Wierd Thermistor and lcd trouble.

Projects Programming
1

Hey Everyone,
I have a problem that doesn't seem to make any sense. I'm trying to get a thermistor project to work. i have it wired right with a 10k thermistor and a 10 resistor. The problem is when, I "//" or delete the last two lcd instructions ( lcd.setCursor (0,1); lcd.print (result); ) the reading gets 10 degrees to higher than it should be. With those 2 instructions the temperature reading is really close.
What to do?
Thanks, red

#include <avr/pgmspace.h>

#define THERM_PIN 1 // 10ktherm & 10k resistor as divider.

// Big lookup Table (approx 750 entries), subtract 238 from ADC reading to start at 0C. Entries in 10ths of degree i.e. 242 = 24.2C Covers 0C to 150C For 10k resistor/10k thermistor voltage divider w/ therm on the + side.
const int temps[] PROGMEM = { 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288, 289, 289, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296, 297, 298, 299, 300, 301, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 359, 360, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, 366, 367, 368, 369, 370, 371, 372, 373, 374, 375, 376, 377, 378, 379, 380, 381, 382, 383, 384, 385, 386, 387, 388, 389, 390, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 398, 399, 400, 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, 408, 410, 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 419, 420, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 430, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 437, 438, 439, 441, 442, 443, 444, 445, 446, 448, 449, 450, 451, 452, 453, 455, 456, 457, 458, 459, 460, 462, 463, 464, 465, 466, 468, 469, 470, 471, 472, 474, 475, 476, 477, 479, 480, 481, 482, 484, 485, 486, 487, 489, 490, 491, 492, 494, 495, 496, 498, 499, 500, 501, 503, 504, 505, 507, 508, 509, 511, 512, 513, 515, 516, 517, 519, 520, 521, 523, 524, 525, 527, 528, 530, 531, 532, 534, 535, 537, 538, 539, 541, 542, 544, 545, 547, 548, 550, 551, 552, 554, 555, 557, 558, 560, 561, 563, 564, 566, 567, 569, 570, 572, 574, 575, 577, 578, 580, 581, 583, 585, 586, 588, 589, 591, 593, 594, 596, 598, 599, 601, 603, 604, 606, 608, 609, 611, 613, 614, 616, 618, 620, 621, 623, 625, 627, 628, 630, 632, 634, 636, 638, 639, 641, 643, 645, 647, 649, 651, 653, 654, 656, 658, 660, 662, 664, 666, 668, 670, 672, 674, 676, 678, 680, 683, 685, 687, 689, 691, 693, 695, 697, 700, 702, 704, 706, 708, 711, 713, 715, 718, 720, 722, 725, 727, 729, 732, 734, 737, 739, 741, 744, 746, 749, 752, 754, 757, 759, 762, 764, 767, 770, 773, 775, 778, 781, 784, 786, 789, 792, 795, 798, 801, 804, 807, 810, 813, 816, 819, 822, 825, 829, 832, 835, 838, 842, 845, 848, 852, 855, 859, 862, 866, 869, 873, 877, 881, 884, 888, 892, 896, 900, 904, 908, 912, 916, 920, 925, 929, 933, 938, 942, 947, 952, 956, 961, 966, 971, 976, 981, 986, 991, 997, 1002, 1007, 1013, 1019, 1024, 1030, 1036, 1042, 1049, 1055, 1061, 1068, 1075, 1082, 1088, 1096, 1103, 1110, 1118, 1126, 1134, 1142, 1150, 1159, 1168, 1177, 1186, 1196, 1206, 1216, 1226, 1237, 1248, 1260, 1272, 1284, 1297, 1310, 1324, 1338, 1353, 1369, 1385, 1402, 1420, 1439, 1459, 1480, 1502 };

#include <LiquidCrystal.h>

LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);

void setup() {
pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
lcd.begin(16, 2);
lcd.setCursor (1,0);
lcd.print ("Temp Reading");
}

void loop() {

int therm;
therm = ADCaverage ();
therm = therm - 238;
therm = pgm_read_word(&temps[therm]);
//lcd.setCursor (4,1);
//lcd.print (therm);
therm = ((therm * 9)/5) + 320;
therm = therm / 10;
lcd.setCursor (8,1);
lcd.print (therm);
}

int ADCaverage (){

int result;
int i;
for (i=0; i < 30; i++){
result += analogRead(THERM_PIN);
}
result = result / 30;
lcd.setCursor (0,1);
lcd.print (result);
return result;
}

2

I've tried replacing them with a 50,100,500, mS delay. How could two lcd instructions change the average adc reading? i dont know but if I can't figure this out I may have to say screw arduino for this project. :0

3

int result=0;

4

that would only solve the problem if that was in the loop and not a function? all variables are zero at the start of a function unless set another wise? I reworked the code a bit. it works good now. I added a way to add more sensors too. heres the new starting at startup() thanks all, red

void setup() {
pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
lcd.begin(16, 2);
lcd.setCursor (2,0);
lcd.print ("Temp Reading");
}

void loop() {
int temp;
temp = tempReading(1); //send one for sensor on analog 1 and two for sensor on analog 2
lcd.setCursor (7,1);
lcd.print (temp);
}

int tempReading(int sensor){
int therm = 0;
for (int i=0; i < 30; i++){
therm += analogRead(sensor);
}
therm = therm / 30;
therm = therm - 238;
therm = pgm_read_word(&temps[therm]);
therm = ((therm * 9)/5) + 320;
therm = therm / 10;
return therm;
}

5

also make the code easily portable the other projects. i would just need to change it alittle to get more precision :slight_smile:

6

redneckengineer:
also make the code easily portable the other projects. i would just need to change it alittle to get more precision :slight_smile:

You were just masking your misunderstanding of the local variables. They don't always get initialized to zero if you don't specify it to be zero, either in the program or in compiler options. But anyway, your most current code rids that potential problem so no complaints here.