Stepper Moves, IR Flashes, Repeat... How?

Using Arduino Programming Questions
6

Hi Ian

Thanks for taking the time to help. I have been playing with this all day :wink:

A friend helped me and I got this working in a different way:

#include <AFMotor.h>
int IRledPin =  12;    // LED connected to digital pin 12
const int ButtonPin = 2;
AF_Stepper motor(200, 1);
int ButtonState = 0;

// This procedure sends a 38KHz pulse to the IRledPin
// for a certain # of microseconds. We'll use this whenever we need to send codes
void pulseIR(long microsecs) {
  // we'll count down from the number of microseconds we are told to wait
 
  cli();  // this turns off any background interrupts

  while (microsecs > 0) {
    // 38 kHz is about 13 microseconds high and 13 microseconds low
   digitalWrite(IRledPin, HIGH);  // this takes about 3 microseconds to happen
   delayMicroseconds(10);         // hang out for 10 microseconds, you can also change this to 9 if its not working
   digitalWrite(IRledPin, LOW);   // this also takes about 3 microseconds
   delayMicroseconds(10);         // hang out for 10 microseconds, you can also change this to 9 if its not working
 
   // so 26 microseconds altogether
   microsecs -= 26;
  }
 
  sei();  // this turns them back on
}
 
void SendNikonCode() {
  Serial.println("Fire Camera!");
  pulseIR(2080);
  delay(27);
  pulseIR(440);
  delayMicroseconds(1500);
  pulseIR(460);
  delayMicroseconds(3440);
  pulseIR(480);
 
  delay(65); // wait 65 milliseconds before sending it again
 
  pulseIR(2000);
  delay(27);
  pulseIR(440);
  delayMicroseconds(1500);
  pulseIR(460);
  delayMicroseconds(3440);
  pulseIR(480);
 
  delay(55);
}

void RotateTT() {
  Serial.println("6 Double coil steps");
  motor.step(6, FORWARD, DOUBLE);
}

// setup() is called first, then loop() is repeatedly called until power is switched off.
// We're doing everything in setup(), so loop() can be empty.

void setup()   {
  Serial.begin(9600);           // set up Serial library at 9600 bps
  Serial.println("Start!"); 
  pinMode(ButtonPin, INPUT);
  pinMode(IRledPin, OUTPUT);
  motor.setSpeed(5);
  for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
  if (ButtonState == LOW) {
     SendNikonCode();
     delay(1000);
     RotateTT();
     delay(1000);
  }
  else {
  digitalWrite(IRledPin, LOW);
  }
}
}
void loop()
{
  // All done. Loop here, doing nothing.
}

Though your method works too and seems cleaner. However, the next step is as you suggested, a button to start the process. I can't seem to work out the right code. You can see in the example above what I have tried and it just acts like the button is not there. i.e it cycles through the 2 functions for the amount specified, then stops. I tried to add a button start to your code also and the same happens

#include <AFMotor.h>
int IRledPin =  12;    // LED connected to digital pin 12
AF_Stepper motor(200, 1);
int NumberOfPictures = 5;  // How many pictures should we take?
int CountVariable = 0;  // I'll use this to keep a tab on how many pictures we've taken so far.
const int ButtonPin = 2;
int ButtonState = 0;

void setup()   {
  Serial.begin(9600);           // set up Serial library at 9600 bps
  Serial.println("Start!");  
  pinMode(IRledPin, OUTPUT);
  motor.setSpeed(5);
}

void loop() {
  if (ButtonState == LOW) {
  if (CountVariable == NumberOfPictures) return; // Stop now as CountVariable indicates that we have taken the correct NumberOfPictures

 RotateTT();
 delay(1000); // wait half a second for good measure
 SendNikonCode();
 delay(1000); // wait half a second for good measure
 CountVariable ++; // increment the count variable so it is actually counting :)
}  // at this point it will go to the top of the loop at the void loop() line and start again.
}

// This procedure sends a 38KHz pulse to the IRledPin 
// for a certain # of microseconds. We'll use this whenever we need to send codes
void pulseIR(long microsecs) {
  // we'll count down from the number of microseconds we are told to wait
 
  cli();  // this turns off any background interrupts

  while (microsecs > 0) {
    // 38 kHz is about 13 microseconds high and 13 microseconds low
   digitalWrite(IRledPin, HIGH);  // this takes about 3 microseconds to happen
   delayMicroseconds(10);         // hang out for 10 microseconds, you can also change this to 9 if its not working
   digitalWrite(IRledPin, LOW);   // this also takes about 3 microseconds
   delayMicroseconds(10);         // hang out for 10 microseconds, you can also change this to 9 if its not working
 
   // so 26 microseconds altogether
   microsecs -= 26;
  }
 
  sei();  // this turns them back on
}
 
void SendNikonCode() {
  Serial.println("Fire Camera!");
  pulseIR(2080);
  delay(27);
  pulseIR(440);
  delayMicroseconds(1500);
  pulseIR(460);
  delayMicroseconds(3440);
  pulseIR(480);
 
  delay(65); // wait 65 milliseconds before sending it again
 
  pulseIR(2000);
  delay(27);
  pulseIR(440);
  delayMicroseconds(1500);
  pulseIR(460);
  delayMicroseconds(3440);
  pulseIR(480);
  
  delay(55);
}


void RotateTT() {
  Serial.println("6 Double coil steps");
  motor.step(6, FORWARD, DOUBLE);
}

I would love to know what I'm doing wrong :astonished: