

#define HI 3\
4

looks like
#define HI 3 4

to the preprocessor.

[Astronouth7303]

Thanx, Did not know that!

[Argoth]

I am very stupid. I took my code to the meeting today and let one of the other programmers look at it to see if there was anything wrong in the code I wrote. There wasn't . Mid way up between default routine and beginning of the program there was and extra slash causing some commenting to become uncommented. Suprisingly it kept compiling with no errors!(that was what was really confounding us) So, we fixed it and I thank ya'll for helping.

Ps. I think I am probably the first person who has ever caused an error in the robot with the commenting...

[Astronouth7303]

Originally Posted by Argoth

I am very stupid. I took my code to the meeting today and let one of the other programmers look at it to see if there was anything wrong in the code I wrote. There wasn't . Mid way up between default routine and beginning of the program there was and extra slash causing some commenting to become uncommented. Suprisingly it kept compiling with no errors!(that was what was really confounding us) So, we fixed it and I thank ya'll for helping.

Ps. I think I am probably the first person who has ever caused an error in the robot with the commenting...

Hate to disapoint you, but probably not:

executing_code();
/* commented_out_code();
/*some comment 
about code that's
commented out*/
STILL_RUNNING();*/

Of course, all the veterens mention this to the rookies, so not recently.