Sonar Function Issue

Technical Programming
1

I am using the Maxbotics sensor, obtaining data through the AD, and need to find the difference between two consecutive readings. In the following, I have a distance function that returns the distance to the target in inches, and I use that number in the following function delta_distance() to find the difference between consecutive readings.

The problem is, when I run the thing, my return is always the inverse of the actual distance reading, and the issue is, solved with a printf, that my temp variable is never changing. It remains at zero constantly.


/*******************************************************************************
* FUNCTION NAME: distance
* PURPOSE:       returns a realtime distance from sonar, in inches
* CALLED FROM:   This file
* ARGUMENTS:     
*     Argument       Type             IO   Description
*     --------       -------------    --   -----------
*    none
* RETURNS:       unsigned int
*******************************************************************************/

unsigned int distance(void)
{

             return (unsigned int) Get_Analog_Value(rc_ana_in01)/s;
}




/*******************************************************************************
* FUNCTION NAME: delta_distance
* PURPOSE:      returns difference in range readings between cycles
* CALLED FROM:   This file
* ARGUMENTS:     
*     Argument       Type             IO   Description
*     --------       -------------    --   -----------
*    none
* RETURNS:       signed int
*******************************************************************************/
int delta_distance(void)
{
    int temp;
    
    temp -= distance();

    return (int) temp;

    temp=distance;
}

As well, if anyone can quickly through up a workable averaging function I’d be much obliged. I’ve tried without success, typically ending up with a constantly incrementing distance value, or erratic jumping output.


/*******************************************************************************
* FUNCTION NAME: distance
* PURPOSE:       returns a realtime distance from sonar, in inches
* CALLED FROM:   This file
* ARGUMENTS:     
*     Argument       Type             IO   Description
*     --------       -------------    --   -----------
*    none
* RETURNS:       unsigned int
*******************************************************************************/

unsigned int distance(void)
{
 unsigned int temp;
 i++;
 unsigned int Distance;
 
 temp+= (Get_Analog_Value(rc_ana_in01)/2)

 if (i>=5)
    {
          Distance=temp/i;
          i=0;
          
    }         


             return (unsigned int)Distance;
}

Thanks!

2

Team 95 has a huge number of IR sensors (BigHAIR: Big Honkin Array of IR sensors), and we keep time history and a running average on them. Here’s a snippet


long IR_range[6]; // current ranges, generated by another function
long IR_range_history[6][4];  // Last 4 readings, not necessarily in order (see below)
long IR_range_average[6]; // running average of last 4 readings

void Average_IR(void) {
   static counter=0;  

   index=counter++%4;  // Keeps from having to copy old data, just
                                 // overwrite one column at a time

   for (i=0;i<6;i++) {
        IR_range_history*[index]=IR_range*;
        IR_range_average*=0;
        for (j=0;j<4;j++) {
           IR_range_average*+=IR_range_history*[j];
        }
        IR_range_average*/=4;
   }
}
3

The temp variable in your code evaporates as soon as delta_distance() returns. If you want to keep a local variable’s value between calls to a function, you need to declare it static:


int delta_distance(void)
{
    static int last_distance = 0; // set to zero only on program start, retains value between function calls
    int delta; 
    delta = distance()-last_distance; // compute difference between distances
    last_distance = distance(); // remember this distance for next time
    return delta;
}