Hello everyone!
I have been trying to use the Arduino Uno to create square pulses at the following frequencies, 10Hz, 5Hz, 1Hz, .5Hz, and .12Hz using PWM. I’ve been using Timer1 in CTC mode with a 1024 (1562Hz) prescaler.
The problem is that as I lower the frequency, the waveforms I see on the oscilloscope looks less and less like a square wave. 10Hz, 5Hz, and even 1Hz produces a square wave that produce square waves where the bottom and top of the waveform has a slope and is not flat. The .5Hz and .12Hz waveforms are unrecognizable and almost seem sporadic. I’ve tried different combinations of OCR values and prescalers in Timer1 but no I have seen no real improvement.
Are there any suggestions on how to produce a clean square waveform at these lower frequencies? This is being used as apart of a scientific instrument so it is important that the signal is clean and reliable.
The code is below:
Thanks so much for your help!!
int ledPin = 10; // sets pin 10 to output the same value at the ledPin output
int blinkPin = 9; // set pin 9 to output the same value as the output timer which is the blinkPin
void TimerOne_setPeriod(long OCRValue)
{
TCCR1B = _BV(WGM12)|_BV(CS12)|_BV(CS10); // CTC mode - 1024 prescale
// TCCR1B = _BV(WGM12)|_BV(CS12)|_BV(CS11)|_BV(CS10); is the entire command but since CS11=0 its left out
// manipulates prescale (one of the parameters we can manipulate**we want to use prescales that yeields high ORC values for more reliable signals
TCCR1A = _BV(COM1A0); // or use TCCR1A = 0x40; // Toggle mode 0C1A
// This is used to toggle on pin 11 ** pin 11 = 0 x 1 so COM(COM1A1) = 0 and is not in code
// **Determines pin behavor
OCR1A = OCRValue; // set the counter
}
void setup()
{
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT); // Makes ledPin is the output
pinMode(blinkPin, OUTPUT); // turn on the timer ouput pin and it also the input;
TimerOne_setPeriod(15625); // set up and start Timer1 to blink at the same rate as the blink sketch
/* Insert the follwing values into the TimerOne_setPeriod() here for the following frequencies:
.12 Hz: 65104.16667
.5 Hz: 15625
1 Hz: 7812.5
5 Hz: 1562.5
10 Hz: 781.25
*/
}
void loop()
{
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW); // set the LED on
delay(1000); // wait for a second
digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH); // set the LED off
delay(1000); // wait for a second
}
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tags added.