Debugging and Logic Confusion

Using Arduino Programming Questions
1

Boiled my project down to this recurring error, and after hours of searching I cant find a problem with the code. An IR message is received, stored in a variable, and written to communicate with another Arduino board to run other tasks. However, when the power button is pressed, the problem occurs. When the power button is pressed once, the linked relay will turn off after a delay using a state machine. When the same power button is pressed again to wake the relay, it'll wake, and turn off again. At the bottom of the loop, I reset the variable to zero but the message is still encoded as a power message causing these extra commands to run. Below are the code itself and serial monitor readings for better clarity. Any help would be appreciated.

#include <IRremote.h>

#define RELAY 9
int RECV_PIN = 10;
#define GATE 11
#define ONE_WIRE_BUS 12

IRrecv irrecv(RECV_PIN);
decode_results results;

boolean power_message, POFHT, section_1 ;
char message, old_message;
int power_count = 0;
float Celcius = 0, Fahrenheit = 0;
String Cooling_State, Power_State, fans, Running_Fans;

unsigned long Message_Interval = 10;
unsigned long PSO_Interval = 15000;
unsigned long previousMillis_A = 0, previousMillis_B = 0;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  irrecv.enableIRIn(); // Start the receiver
  pinMode(GATE, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(RELAY, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(RELAY, HIGH);
  Power_State = "ON";
  fans = "ENABLED";
  delay(1000);
  Serial.write('a');
  message = 0;
}

void loop() {
  unsigned long currentMillis = millis();

  if (irrecv.decode(&results)) { //RECIEVE IR MESSAGES - START
    if (results.value == 0xE0E040BF) { //POWER
      message = 'a';
    }
    if (results.value == 0xE0E0E01F) { //VOLUME UP
      message = 'b';
    }
    delay(1);
    irrecv.resume(); // Receive the next value
  } //RECIEVE IR MESSAGES - END

  if (message == 'a' || message == 'b') { //FILTER MESSAGE BEFORE SENDING - START
    Serial.println("");
    Serial.print(message);
    Serial.print("\t");
    Serial.print("CHECK POINT");
    Serial.println("");

    if (message == 'a') {//ADJUST MESSAGE INTERVAL TIMING - START
      Message_Interval = 600;
    }
    else {
      Message_Interval = 10;
    } //ADJUST MESSAGE INTERVAL TIMING - END

    if (currentMillis - previousMillis_A >= Message_Interval) { // SEND MESSAGES - START
      if (message == 'a') { // SECTION 1 - ONCE PER LOOP, RESETS AT BOTTOM - START
        if (Power_State == "ON" && section_1 == false) {
          Serial.println("PRE - POWER OFF"); //FOR DEBUGGING
          Power_State = "OFF";
          section_1 = true; //SECTION 1 CHANGED TO TRUE TO AVOID ACTIVATING LOWER HALF OF POWER STATE OFF
          power_message = true;//I WANT TO TURN OFF
        }

        if (Power_State == "OFF" && section_1 == false && fans == "ENABLED") {
          Serial.println(""); //FOR DEBUGGING
          Serial.println("CANCEL PRE - POWER OFF"); //FOR DEBUGGING
          Serial.println(""); //FOR DEBUGGING
          Power_State = "ON";
          section_1 = true;
          power_message = false;//I WANT TO TURN ON
        }
      } // SECTION 1 - ONCE PER LOOP, RESETS AT BOTTOM - END

      if (Power_State == "ON") {
        Serial.write(message);
      }

      if (Power_State == "OFF" && fans == "DISABLED") { //FANS DISABLED CONFIRMS POWER HAS BEEN CUT BY RELAY
        Serial.println("WAKE UP FROM DEEP SLEEP"); //FOR DEBUGGING
        digitalWrite(RELAY, HIGH);
        Power_State = "ON";
        power_message = false;
        fans = "ENABLED";
        delay(1000);
        Serial.write(message);
      }
      message = 0;

      previousMillis_A = currentMillis;
    } // SEND MESSAGES - END
  } //FILTER MESSAGE BEFORE SENDING - END

  if (currentMillis - previousMillis_B >= PSO_Interval) { //POWER SETTINGS FOR DELAYED POWER OFF
    if (power_message == true && Power_State == "OFF") { //ON to OFF - 10 MINS
      Serial.println("GOING TO DEEP SLEEP"); //FOR DEBUGGING
      digitalWrite(RELAY, LOW);
      power_message = false;
      fans = "DISABLED";
    }
    previousMillis_B = currentMillis;
  }

  delay(100); 
  section_1 = false;
 old_message = message;
  message = 0;
}

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2

if-conditions with timing-related variables should not be inside other if-conditions.

It's the fundamental nature of the function millis() that it has to be checked at least one time
with resulting the if-condition to be false for making it work properly.

Believe me or start reading all the turoials about how to use millis()
(believing is faster)

re-think your logic in that way that the if-conditions that deal with timing are the most outer-if-conditions.
At least that if-conditions that execute previousMillis = currentMillis; are the most outside ones.

best regards Stefan

3

Your code is very confused and convoluted if you are only attempting to control 1 relay. Not least because you have chosen to use strings to indicate states.

I echo what Stefan says. Timing code should not be nested inside if statements. You can do checks such as...

if (Power_State == ON && currentMillis - previousMillis_B >= PSO_Interval)
{
  //Turn off
}

At least one thing that is blatantly wrong with your "off" code as it currently stands is that you are not setting "previousMillis_B = currentMillis" when you turn the relay ON. Unless you do that the millis() timing code at the bottom of loop() will execute regularly every "PSO_Interval" ms, and not "PSO_Interval" ms AFTER you send the command to turn on the power.

Please state clearly and precisely what the function of the two buttons should be.