How to control to start and stop the Loop

Projects Programming
1

What statement or function should i use to control the program in the loop?
My goal is to start the program from the time the microcontroller is on after 7 mins the program inside the void loop (MULTIPLE LED ON and OFF) will run for 1 min then after 1 min is finished the program in the void loop will stop. and then again after 7 mins the void loop program will run again for 1 min. and again and again.

Thanks in advance.

int ledPin1 = 27;             // LED 1 connected to digital pin 27
int ledPin2 = 26;             // LED 2 connected to digital pin 26
int ledPin3 = 25;             // LED 3 connected to digital pin 25
int ledPin4 = 14;             // LED 4 connected to digital pin 14
int ledPin5 = 13;             // LED 5 connected to digital pin 13
int ledPin6 = 12;             // LED 6 connected to digital pin 12


int ledState1 = LOW;       // LED 1 is initially set to off
int ledState2 = HIGH;      // LED 2 is initially set to off
int ledState3 = LOW;       // LED 3 is initially set to off
int ledState4 = LOW;       // LED 4 is initially set to off
int ledState5 = LOW;       // LED 5 is initially set to off
int ledState6 = LOW;       // LED 6 is initially set to off

unsigned long millis1;        // initialises millis marker for LED 1
unsigned long millis2;        // initialises millis marker for LED 2
unsigned long millis3;        // initialises millis marker for LED 3
unsigned long millis4;        // initialises millis marker for LED 4
unsigned long millis5;        // initialises millis marker for LED 5
unsigned long millis6;        // initialises millis marker for LED 6

void setup() {
  pinMode(ledPin1, OUTPUT);      // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(ledPin2, OUTPUT);      // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(ledPin3, OUTPUT);      // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(ledPin4, OUTPUT);      // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(ledPin5, OUTPUT);      // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(ledPin6, OUTPUT);      // sets the digital pin as output
}

void loop() {

  // Update LED States
  digitalWrite(ledPin1, ledState1);
  digitalWrite(ledPin2, ledState2);
  digitalWrite(ledPin3, ledState3);
  digitalWrite(ledPin4, ledState4);
  digitalWrite(ledPin5, ledState5);
  digitalWrite(ledPin6, ledState6);

  // Toggle the LED states if the duration has passed
// LED -1
  if ( (millis() - millis1) > 2000) {
    millis1 = millis();
    if (ledState1 == LOW) {
      ledState1 = HIGH;
    } else if (ledState1 == HIGH) {
      ledState1 = LOW;
    }
  }

  // LED -2
  if ( (millis() - millis2) > 2000) {
    millis2 = millis();
    if (ledState2 == LOW) {
      ledState2 = HIGH;
    } else if (ledState2 == HIGH) {
      ledState2 = LOW;
    }
  }
  
  // LED -3
if ( (millis() - millis3) > 1500) {
    millis3 = millis();
    if (ledState3 == LOW) {
      ledState3 = HIGH;
    } else if (ledState3 == HIGH) {
      ledState3 = LOW;
    }
  } 
  
  // LED -4
  if ( (millis() - millis4) > 3000) {
    millis4 = millis();
    if (ledState4 == LOW) {
      ledState4 = HIGH;
    } else if (ledState4 == HIGH) {
      ledState4 = LOW;
    }
  } 
  
  // LED -5
  if ( (millis() - millis5) > 6000) {
    millis5 = millis();
    if (ledState5 == LOW) {
      ledState5 = HIGH;
    } else if (ledState5 == HIGH) {
      ledState5 = LOW;
    }
  }

// LED -6  
  if ( (millis() - millis6) > 2500) {
    millis6 = millis();
    if (ledState6 == LOW) {
      ledState6 = HIGH;
    } else if (ledState6 == HIGH) {
      ledState6 = LOW;
    }
  }
}
3

What's the issue you are having?

4

You should probably read how to use the forum first.
At the top of each section, there’s a header that explains what each section is for.

5

Your topic has been moved to a more suitable location on the forum. Introductory Tutorials is for tutorials that e.g. you write, not for questions. Feel free to write a tutorial once you have solved your problem :wink:

I think that you will have to read up on finite state machines. In the first state, you wait till 7 minutes have passed and then go to the second state. In the second state you run your pattern for one minute; once the minute is passed you go back to the first state (as you're using millis() you will have to record the end time of the second state.

6

Move the contents of 'loop()' into a function called 'DoPattern()'. Then change 'loop()' to:

const unsigned long Minutes = 60ul * 1000ul;
const unsigned long SevenMinutes = Minutes * 7;
const unsigned long EightMinutes = Minutes * 8;

void loop()
{
  static unsigned long startTime = 0;
  unsigned long elapsedInterval = millis() - startTime;

  // If more than seven minutes in, run the pattern
  if (elapsedInterval >= SevenMinutes)
    DoPattern();

  // If more than eight minutes in, re-start the sequence
  if (elapsedInterval >= EightMinutes)
    startTime = millis();
}
7

Dear John,

Thank you very much for the idea it helps a lot.

Regards,
Keven,

8

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