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[on:]

I am very new to programming and am trying to operate a switch that is turned on for a second or two and then off again after a proximity type sensor is triggered, I want the program to ignore the proximity sensor for a set time after it senses movement so as not to keep restarting the process. Any help will be appreciated

[Reply #1 on:]

Code:

static unsigned long StartOfTimer = 0;
const unsigned long IntervalInMilliseconds = 5000;  // 5 seconds

// When the interval starts:
StartOfTimer = millis();

// When you want to be sure the interval has expired:
if (millis() - StartOfTimer > IntervalInMilliseconds) {
    // interval has passed
}

[Reply #2 on:]

Thanks John, I will try to implement this 

[Reply #3 on:]

I suspect it probably won't apply to your project, but the 32-bit long millis() function wraps around every 49.7 days or so.  If you used micros() which gives you time in microseconds instead, that would wrap around in a little over 1.15 hours.  However, if you eventually need to write a long running application, you would need to handle the wrap around.

[Reply #4 on:]

I suspect it probably won't apply to your project, but the 32-bit long millis() function wraps around every 49.7 days or so.  If you used micros() which gives you time in microseconds instead, that would wrap around in a little over 1.15 hours.  However, if you eventually need to write a long running application, you would need to handle the wrap around.

The code, as written, works across the wrap-around.

If switched to micros() it would still work across the wrap-around.

If you doubt it, do the math yourself (like I did years ago).

[Reply #5 on:]

It will be hard enough for me not knowing any code at all to try and get something simple working  But I will try... I dont even know what wrap around means...

[Reply #6 on:]

I dont even know what wrap around means...

Sure you do. You have a watch or clock, right? What comes after 12:59:59? (or 23:59:59, if its a 24 hour watch/clock)?

That's wraparound. The Arduino is perfectly capable of dealing with wraparound, if subtraction is used, and the interval between events is less than the time it takes for wraparound to occur (49+ days for millis()).

If your intervals are 49+ days, using the Arduino as a clock is the wrong approach, anyway.