LED Clock Code

lpsarsam · Apr 23, 2012

Hi

I am just starting to learn basic for pic after using logicator.
I am building an LED clock that uses shift registers and a ring of LEDs around the edge of the clock for the seconds and four 7 segment displays for the hours and minutes (controlled by 4026 chips). The chip I am using is an 18m2 so pretty much, every time I send a pulse out of C.1, a new LED will light to show an extra second. A pulse from C.0 clears the LEDs. B.7 advances the minutes, B.6 clears the minutes. B.5 increments the hours and B.4 clears the hours. The time is read from a time keeping chip over I2C.
As I am just starting with basic, could someone please check over my code and point out my errors and if possible, help me optimise it.
Thanks

Code:

#picaxe 18m2

start0:
i2cslave %11010000,i2cslow, i2cbyte
readi2c 0, (b0,b1,b2)

;spam pulses to set up the second hand
b10=0
looping:
if b1<>b10 then
high C.1
pause 1
low C.1
inc b0
goto looping
endif

;spam pulses to set up the minute digits on 7 seg
b10=0
looping1:
if b2<>b10 then
high B.7
pause 1
low B.7
inc b0
goto looping1
endif

;spam pulses to set up the hour digits on 7 seg
b10=0
looping2:
if b3<>b10 then
high B.5
pause 1
low B.5
inc b0
goto looping2
endif
stop

;increment leds every second by sending pulse out of C.1
start1:
secondsmainloop:

i2cslave %11010000,i2cslow, i2cbyte
readi2c 0, (b0)

b10=b0+1
if b10 = 60 then
high C.0
pause 1
low C.0
goto secondsmainloop
endif

secondincloop:
if b0<>b10 then
goto secondincloop
endif
high C.1
pause 1
low C.1
goto secondsmainloop:

;increment 7 seg count every minute by sending pulse out of B.7
start2:
minutesmainloop:

i2cslave %11010000,i2cslow, i2cbyte
readi2c 0, (b1)

b10=b1+1
if b11 = 60 then
high B.6
pause 1
low B.6
goto minutesmainloop
endif

minuteincloop:
if b1<>b11 then
goto minuteincloop
endif
high B.7
pause 1
low B.7
goto minutesmainloop


;increment 7 seg count every hour by sending pulse out of B.5
start3:
hoursmainloop:

i2cslave %11010000,i2cslow, i2cbyte
readi2c 0, (b2)

b12=b2+1
if b10 = 12 then
high B.4
pause 1
low B.4
goto hoursmainloop
endif

hourincloop:
if b2<>b12 then
goto hourincloop
high B.5
pause 1
low B.5
endif
goto hoursmainloop:

nick12ab · Apr 23, 2012

An easy optimization to do is to replace the high - pause - low sequences with pulsout commands. Doing this alone reduces program memory usage from 182 to 162 bytes. I've also added white spacing to improve readability.

Code:

#picaxe 18m2

start0:
    i2cslave %11010000,i2cslow, i2cbyte
    readi2c 0, (b0,b1,b2)

;spam pulses to set up the second hand
    b10=0
looping:
    if b1<>b10 then
        pulsout C.1,1
        inc b0
        goto looping
    endif

;spam pulses to set up the minute digits on 7 seg
    b10=0
looping1:
    if b2<>b10 then
        pulsout B.7,1
        inc b0
        goto looping1
    endif

;spam pulses to set up the hour digits on 7 seg
    b10=0
looping2:
    if b3<>b10 then
        pulsout B.5,1
        inc b0
    goto looping2
    endif
    stop

;increment leds every second by sending pulse out of C.1
start1:
secondsmainloop:

    i2cslave %11010000,i2cslow, i2cbyte
    readi2c 0, (b0)
    
    b10=b0+1
    if b10 = 60 then
        pulsout C.0,1
        goto secondsmainloop
    endif

secondincloop:
    if b0<>b10 then
        goto secondincloop
    endif
    pulsout C.1,1
    goto secondsmainloop:

;increment 7 seg count every minute by sending pulse out of B.7
start2:
minutesmainloop:

    i2cslave %11010000,i2cslow, i2cbyte
    readi2c 0, (b1)
    
    b10=b1+1
    if b11 = 60 then
        pulsout B.6,1
        goto minutesmainloop
    endif

minuteincloop:
    if b1<>b11 then
        goto minuteincloop
    endif
    pulsout B.7,1
    goto minutesmainloop


;increment 7 seg count every hour by sending pulse out of B.5
start3:
hoursmainloop:
    
    i2cslave %11010000,i2cslow, i2cbyte
    readi2c 0, (b2)
    
    b12=b2+1
    if b10 = 12 then
        pulsout B.4,1
        goto hoursmainloop
    endif

hourincloop:
    if b2<>b12 then
        goto hourincloop
        pulsout B.5,1
    endif
    goto hoursmainloop:

lpsarsam · Apr 23, 2012

Ah, Thanks

But can you see any major errors here that would prevent my code from working as it should?

nick12ab · Apr 23, 2012

lpsarsam said:
Ah, Thanks
But can you see any major errors here that would prevent my code from working as it should?

In this section of code:

Code:

hourincloop:
    if b2<>b12 then
        goto hourincloop
        pulsout B.5,1
    endif
    goto hoursmainloop

if b2 <> b12 then it will be stuck in an endless loop and nothing can be done about it.

lpsarsam · Apr 23, 2012

Yes, but I don't see how it could get stuck, as just before that section, it tells the chip to read the time, add 1 hour/minute/second, then loop until that the time = the time + 1 second, where as 1 second has passed, the next LED will light up. Can you think of a more reliable/more efficient method without having it run loops constantly.
Thanks

nick12ab · Apr 23, 2012

lpsarsam said:
Yes, but I don't see how it could get stuck, as just before that section, it tells the chip to read the time, add 1 hour/minute/second, then loop until that the time = the time + 1 second, where as 1 second has passed, the next LED will light up. Can you think of a more reliable/more efficient method without having it run loops constantly.
Thanks

Unless I've missed some magical update, on PICAXE you need to manually read in the time using i2c if you want to check whether the time has been updated - or use the inbuilt timer (which you wouldn't want to do when i2c is fine).

lpsarsam · Apr 23, 2012

Oh, I see it now! Thanks

nick12ab · Apr 23, 2012

By the way you also have it here: (and why is there a stop command?)

Code:

looping2:
    if b3<>b10 then
        pulsout B.5,1
        inc b0
        goto looping2
    endif
    stop

And here:

Code:

secondincloop:
    if b0<>b10 then
        goto secondincloop
    endif

And here:

Code:

looping:
    if b1<>b10 then
        pulsout C.1,1
        inc b0
        goto looping
    endif

Adrian Hudson · Apr 24, 2012

Hey, sounds just like a clock I just made (with help from others here), although your implementation sounds different (I used MAX2719's).

Sorry "Gorgy Timing" for the plagerism (http://www.gorgy-timing.com/en/)

lpsarsam · Apr 24, 2012

Very nice!!! I was going to use 7 segment displays, but are those LED matrix displays for the hours and minutes? Looks a bit more complex but way cooler

Adrian Hudson · Apr 25, 2012

Nope, just a whole bunch of LEDS (60 seconds + 12 five mins + (4 digits * 7 segments *3 LEDs per segment) + 2 colon LEDS = 158 LEDs The seconds are driven by one MAX2719 and the rest by a second (operating in 4 decoded, 4 not decoded mode).

I drilled holes in a piece of black perspex (I can supply a template for you if you wish) glued LEDs in the holes (test them first!!! I forgot! They all worked PHEW!) and wire them up mostly by bending the leads and soldering. Connect with a few ribbon cables to the main circuit board. Program. Done. It even ticks

fernando_g · Apr 25, 2012

Adrian Hudson said:
Hey, sounds just like a clock I just made (with help from others here), although your implementation sounds different (I used MAX2719's).

View attachment 11081

(http://www.gorgy-timing.com/en/)

I checked Maxim's site for the MAX2719, but responds with a "No results found."

MartinM57 · Apr 25, 2012

Max7129....

Adrian Hudson · Apr 25, 2012

Thanks Martin... yes typo. 7219.

...or MAX7221 which is near enough identical except less RF interference

MartinM57 · Apr 25, 2012

Doh - I got it wrong as well. Too much day job

Buzby · Apr 26, 2012

7129 ?, 7219, 2719 ?

Another advantage of Charliplexing, you have no part numbers to get wrong.

LED Clock Code

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