Arduinosumo bot with rotatory motor - c++

Question

I am making a sumo bot for a project by using an Arduino. I have no experience with Arduino code, but I do have java experience. That said this bot has an edge detector to prevent it from falling off, a L298 driver, and so forth.
With my lack of experience, I don't know exactly how Arduino's code works with methods and etc. That said, my main question is how is it executing my methods with the delays? Is it getting stuck in the methods with no return? Not entering? Executing be ending later? Currently it seems to just run the motors forward without the switch on or off. I have also checked the wiring. ( I apologize for poor questioning- stackedoverflow virgin).
int motor_forward = 10;
int motor_reverse = 9;
int motor2_forward = 13;
int motor2_reverse = 12;
int edgeDec1 = 7;
//int edgeDec2 = 6;
//the setup routine runs once when you press reset;
void setup(){
//initialize the digital pin as an output.
pinMode(motor_forward, OUTPUT);
pinMode(motor_reverse,OUTPUT);
pinMode(motor2_forward,OUTPUT);
pinMode(motor2_reverse,OUTPUT);
pinMode(edgeDec1,INPUT);
}
//the loop routine runs over and over again forever
void loop(){
int indicator = random(2);
delay(5000);//5 second delay
//loop to prevent another 5 second delay
while(true){
if (indicator = 0){
for(int x = 0; x < random(200); x++){
Forward();
EdgeDec();
delay(10);
}
}
else if ( indicator = 1){
for(int x = 0; x < random(200); x++){
TurnLeft();
EdgeDec();
delay(10);
}
}
else if ( indicator = 2){
for(int x = 0; x < random(200); x++){
TurnRight();
EdgeDec();
delay(10);
}
}
}
}
void Forward(){
//right motor
digitalWrite(motor_forward,1);//terminal d1 will be high
digitalWrite(motor_reverse,0);//terminal d2 will be low
//left motor
digitalWrite(motor2_forward,1);//terminal d1 will be high
digitalWrite(motor2_reverse,0);//terminal d2 will be low
}
//going in reverse
void Reverse(){
//right motor
digitalWrite(motor_forward,0);//terminal d1 will be low
digitalWrite(motor_reverse,1);//terminal d2 will be high
//left motor
digitalWrite(motor2_forward,0);//terminal d1 will be low
digitalWrite(motor2_reverse,1);//terminal d2 will be high
}
//rotating left
void TurnLeft(){
//right motor
digitalWrite(motor_forward,0);//terminal d1 will be high
digitalWrite(motor_reverse,1);//terminal d2 will be low
//left motor
digitalWrite(motor2_forward,1);//terminal d1 will be high
digitalWrite(motor2_reverse,0);//terminal d2 will be low
}
void TurnRight(){
//right motor
digitalWrite(motor_forward,1);//terminal d1 will be high
digitalWrite(motor_reverse,0);//terminal d2 will be low
//left motor
digitalWrite(motor2_forward,0);//terminal d1 will be high
digitalWrite(motor2_reverse,1);//terminal d2 will be low
}
void EdgeDec(){
if(edgeDec1 == 1){
Reverse();
delay(700);
TurnLeft();
delay(1000);
Forward();
}
}

Answer 1

You have a couple of errors/misunderstandings in your code, so I've added a bit of simple debugging that works by opening Tools>Serial Monitor after you've downloaded your code. In your EdgeDec() function (function = Java method) you had if(EdgeDec = 1), but EdgeDec is just an int with the value of 7. What you wanted was to read the value of a pin numbered 7 - if(digitalRead(edgeDec1) == LOW).
also, I reversed your logic from HIGH (1) to LOW (0) because you hadn't tied down the digitalRead pins either LOW (using external resistors) or HIGH (using the Arduino's internal resistors) - read my comments in the code. Not sure what you were doing with the while(true) loop - maybe some further debugging? Anyway, hope it helps...
int motor_forward = 10;
int motor_reverse = 9;
int motor2_forward = 13;
int motor2_reverse = 12;
int edgeDec1 = 7;
//int edgeDec2 = 6;
int indicator; // pulled this out of your loop - askchipbug
String repeatstring; //debugging variable, stops a debug string from repeating in Serial monitor when watching a loop - askchipbug
//the setup routine runs once when you press reset;
void setup(){
Serial.begin(9600); // set up Serial library at 9600 bps, using SerialMonitor to debug - askchipbug
//initialize the digital pin as an output.
pinMode(motor_forward, OUTPUT);
pinMode(motor_reverse,OUTPUT);
pinMode(motor2_forward,OUTPUT);
pinMode(motor2_reverse,OUTPUT);
pinMode(edgeDec1,INPUT_PULLUP); // set this high so it doesn't float about - askchipbug
// you can use the internal 20k pullups with INPUT_PULLUP which means 1 = off, 0 = on
// or you have to use external pulldown resistors to have 1 = on, 0 = off
pr("setup completed"); // askchipbug
}
//the loop routine runs over and over again forever
void loop(){
randomSeed(analogRead(0)); // seeds the random() function with a different number each time the loop runs - askchipbug
indicator = random(2);
pr("indicator: " + String(indicator)); // askchipbug
pr("5 second delay");
delay(5000);//5 second delay
//loop to prevent another 5 second delay
while(true){
if (indicator == 0){ //you had this set as indicator = 0 - askchipbug
pr("indicator: " + String(indicator)); // askchipbug
for(int x = 0; x < random(200); x++){
Forward();
EdgeDec();
delay(10);
}
}
else if ( indicator = 1){
pr("indicator: " + String(indicator)); //askchipbug
for(int x = 0; x < random(200); x++){
TurnLeft();
EdgeDec();
delay(10);
}
}
else if ( indicator = 2){
pr("indicator: " + String(indicator));// askchipbug
for(int x = 0; x < random(200); x++){
TurnRight();
EdgeDec();
delay(10);
}
}
}
}
void Forward(){
//right motor
pr("forward"); //askchipbug
digitalWrite(motor_forward,1);//terminal d1 will be high
digitalWrite(motor_reverse,0);//terminal d2 will be low
//left motor
digitalWrite(motor2_forward,1);//terminal d1 will be high
digitalWrite(motor2_reverse,0);//terminal d2 will be low
}
//going in reverse
void Reverse(){
pr("reverse"); //askchipbug
//right motor
digitalWrite(motor_forward,0);//terminal d1 will be low
digitalWrite(motor_reverse,1);//terminal d2 will be high
//left motor
digitalWrite(motor2_forward,0);//terminal d1 will be low
digitalWrite(motor2_reverse,1);//terminal d2 will be high
}
//rotating left
void TurnLeft(){
pr("turn left"); //askchipbug
//right motor
digitalWrite(motor_forward,0);//terminal d1 will be high
digitalWrite(motor_reverse,1);//terminal d2 will be low
//left motor
digitalWrite(motor2_forward,1);//terminal d1 will be high
digitalWrite(motor2_reverse,0);//terminal d2 will be low
}
void TurnRight(){
pr("turn right"); //askchipbug
//right motor
digitalWrite(motor_forward,1);//terminal d1 will be high
digitalWrite(motor_reverse,0);//terminal d2 will be low
//left motor
digitalWrite(motor2_forward,0);//terminal d1 will be high
digitalWrite(motor2_reverse,1);//terminal d2 will be low
}
void EdgeDec(){
pr("edge detector: " + String(digitalRead(edgeDec1))); // read pin 7 - askchipbug
if(digitalRead(edgeDec1) == LOW){ // remember we're using the internal pullups so LOW = on - askchipbug
pr("edge detected!"); // askchipbug
Reverse();
delay(700);
TurnLeft();
delay(1000);
Forward();
}
}
//simple debug technique - use pr("something"); in your code - askchipbug
void pr(String txt){
if(repeatstring != txt){
//if the debug text is different, print it
Serial.println(txt); //prints the text and adds a newline
Serial.flush(); //waits for all the data to be printed
delay(1000); //just pauses the scrolling text for 1 second, make bigger if you want a longer pause
repeatstring = txt;
}
}

Answer 2

The delay method in Arduino generally speaking is implemented as just executing a number of nops on the CPU for enough cycles to make up the required delay time. It's essentially a blocking call in that it just completely uses up the CPU for enough time as specified by the argument passed to delay.
For example lets say that your processor is running at 100hz then essentially to delay for 1 second would involve generating 100 nop instructions that the processor would execute. The presumes of course that such an instruction takes exactly 1 clock cycle. Given that the Arduino Uno runs off an ATMEGA328p microprocessor you would want to look at that datasheet to find out more.