Rob, mike

I will try your version on #23 to see how it goes. Do you mind doing a polled version instead of the ISR as you promised?
In the near future I will be looking on how to achieve time stamping with arduino and Real time clock.

Many thanks.
Steffano.

Mike, Rob,

Wondering if you have had a look at the latest working 3 digit 7 segment display code I posted yesterday?
I am working on this with my ISR.

Steffano.

Mike,

I slept 5am this morning working on this, my hardware is perfect. My verbose 000--999 counting code I posted before works flawlessly
have even tried to do another simplified counting code and all counts perfectly. The problem is in the software(the code you sent to me)
No matter what I change 0 or ones the display stays the same all through.

Steffano

Rob,

I have done all I can and the only segments am getting lit are a,b,c and d, the rest are off and nothing sensible is coming out of my display.

Mike,

I am completely lost even after changing the code it displays some funny characters and only digits  1 and 3 are enabled.
The lit segments on both digits 1 and 3 are a,b,c and d the rest of the segments are off. My verbose digitalwrite long counter
still works fine even after swapping the 37,38 and 39 pins for 25,26 and 27 on PORTA.  
Schematics to follow in a bit.

Steffano.

Code:

Mike,

I am still struggling with the display code to be honest. it lights my first digit wired to pin 37 and the digit is not clear enough can only see number 1.
my seven segments (a to f) are wired to pins 30 to 36) and my digit enable pins are 37, 38,39 and up to now I can't figure it out.

Thanks.

Mike,

I will do that and let you know.

Thanks.

Mike,

I have rearranged the byte digitpatterns and atleast something is coming up on my display,though can't recognise what digits they are apart from digit 1, however, This is not exactly what I want but I will keep working till I achieve this.

This time round I will be mature to ask for any more help as these ideas are great and very helpful.

Much thanks

Steffano.

Mike,

hahahaha Got you! Thanks alot It still needs abit of tweaking here and there.I think it's the ports now.
Am checking the arduino mega 2560 schematics to see the port of my pins.
Sorry for being a newbie!!

Thank you very much.

Graynomad,

I do appreciate your help and I will work on the display code.
My main problem is to call the counting code after the interrupts have happened
to update the display. Does the counting code go into the main loop just before the interrupts?
Anyone willing to help please?

Thanks.

Mike,

Sorry the ISR stuff wasn't mean't for you.
My counter code is abit verbose coz am a newbie!! I will still modify it as you said.
Still hitting hard rocks on how to call the counting code for my display.

Graynomad,

I have tried to go your way and it seems that I need more modification as your example code doesn't give me anything on the serial monitor.

Mike,

I have been thinking of your reply and I feel it makes sense.
Can you please insert an example on my ISR code attached?
this will be a starter for me, bearing in mind that I have the code that
displays 000---999-000, how to call it is a bit of a challenge to me as a newbie.

Hi Rob,

That's true, I can print on the serial monitor and that's where I can see the counting up/down.
And I also have the code that counts from 0 to 999 back to 0. All I want to know is how to fix the counting
code to be called upon the interrupts occurring so as to update the counter and hold that count till the next sequence of interrupts.
Am glad you are willing to help.
Thanks.

Steffano.

My infrared sensors do give very clean pulses since they are hooked to a schmitt trigger.
My version of interrupts does work well as it captures all the 4 changes on the 2 pins
of my sensors, having said that I still need help integrating the function to display 0-999
incrementing or decrementing as neccessary. I do take the advice from reply #15.
I am also taking in all the advice so far given and much thanks to all.