Lighting LEDs by time schedule

Projects Programming
1

I have a sketch I need assistance with. The problem is that the LEDs don't seem to turn on when they are supposed to.
I've looked at the Time.h and TimeAlarms.h documentation trying to figure it out, and I think maybe there is something I've severly overlooked.

I'm using an Arduino UNO with a ds1307 as a RTC. I set the RTC with another script. The time appears to be reporting correctly when I check the serial monitor.

Any ideas on what may be wrong? (Don't laugh too hard, I know my baby is ugly right now) But It's my first rev! It's the only way I know how I think I can do it, and well, I'm not doing it right. Suggestions will be most appreciated! Here is the code:

/*
* Time_Rev2.ino
*
* This is a sketch for a 3 LED clock that is supposed to light LEDs at certain times.
*
* Monday-Friday:     Blue   6:35p - 5:29a
*                    Yellow 5:30a - 5:59a
*                    Green  6:00a - 7:00a
*                    OFF    7:01a - 6:34p
*
* Saturday/Sunday:   Blue   6:35p - 6:29a
*                    Yellow 6:30a - 6:59a 
*                    Green  7:00a - 8:00a 
*                    OFF    8:00a - 6:34p
*
*/

#include <Wire.h>
#include "RTClib.h"
#include <Time.h>
#include <TimeAlarms.h>

int bluePin = 13;                  // Blue LED connected to digital pin 13
int yellowPin = 12;                // Yellow LED connected to digital pin 12
int greenPin = 11;                 // Green LED connected to digital pin 11
int delayTime = 1000;              // initiate a delaytime amount here

RTC_DS1307 RTC;

void setup () {
    Serial.begin(57600);
    
    Wire.begin();
    RTC.begin();

  if (! RTC.isrunning()) {
    Serial.println("RTC is NOT running!");
  }
  
  DateTime now = RTC.now();
  setTime(hour(), minute(), second(), day(), month(), year());
  setTime(now.hour(),now.minute(),now.second(),now.day(),now.month(),now.year()); // set time & date
  
  // Monday Through Friday Alarms
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowMonday, 18,35,0, Blue);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowMonday, 5,30,0, Yellow);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowMonday, 6,00,0, Green);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowTuesday, 18,35,0, Blue);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowTuesday, 5,30,0, Yellow);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowTuesday, 6,00,0, Green);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowWednesday, 18,35,0, Blue);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowWednesday, 5,30,0, Yellow);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowWednesday, 6,00,0, Green);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowThursday, 18,35,0, Blue);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowThursday, 5,30,0, Yellow);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowThursday, 6,00,0, Green);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowFriday, 18,35,0, Blue);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowFriday, 5,30,0, Yellow);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowFriday, 6,00,0, Green);

  // Saturday and Sunday Alarms
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowSaturday, 18,35,0, Blue);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowSaturday, 6,30,0, Yellow);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowSaturday, 8,00,0, Green);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowSunday, 18,35,0, Blue);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowSunday, 6,30,0, Yellow);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowSunday, 8,00,0, Green);

  // Times that ALL LED's should be off
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowSunday, 8,00,0, Off);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowMonday, 7,01,0, Off);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowTuesday, 7,01,0, Off);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowWednesday, 7,01,0, Off);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowThursday, 7,01,0, Off);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowFriday, 7,01,0, Off);
  Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowSaturday, 8,00,0, Off);
  
  pinMode(bluePin, OUTPUT);        // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(yellowPin, OUTPUT);     // sets the digital pin as output
  pinMode(greenPin, OUTPUT);     // sets the digiral pin as output
}

void  loop(){  
  digitalClockDisplay();
  Alarm.delay(1000); // wait one second between clock display
}

void digitalClockDisplay(){
  // digital clock display of time & date
  Serial.print(hour());
  printDigits(minute());
  printDigits(second());
  Serial.print(" ");
  Serial.print(month());
  Serial.print("/");
  Serial.print(day());
  Serial.print("/");
  Serial.print(year()); 
  Serial.println(); 
}

void printDigits(int digits){
  // utility function for digital clock display: prints preceding colon and leading 0
  Serial.print(":");
  if(digits < 10)
    Serial.print('0');
  Serial.print(digits);
}

// *******************
// call alarm triggers
// *******************

void Blue()
{
  Serial.println("Blue");
  digitalWrite(bluePin, HIGH);       // sets the Blue LED on
  digitalWrite(yellowPin, LOW);      // sets the Yellow LED off
  digitalWrite(greenPin, LOW);       // sets the Green LED off
}

void Yellow()
{
  Serial.println("Yellow");
  digitalWrite(bluePin, LOW);        // sets the Blue LED off
  digitalWrite(yellowPin, HIGH);     // sets the Yellow LED on
  digitalWrite(greenPin, LOW);       // sets the Green LED off
}

void Green()
{
  Serial.println("Green");
  digitalWrite(bluePin, LOW);        // sets the Blue LED off
  digitalWrite(yellowPin, LOW);      // sets the Yellow LED off
  digitalWrite(greenPin, HIGH);      // sets the Green LED on
}

void Off()
{
  Serial.println("Off");
  digitalWrite(bluePin, LOW);        // sets the Blue LED off
  digitalWrite(yellowPin, LOW);      // sets the Yellow LED off
  digitalWrite(greenPin, LOW);       // sets the Green LED off
}
2

The problem is that the LEDs don't seem to turn on when they are supposed to.

Do they turn on some constant period of time late? Or, do they simply never come on?

Have you verified that the LEDs are wired correctly?

3

PaulS:

The problem is that the LEDs don't seem to turn on when they are supposed to.

Do they turn on some constant period of time late? Or, do they simply never come on?

Have you verified that the LEDs are wired correctly?

They don't appear to turn on. If they are turning on, it may be for a period so short, that I can't see it with my eye.

The LEDs are wired correctly. I can up load a "traffic" light sketch which with the same wiring and pin outputs will light them on and off.

4

What's printed over Serial?

5

The output on the serial monitor looks like this:

16:31:58 9/1/2012
16:31:59 9/1/2012
16:32:00 9/1/2012
16:32:01 9/1/2012
16:32:02 9/1/2012
16:32:03 9/1/2012
16:32:04 9/1/2012
16:32:05 9/1/2012

That's just a snip of course, that's what it prints every second.

6

So your Serial output confirms the LEDs aren't being turned on?

From the TimeAlarms FAQ in the readme file:

Q: How many alarms can be created?
A: Up to six alarms can be scheduled.
The number of alarms can be changed in the TimeAlarms header file (set by the constant dtNBR_ALARMS,
note that the RAM used equals dtNBR_ALARMS * 12)

Did you modify the TimeAlarms header file? You're using more than 6 alarms.

You also don't seem to be using AlarmRepeat correctly. Again from the documentation:

Alarm.alarmRepeat(Hour, Minute, Second, AlarmFunction);
Description: Calls user provided AlarmFunction every day at the given Hour, Minute and Second.

I don't see anything about a day of week there.

Documentation and related files I'm using are from here:
http://code.google.com/p/arduino-time/source/browse/trunk/TimeAlarms/

7

I don't see anything in the serial output that confirms that the LEDs are turning on. That's correct.

I have not modified the header file, I can do that and see if that helps.

The (alarmrepeat) cannot provide provide me the separation of a different schedule on Saturday and Sunday from the rest of the week. Perhaps if there is a way to do that I can abandon the source I got my library from and go with the standard library, but I'm not sure how to do that.

I may be using a different library from that one, although I can't seem to remember where I got it from. The readme from the one I am using contains:

Alarms can be specified to trigger a task repeatedly at a particular day of week and time of day:
Alarm.alarmRepeat(dowMonday, 9,15,0, MondayMorningAlarm);
This would call the function WeeklyAlarm() at 9:15am every Monday.

If you want the alarm to trigger once only on a particular day and time you can do this:
Alarm.alarmOnce(dowMonday, 9,15,0, MondayMorningAlarm);
This would call the function MondayMorning() Alarm on the next Monday at 9:15am.