Lag in code or skipping ahead in code?

[espruino-discuss]

Posted at 2014-12-09 by Hellis

I'm not sure what the problem is, if it's hardware or software.
Feel free to move the thread if it's in the wrong place.

I have a code that deletes files of GoPro SD cards that are not needed. (THM and LRV- files)

The code switch the red LED on and off during the delete process to show that it's running.
Then it should play a sound, and then after the sound turn on the green LED.

If there is no SD card in the SD-slot the LEDs should flash and play a "error-sound". And that part of the code works as it should without the lag.

Video

The code:

/*
GoPro cleaner.
Removes THM and LRV-files from your GoPro SD card.

The code is written to work with a Espruino without soldering anything.
But if you wish to mount it in a case you probably need external LEDs.
In this project I have solderd a green LED on pin A1 and 3.3 volt.
A red LED on A0 and 3.3 volt.
A speaker on pin C8 and 3.3 volt.

The speaker was taken out of a old mobile phone.
*/
function onInit() {
  var path = 'DCIM/101GOPRO';
  try{
    var files = fs.readdirSync(path);

    for(var i in files) {
      var str=files[i];
      str2=str.split('.');
      if(str2[1] === "THM" || str2[1] === "LRV") {
         LED1.write(1); //Turn on red onchip LED
         digitalWrite(A0,0); // turn on external red LED
         //The line below outputs the files deleted to Web IDE
         // But if the line is "active" when not connected to
         // PC the code won't run
         //print(files[i]);
         fs.unlink(path + '/' + files[i]);
       }
       LED1.write(0); // turn off onchip LED
       digitalWrite(A0,1); // Turn off external LED
    }

    //Play sound when unlink is done.
    delay= 100; // If there is no delay in the code below
                // the code will skip the first sound.
    setTimeout(function() {analogWrite(C8, 0.5, {freq : 2000})}, delay);
    setTimeout(function() {analogWrite(C8, 0)}, delay+200);
    setTimeout(function() {analogWrite(C8, 0.7, {freq : 2000})}, delay+200);
    setTimeout(function() {analogWrite(C8, 0)}, delay+400);

    E.unmountSD();
    LED2.write(1); //Turn on green onchip LED
    digitalWrite(A1,0); // Turn on external green LED

  }


  //If there is no SD-card inserted
  catch(err){
    //Play "error sound"
    freq = 50;
    setInterval(function() {
      analogWrite(C8, 0.5, {freq : freq});
      if (freq==50) { 
        freq = 150;
      } else{
        freq = 50;
      }
    }, 500);

    //Make external LEDs flash alternating
    setInterval("l=!l;digitalWrite(A1,l)",500);
    setInterval("l=!l;digitalWrite(A0,l)",500);
    setInterval("l=!l;digitalWrite(A1,l)",500);

    //Make onchip LEDs flash alternating
    setInterval("k=!k;LED1.write(k)",500);
    setInterval("k=!k;LED2.write(k)",500);
    setInterval("k=!k;LED1.write(k)",500);
  }
}

[gfwilliams]

Posted at 2014-12-09 by @gfwilliams

That is strange - I'm not sure what to suggest.

I'm not sure these will help with the problem you're having, but could you try:

• Removing setTimeout(function() {analogWrite(C8, 0)}, delay+200); as if you're unlucky it may stop the second beep from working.
• Moving the setTimeouts to after the E.unmountSD() command

What happens if you comment out the try and the whole catch(err) { ... }? That wouldn't be a problem with your code, but it's possible that there is some issue with Espruino's JavaScript interpreter.

Do you have an up to date version of Espruino? It should show a little warning icon in the top right if not.

[espruino-discuss]

Posted at 2014-12-09 by Hellis

It's the latest version.
I will try these changes tomorrow, didn't have time for more.
Also, I believe the number of files deleted changes the time delay between green lights on and beep.
More files, longer delay

[espruino-discuss]

Posted at 2014-12-10 by Hellis

Ok!

Now I have tried that new code also but I'm not sure it made any difference at all :-/
I forgot to mention in the video that when files are not beeing deleted the new and old version of the code works the same.

Video

Code:

/*
GoPro cleaner.
Removes THM and LRV-files from your GoPro SD card.

The code is written to work with a Espruino without soldering anything.
But if you wish to mount it in a case you probably need external LEDs.
In this project I have solderd a green LED on pin A1 and 3.3 volt.
A red LED on A0 and 3.3 volt.
A speaker on pin C8 and 3.3 volt.

The speaker was taken out of a old mobile phone.
*/
function onInit() {
  var path = 'DCIM/101GOPRO';
  //try{
    var files = fs.readdirSync(path);
  
    for(var i in files) {
      var str=files[i];
      str2=str.split('.');
      if(str2[1] === "THM" || str2[1] === "LRV") {
         LED1.write(1); //Turn on red onchip LED
         digitalWrite(A0,0); // turn on external red LED
         //The line below outputs the files deleted to Web IDE
         // But if the line is "active" when not connected to
         // PC the code won't run
         //print(files[i]);
         fs.unlink(path + '/' + files[i]);
       }
       LED1.write(0); // turn off onchip LED
       digitalWrite(A0,1); // Turn off external LED
    }

    E.unmountSD();

    //Play sound when unlink is done.
    delay= 100; // If there is no delay in the code below
                // the code will skip the first sound.
    setTimeout(function() {analogWrite(C8, 0.5, {freq : 2000})}, delay);
    //setTimeout(function() {analogWrite(C8, 0)}, delay+200);
    setTimeout(function() {analogWrite(C8, 0.7, {freq : 2000})}, delay+200);
    setTimeout(function() {analogWrite(C8, 0)}, delay+400);

    LED2.write(1); //Turn on green onchip LED
    digitalWrite(A1,0); // Turn on external green LED

  //}


  //If there is no SD-card inserted
 /* catch(err){
    //Play "error sound"
    freq = 50;
    setInterval(function() {
      analogWrite(C8, 0.5, {freq : freq});
      if (freq==50) { 
        freq = 150;
      } else{
        freq = 50;
      }
    }, 500);

    //Make external LEDs flash alternating
    setInterval("l=!l;digitalWrite(A1,l)",500);
    setInterval("l=!l;digitalWrite(A0,l)",500);
    setInterval("l=!l;digitalWrite(A1,l)",500);

    //Make onchip LEDs flash alternating
    setInterval("k=!k;LED1.write(k)",500);
    setInterval("k=!k;LED2.write(k)",500);
    setInterval("k=!k;LED1.write(k)",500);
  }*/
}

[gfwilliams]

Posted at 2014-12-10 by @gfwilliams

Thanks for the video!

I'm a bit busy right now, but when I get a moment I'll run the code here and see if I can figure out what the problem is.

[gfwilliams]

Posted at 2014-12-10 by @gfwilliams

Right, just got it. The issue is that right after the board starts up, the real-time clock takes a second or so to sort itself out. For instance doing:

function onInit() {
  digitalWrite(LED2,1);
  setInterval("digitalWrite(LED1,l=!l);",100);
}

You'd expect the green LED to light up and the red one to start flashing immediately - but instead the green LED lights, there's about a second delay, and then the red starts flashing.

I'll see what I can do about this in later firmwares - I guess I can delay execution until the clock starts working correctly.

In the mean time, you could do your erasing when you press a button:

function eraseFiles() {
 // code here
}

setWatch(eraseFiles, BTN1, { repeat:true, edge:"rising", debounce:100 });

or maybe just start it after a 1 sec delay:

function eraseFiles() {
 // code here
}

function onInit() {
  setTimeout(eraseFiles,1000);
}

[espruino-discuss]

Posted at 2014-12-10 by Hellis

Sure!

Thank you for helping!

I have an idea I will test tonight when I get home.
Loop trough all 127 files but have the unlink code commented out.

If the code can loop through 39 files and the sound is in sync, but not loop through 9 files and delet 6 of them and cause a delay then there must be something in the code when the if returns true.

[espruino-discuss]

Posted at 2014-12-10 by Hellis

Just read your second reply.
Will test that tonight.
But I can't use the buttons on the board as it's enclosed in a case when assembeld.

[espruino-discuss]

Posted at 2014-12-10 by Hellis

But if the clock takes one second to start up, that does not explain the 9 second delay between green light and sound.
Or does it?

[gfwilliams]

Posted at 2014-12-10 by @gfwilliams

Ok, I've just looked into the interpreter code and it turns out it's actually a very specific problem, which I've just fixed (so it'll be in 1v72).

Basically timeouts are stored with the 'time until timeout'. Each time around the 'idle loop' that time gets checked and decremented by the time that has passed since the last iteration.

So when you create a timeout, Espruino says timerTime = requestedDelay+currentTime-lastIdleTime;.

Only lastIdleTime only gets initialised after onInit gets called, and could be almost anything.

[espruino-discuss]

Posted at 2014-12-10 by Hellis

So a easy fix would be to load the code after onInit, as you say btn1 push.
But as I can't use the onboard button, and looking at the reference page.
Pin B12, is that the same as the button?

So if I wish to use it I use a pushbutton connect one end to B12 and the other end to ??? 3.3 volt?

[gfwilliams]

Posted at 2014-12-10 by @gfwilliams

Yes, connecting between B12 and 3.3 would work great. You could also add setDeepSleep(1); to the your program (just enabling deep sleep mode), and then the device will draw very little power until you press the button - so you can just leave the battery connected for months on end.

[espruino-discuss]

Posted at 2014-12-10 by Hellis

I don't use a battery.
I have a doubble USB micro cable i solderd togheter and on one side I have connected pin 4 and 5 making it 'host'.
So when I connect the Espruino to my phone, the phone believes it's a host and lets the Espruino use power from the phones battery.

I have enough things with battery that needs to be charged :-)

[espruino-discuss]

Posted at 2014-12-10 by Hellis

Seems to work nice!
I managed to get the wrong button when I was in the store.
It's default on, and off when pushed. Doh'!

http://youtu.be/W8sDj9OR_7M

[gfwilliams]

Posted at 2014-12-11 by @gfwilliams

Great! Glad it's working!

I've got a bug open for the delay problems so I'll see what I can do to fix it for the next release.

[espruino-discuss]

Posted at 2014-12-18 by Hellis

Any idea why this is happening?
Push button is connected at pin B12 and 3.3 volt.
Slide switch is connected to between battery plus and bat-pin. (powerswitch)

Without the push button I don't need to keep the BTN1 pushed down to boot the Espruino.

http://youtu.be/JcUiw99fzIc

[gfwilliams]

Posted at 2014-12-18 by @gfwilliams

Ahh, ok - it's a normally closed button as you said before.

B12 - the button on the Espruino board - has a special function. If you hold it down when you boot, the device goes into bootloader mode so you can update the firmware. I guess that's what is happening.

Did you think of just connecting your button to another pin? You can use pinMode(XXX, "input_pulldown") so you don't need a resistor.

[espruino-discuss]

Posted at 2014-12-18 by Hellis

Oh sorry forgot to write that, this is a new button normally open.
So it works as normal buttons work. Push and something happens.

[espruino-discuss]

Posted at 2014-12-18 by Hellis

I could probably use a different pin also....
Will try that!
Thanks